New batch of M48's showed up

[TapcoFan]

Last week I ordered up a couple of M48's as an impulse buy and I just got to unbox them. What I love about C&Rs is that each one seems to have its own character and story. One is all matching numbers and has seen some use. The other looks nearly new, but is a complete mix-master and is missing a retaining spring. I'm bummed about the missing spring, but whatever.
So which one do I keep and which one do I sell/trade?

 

[jrocg0102]

I say keep the battle worn with matching numbers one. It's a piece of history! Very nice set

 

[potenza]

Classic firearms? They seem to have found the mother load of those

 

[TapcoFan]

Classic firearms? They seem to have found the mother load of those

Nope. Bought from a mom and pop operation. Classic's pricing has been absolutely insane lately. There wasn't a hand select option or anything, so I figured that if I bought two rifles, I might get luck[ier] in the C&R lottery.
I think I'm gonna keep the numbers matching rifle that has seen some use. The one with the nicer wood and the good metal still has cosmoline in the bolt and I'm a little too lazy to clean it out. I'll let someone else do that lol.

 

[TapcoFan]

After doing a little research, it turns out that the darker stock rifle is an early M48 with a milled magazine floor plate. The later M48's had stamped magazine floor plates.
I'm reconsidering having put the lighter, nicer stock one up for sale. A couple nights ago I got bored and cleaned all the cosmoline out of the bolt. I was actually pretty surprised at how much crud was inside of the bolt. In the process, I started thinking about keeping it, even though I probably shouldn't.