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Big Chief
Senior MemberPosts: 32,995 Senior Member
Sadly, the best MILSURP deals are becoming a thing of the past.
Big Chief
Senior MemberPosts: 32,995 Senior Member
With the lone exception of the Mosin Nagants, most "Bargains" are gone. German/Yugo Mausers have gone up for poorer quality ones, Swedish Mausers are hard to find and expensive when you do. SMLEs/.303s the same. Same for American surplus, like M-1 Carbines and Garands and the like.
Some Swiss rifles still out there, but the better ones will cost you a pretty penny. Even the M-44s are getting costly. A good Yugo SKS is over $300 now.
Handguns, well have been a little surprising. Semis like the CZ 52s are hard to find and not fer $99 bucks, but CZ 82s and P-64s are out there, as are the Russian Nagants. BATF does add to their C&R list occasionally. Actually, the C&R list is fairly long, but the guns just aren't available for a shooters price anymore.
Even the great deals on surplus ammo are about gone, which made shooting some of them a real inexpensive way to blast away a day at the range.
I know, depending on when you got a C&R and or started collecting is all very relevant.
Thing is, modern MILSURPS like the M-16A1s/AKs and clones probably will not be allowed on the list even if converted to semi-only in most cases.
Bolt rifles are becoming a thing of the past for military use with a few exceptions for special uses.
Gee, will Beretta M-9s be the surplus C&R of the future?
Hopefully "New" finds of great old stuff will be sold by countries hoarding them around the world so we can have a shot buying them. Who knows what the future will hold.
Some Swiss rifles still out there, but the better ones will cost you a pretty penny. Even the M-44s are getting costly. A good Yugo SKS is over $300 now.
Handguns, well have been a little surprising. Semis like the CZ 52s are hard to find and not fer $99 bucks, but CZ 82s and P-64s are out there, as are the Russian Nagants. BATF does add to their C&R list occasionally. Actually, the C&R list is fairly long, but the guns just aren't available for a shooters price anymore.
Even the great deals on surplus ammo are about gone, which made shooting some of them a real inexpensive way to blast away a day at the range.
I know, depending on when you got a C&R and or started collecting is all very relevant.
Thing is, modern MILSURPS like the M-16A1s/AKs and clones probably will not be allowed on the list even if converted to semi-only in most cases.
Bolt rifles are becoming a thing of the past for military use with a few exceptions for special uses.
Gee, will Beretta M-9s be the surplus C&R of the future?
Hopefully "New" finds of great old stuff will be sold by countries hoarding them around the world so we can have a shot buying them. Who knows what the future will hold.
It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Replies
Yep the price is going up because they're getting more rare every day. I bought my Garand through the DCM in 1983 for $121.96. Nowdays they are over $500. I got an 03/A3 for free back in the late 80s when the VFV post changed their color guatd rifles to Garands, and my dad was post commander. The guy in charge of swapping the rifles just ask him if he wanted it. He really didn't have any use for it at the time so he told me to take it and I did. Now that same 03-A3 would go for $500-$700.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
I'm glad I got a nice M-96 Swedish Mauser fer $89-99 bucks Carl Gustav (1900) back when and in retrospect I wish I'd bought a short rifle too, among many others.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Ain't that the truth.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I think I remember that place.............we can only dream about it now.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Not just MILSURPS, seems all gun prices have been artificially inflated and bullets have skyrocketed in price. I just looked at Midway for .30 M-1 Carbine REM 110 grain JSP bullets, now over $80 bucks for #500, not that long ago I could get them fer $40 bucks.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Makarovs would be my personal favorite. There are thousands in surplus overseas, but they don't meet the import ban counts.
C&R is any gun over 50 years old, or that has been qualified by letters requesting C&R status to the BATFE and approved.
The SKS is still a C&R gun and the Russian, and Yugos are fun guns to shoot and collect.
What is coming up that we can anticipate? Won't there be a bunch of military revolvers at some point in the future?
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
That's for sure Robert. However, you are old enough to remember the 1960s. I remember it was a big deal when my dad's American Rifleman would come. It was chocked full of pages of guns from Garands to Swedish Mausers and all in between. And I think the highest price you would see might have been $50. 03-A3s in excellent condition went for $25. 1917 Emfields, it made no difference which company made it, Remington, Winchester, Eddystone, they were $15 tops. **** Type 99 Rifles were a dime a dozen. M1 Carbines were maybe $35-$45, while Garands were expensive at $40-$50. That was the golden age of milsurps.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Actually, I'm keeping my C&R for a variety of reasons. One it's easier to renew than start from scratch, lots of mail order places give you "Dealer" discounts and access to their price lists with a C&R Lic# and I'm hoping for some new releases/finds where a warehouse full of MILSURPS of some kind will be put on the market.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Oh, I'm cautiously optimistic about the future and MILSURP collecting. However, I know sellers will be milking any good finds to the max to inflate prices with statements like "Last chance" "No more when these are gone" "Rare find" "Hidden away for over 100 years in an obscure warehouse...." all equal more $$$$$ fer them.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I agree. Collecting is definitely in. However obtaining may be quite another story. The old favorites are getting rare as hens teeth, which actually makes collecting a more lucrative venture. We did see a reprieve in the 1990s and early 2000s after the Iron Curtain came down and all those warehouses full of guns were put on our market. But those are going fast. Like you said, a Yugo Mauser's price has sky rocketed the last couple of years.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
I got a Yugo 24/47 in great shape a few years ago. Looks like it will be my only 8mm as how the K-98s worth a darn have all but disappeared and the few around that are in sad shape bring a premium and they act like they are auctioning off the Crown Jewels or something..
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Jerry
Now there is a gun I would really like to have. I have never seen one in person!
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski