First gun I actually bought myself was a Spanish Airforce Mauser, along with a cap&ball .44 Colt 1851 Navy repro revolver - from a K-mart! 1976, and I was home from USAF bootcamp, just before going to my first duty station - 115 miles from home. I wanted a cheap "deer rifle", and K-mart had a bunch of these old Mausers (bubba'd stocks, "sporters", right.) - I paid $47 for it.
Twentyeight years later, I still have both guns. I put the Mauser into a Brazil '08 stock (shortened, but at least it looks "military" now).
The ol' 1851 Navy revolver is broken, and a display piece now. Too many hot loads back in my young and stupid days . . . :wink: