Chapter Thirty-Three: Buying Guns (Part Two)

  Before coming here, Li Han had a chat with the American captain on the ship for some time, so he had a good grasp of the prices of firearms in this Shanghai market. As soon as the other party opened his mouth, he knew that the price was a rip-off, and since they were in a hurry, he immediately lost interest in buying from him!

  Davis's face was frozen, although he intentionally quoted a high price to probe the other party's bottom line. However, it was clear that the other party not only had a good understanding of the black market gun prices but also had a fiery personality. With one misstep in words, they refused to discuss the price further and turned to leave directly.

  He motioned to the Davis beside him not to speak, then Karl, a white Southerner, flashed a brilliant smile on his face, raised the wine glass in his hand and said in standard London English.

  "You seem to be a connoisseur too, sir. Previously, it was our fault, so as an apology... from now on, when you purchase any goods at our store, we will sell them to you at 95% of the market price. What do you think?"

  "Oh?"

  Li Hanyi was taken aback and immediately stopped. Ninety-five percent off was a pretty good price, especially since they didn't have much time left now.

  "Deal, but we don't want M1888. Shouldn't the Kwai Yau company have the M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher rifle? That's right, it's an improved version of the M1888. We need this model, what's the price?"

  In 1888, Li Han had seen the M1888 at an army armory museum. Although he hadn't used it before, as a gun enthusiast, he took note of its pros and cons after just one glance. However, he was more familiar with its later improved version, the M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher rifle, which he referred to in his speech. This was because it was the first gun he had collected, purchased from a private collector after being sent to the United States by his organization, and thus he understood its excellent performance quite well.

  The overall structure of the M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher rifle is more streamlined, lighter in weight, reliable in function, convenient to use, and capable of firing multiple types of cartridges. At that time, this series of rifles had first-class performance overall. The important components such as the bolt action and receiver were made from special steel, with smaller volume and lighter weight for each component. The ammunition used was mainly Austria's M1895 8×50mm rifle cartridge, but it could also use the M308×56mm rifle cartridge, Germany's standard rifle cartridge, and other cartridges of the same caliber. From the late 19th century onwards, apart from being equipped by the Austrian (Austro-Hungarian) military, it was also widely used by various Eastern European countries, as well as adopted by Western European countries such as Switzerland and Italy, and American countries like the United States and Canada. It saw extensive use in World War I, and although there were fewer uses during World War II, it did not lose its reputation as an excellent firearm. Although its straight-pull bolt action structure was somewhat complex and had a slower unlocking speed, which ultimately prevented it from becoming widespread, it is still considered an outstanding rifle. As part of the same generation of weapons as Japan's Type 38 Arisaka rifle, and even with some technical aspects surpassing the first-generation and one-and-a-half-generation Type 38 Arisaka rifles, its technical content was more excellent than that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's standard weapon.

  Karl seemed somewhat surprised, "Can't help but say, Mr. Chinese, you're a man who knows his guns... Alright, however, the Steyr-Mannlicher is a bit pricier, nineteen taels for one rifle at a 95% discount, and I'll throw in five rounds of ammunition, how's that?"

  Karl knew they had obviously met someone who understood guns, and he was also interested in Li Han, so he came up with a reasonable price.

  Li Han nodded, this price is still a bit high, but it's already reasonable. After all, this is Wuhan, not Shanghai or other coastal cities, and transportation costs need to be considered. Based on the information he had previously obtained from the American captain and what Yan Zhongzhi knew, Li Han had a general idea of the prices: before the Wuchang Uprising, domestically produced guns like the old "Lao Suo" cost around 17 taels of silver per piece, M1903s cost 19 taels each, Type 38 Arisakas cost 16 taels each, and Mosin-Nagant rifles cost 18 taels each. However, bullets usually had to be priced separately.

  To be honest, compared to the M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher, Li Han would rather buy a Russian Mosin-Nagant (M1891) if possible. As for the German Mauser, he didn't even think about it. The physical condition of the Chinese people made the powerful recoil of the Mauser unbearable for anyone who hadn't received special training. On the other hand, the Mosin-Nagant was not only cheaper but also an excellent rifle. Except for being a bit cumbersome when used as a bayonet, its structure was simpler, making it easier to maintain and assemble. The production and imitation of this rifle were also straightforward.

  In the history of light weapons, there is a saying that confirms the excellence of this weapon: "Without the Mosin-Nagant, there would be no Soviet Union." Although this statement is slightly exaggerated, it is true. As one of the earliest smokeless military rifles, its gunshot was crisp and sounded like water droplets falling, earning it the name "water droplet" (shuǐ lián zhū).

  Compared to other contemporary military rifles such as the Mauser and Lee-Enfield series, the Mosin-Nagant rifle had a more complex gun mechanism design. Its design was rough and outdated, and its overall operation felt clumsy compared to these rifles. However, the advantages of the Mosin-Nagant rifle lay in its ease of production and simple reliability - which were extremely important for the Soviet/Russian army with low industrial foundation and low soldier education level, especially during wartime when weapon production needed to be increased to meet frontline needs, and a large number of combat personnel often had insufficient training time.

  During the defense of the Soviet war, Red Army soldiers were able to defend the red regime against foreign intervention only because they were equipped with these weapons.

  Moreover, due to the relationship between China and the Soviet Union in later generations, Li Han was quite familiar with several subsequent models that were even more powerful and still considered advanced after World War II. Therefore, he couldn't help but hope to buy a Mosin-Nagant.

  Shaking his head, it's clearly not the time to think about these things now. After calculating the remaining load capacity of his car, Li Han estimated that he could still fit four or five hundred Mannlicher rifles, which weighed around 3.75 kg each. However, there were also some heavy objects inside the car, and it was obviously impossible to buy that many, nor did he need to.

  "Alright, give me 250 Styer rifles, five boxes of ammunition. Do you have any pocket watches or binoculars in your store? I don't care about the watches, just bring twenty pieces. The binoculars should be German-made, at least five sets..."

  In this era, if you ask about industrial optics or precision optics, don't be surprised, the powerful German factories have monopolized more than 80% of the world's market. Even the arrogant British Empire had to use optical telescopes and sensors purchased from Germany on its most advanced dreadnoughts. The Americans will need at least thirty years to catch up, while Japan will need sixty or seventy years. Of course, with the arrival of Li Han, it's hard to say whether Japan still has such hope...

  "No problem..."

  Karl smiled happily, having sold so many firearms at once. Although it couldn't compare to the Qing government's purchases of tens of thousands or some local governors' single purchases of thousands, it was still the first and largest purchase he had handled, making him feel somewhat excited.

  Look at this configuration, isn't it obvious what it's for? Especially with the telescope and pocket watch, it's simply a rebel's three-piece set. But although Karl and others are clear about it in their hearts, they don't have any intention of saying it out loud. What a joke, is it really necessary?

  Not to mention that Austria-Hungary does not have the same privileges and interests in China as the five countries of England, France, Russia, Germany, and Japan. Especially after losing the large arms orders with the Qing government, his mind has become even more distorted. He can't wait for chaos to erupt in the Far East, because although he is not very clear about the mission entrusted to Davis, he also vaguely realizes that... The Balkans have been restless recently, and the empire... The empire will probably find it difficult to stay out of this matter, and it is necessary to transfer some pressure from the empire as much as possible. The Far East, a territory with huge interests for the Entente, is undoubtedly the best and most suitable place.

  Hubei Province is located in the Yangtze River Basin, which is a core area of British interests. Therefore, Carl and others have always been supportive of the gang's intention to "riot" in this city. If it weren't for the fact that the gang members who had previously discussed purchasing arms with him were really short of money, he might have sold them a batch of military weapons at a low price!

  So, even if he knew what Li Han and others were after, he was happy to sell a large number of military equipment, and then waited with a smile, ready to watch the joke!

  The Austro-Hungarian Empire had some privileges in China, but compared to the Five Power Group, it was far inferior. This was also the experience that Sun Wu and others had gained after hitting a brick wall countless times. Because, compared to Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, which hoped to maintain the Qing dynasty's rule over the Far East, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had little interest in China, obviously hoped that the situation in the Far East would become even more chaotic, so that the empire could gain greater benefits in China amidst the chaos.