Mr. ALBA. He was more interested in the Japanese rifle.
Mr. LIEBELER. Had you already sporterized that?
Mr. ALBA. That was completely sporterized.
Mr. LIEBELER. What do you do to a rifle when you sporterize it?
Mr. ALBA. Alter the stock, eliminate some of the weight, and the length
of the stock, because it is a military piece to start with, and you
glass-bead the stock.
Mr. LIEBELER. And what does that mean?
Mr. ALBA. To accurize the stock, and you put this where you have all
metal to wood contact in the stock. It is referred to as accurizing,
and sporterizing, and customizing a piece.
Mr. LIEBELER. What did Oswald say about this particular Japanese rifle?
Mr. ALBA. Nothing other than his desire to possess the gun, or to
purchase the gun from me.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you recall being interviewed by an agent of the FBI?
Mr. ALBA. Yes; I do.
Mr. LIEBELER. How many times were you interviewed by the FBI?
Mr. ALBA. Twice, I believe. Let me retract that--the FBI came to the
office, I think, three different times. I was never up in their office
or contacted----
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you discuss this Japanese rifle with them?
Mr. ALBA. Yes; I did.
Mr. LIEBELER. And do you recall telling them that Oswald was interested
in the number of inches that had been cut from the barrel of the gun?
Mr. ALBA. I believe I did; yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you recall what Oswald said about that?
Mr. ALBA. No; not other than a general discussion of the trajectory
and the feet per second, and et cetera, and the general accuracy
elimination--I mean elimination of the accuracy of the gun cutting the
barrel off.
Mr. LIEBELER. What is the effect of cutting the barrel?
Mr. ALBA. On the accuracy of a rifle; none.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you tell Oswald that?
Mr. ALBA. I did.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he seem surprised?
Mr. ALBA. Not that my memory would--if my memory would serve me
correctly; no.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he seem to have a fairly good knowledge of a rifle?
Mr. ALBA. He did of the military pieces, the M-1 and the Garand. He
was asking questions about the Japanese rifle and the Springfield, the
1903-A, the A-3 Springfield, inquiring questions about those pieces,
but he seemed to have a very thorough knowledge of the M-1 and the
Garand.
Mr. LIEBELER. You just mentioned two different rifles, or three
different rifles that he showed a real familiarity with?
Mr. ALBA. Two.
Mr. LIEBELER. This was the straight M-1 gas-operated rifle that has
been used by the military services?
Mr. ALBA. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. And the other was the Springfield?
Mr. ALBA. No, no; the other was the Garand M-1. The Garand M-1 and you
have the M-1 carbine. Both are gas-operated.
Mr. LIEBELER. Those are the only two weapons that he showed any
particular or real familiarity with, is that correct?
Mr. ALBA. That is correct.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he tell you how he became familiar with these?
Mr. ALBA. No; he didn't.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you ever give it any thought as to how he became
familiar with these weapons?
Mr. ALBA. Yes; I did. I assumed that was through the Armed Forces
training.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did he ever tell you anything about that?
Mr. ALBA. No; he hadn't, other than he had the service behind him.
Mr. LIEBELER. He didn't tell you what branch of the service he had been
in?
Mr. ALBA. No; he didn't.
Mr. LIEBELER. The Japanese rifle that you said you had completely
sporterized, can you tell us approximately how long that weapon would
be when it is put together?
Mr. ALBA. Prior to sporterizing or after sporterizing?
Mr. LIEBELER. Both?
Mr. ALBA. I took approximately 4 to 4-1/2 inches off of the barrel, and
I think it was left with a 22-1/2-inch barrel, and it had approximately
a 28- or a 29-inch barrel to start off with.
Mr. LIEBELER. When you fastened the barrel to the stock, can you tell
us approximately how long that rifle would be?
Mr. ALBA. I can take a guess--I never really measured it, or any of my
pieces, for that matter, but I would say approximately 55 inches.
Mr. LIEBELER. Can these rifles be readily broken down, taking the stock
and removing it from the barrel?
Mr. ALBA. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. How long would the stock be separate from the barrel in
this Japanese rifle?
Mr. ALBA. From the butt of the stock to the extreme end of the forearm
would be approximately 20 inches, I imagine, or about 2 feet.
Mr. LIEBELER. When you say that the barrel was 22 inches long, do you
mean that the entire length of the action and the barrel?
Mr. ALBA. The barrel only, from the breech to the muzzle.
Mr. LIEBELER. About how long is the action?
Mr. ALBA. About 6 inches, 5 or 6 inches. You are asking me questions
now that I have never pursued before for my own information and
satisfaction. These are only approximate guesses.
Mr. LIEBELER. So the effect of sporterizing a rifle generally is to
shorten the overall length of the rifle, is that not right, by removing
a portion of the barrel itself?
Mr. ALBA. That is correct, and the weight.
Mr. LIEBELER. In addition to shortening the overall length of the
rifle, also when you sporterize a rifle you shorten the stock itself so
that when you break the rifle down into two pieces, the action and the
barrel is one piece, and the stock the other piece, and the length of
the rifle broken down, or the two pieces laid together, would be less
also, isn't that correct?
Mr. ALBA. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Because of the tendency to shorten the stock?