Some nice collections here. Seems to me milsurps sure have been increasing in value leaps and bounds lately. R/C 98ks could be had for cheap money a few years back. Nowadays seems more like $500-600 and more for bolt M/M.
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MILSURPS
- Thread starter HOUSTON RICK
- Start date
LVSteve
Member
Milsurp prices are pretty wacky right now. Just this weekend on Proxibid I saw an Arisaka T38 carbine with mum go for $375. Once upon a time that was a $500 bid gun. Likewise a Hungarian M95M only fetched $275. That was a $400 gun a few years back.
The South American Mauser market has also softened greatly. A Colombian 1925 in 30-06 went for $200 this weekend, and I scored a Brazilian 1908/34 for a bid I'm embarrassed to put on here. I still hear cries of "Stop! Thief!" Finn Mosins are the same price they were a decade ago. Enfields are up, and Carcanos are fetching money unimaginable 10 years ago.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on the price of Finn Mosins.
Ten years ago, run of the mill 91/30s w/accessories were $100, sometimes @ $69 on sale, Now they are pushing $300 with no accessories or even a bayonet.
I acquired most of my Finn collection ten years ago. Ten years agp, they ran about $150 for the average shooter to $370 for the rare odd ball. Now, shooters start at $350.
Let me put it this way: Today, if I sold my unissued B barrels, late dates and Tikka's, there's no way I could replace them for $369 -which is what I paid for them from WGA back in the day. Then, add the premium of them being on an antique receiver! If I knew then what I know now, I would've doubled my buying!
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spad124
Member
I have an October, 1918 M1917 Eddystone my son and I de-sporterized and returned to a military stock. My father in law has the 1918 RIA 03 his father bought surplus in the 1930s to shoot in matches. I’ve shot both. The 03 is probably a bit handier but the sights are fine target sights. The M1917’s ghost ring sights are much better as battle sights and, in fact, were of the type used by the US for the Garand up through the M16A2.
The 03 cocks on opening like any good Mauser should. The M1917 cocks on closing like the SMLE. I’m not sure if there is really any advantage to one or the other. You get used to what you have.
The M1917 is a bit longer, but weights about the same as the 03 and is a good serviceable rifle. It required less handwork and was faster to produce. I’d feel well armed with a 1917.
Swedish Mausers, the best small ring Mauser ever made cock on closing.
Valmet
Member
Ματθιας;140370864 said:
The 1917 is arguably my all-time favorite milsurp as I shoot better with them than any others.
Good grief!!! You might just as well asked this crew "Does anyone here like guns?"... I am really impressed by the ones already shown. I'll have to look around for some pics, as I haven't been doing much with my various milsurps lately. Great idea for a thread. And thanks to all for sharing!?
Here's one that I just found a pic for, just to get the ball rolling... (and I'm not the one who polished some parts and put colored paint in some of the markings, it was like that when I got it). Came with 10 British made magazines:
Best Regards, Les
Here's one that I just found a pic for, just to get the ball rolling... (and I'm not the one who polished some parts and put colored paint in some of the markings, it was like that when I got it). Came with 10 British made magazines:
Best Regards, Les
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BigBill
Absent Comrade
I have a soft spot for Argentine Mausers.
09 Mountain/Engineer carbine (short rifle, really)
Some of the nicest wood I've seen on a milsurp:
The South American German made Mauser are in a class by themselves. They are so purdy. With the tiger striped, fiddle back stocks. It’s very rare to find a all matching numbered metal and wood gun. I gave up looking for a Swede and Chilean Mauser that matched. They I found them.
Of course bubba cut the all matching guns. I purchased a half done spotter, Barrel cut, , Swede 1900 oderndorf mauser I need to finish for my grandson.
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Valmet
Member
Good grief!!! You might just as well asked this crew "Does anyone here like guns?"... I am really impressed by the ones already shown. I'll have to look around for some pics, as I haven't been doing much with my various milsurps lately. Great idea for a thread. And thanks to all for sharing!?
Here's one that I just found a pic for, just to get the ball rolling... (and I'm not the one who polished some parts and put colored paint in some of the markings, it was like that when I got it). Came with 10 British made magazines:
Best Regards, Les
That’s a fantastic looking L1A1 les, what receiver?
Yes, besides S&W’s one of my main areas of focus was C&R military surplus firearms. Most of my collection was sold during the great divorce collection sell off but I did keep a selection, here are a few
1918 Springfield 03 rebarreled in 1932, 1942 Remington 03(both these 03’s I am pretty sure are Greek CMP returns), a March 1945 M1
My BSA civilian Charger Loader Long Lee Enfield
My GI bring back CZ-33
My 1918 Lee Enfield No1 MkIII*
1918 Springfield 03 rebarreled in 1932, 1942 Remington 03(both these 03’s I am pretty sure are Greek CMP returns), a March 1945 M1
My BSA civilian Charger Loader Long Lee Enfield
My GI bring back CZ-33
My 1918 Lee Enfield No1 MkIII*
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Old Corp
Member
I miss the days when Milsurp guns were cheap enough to be the 'gateway drug' for young budding shooters.
Included in that time frame was the ammo - Surplus .30 M1 Carbine, .30-06, .45 auto, 8x57, 7x57, 6.5 all was pretty cheap and easily found.
I've only a little milsurp stuff - a couple Mosin-Nagant hex receiver rifles, an Enfield Mk 4, Nagant revolver.
Don't really consider my S&W M1917 .45 or M1911 from c.1917 as 'milsurp', although I guess they are.
Included in that time frame was the ammo - Surplus .30 M1 Carbine, .30-06, .45 auto, 8x57, 7x57, 6.5 all was pretty cheap and easily found.
I've only a little milsurp stuff - a couple Mosin-Nagant hex receiver rifles, an Enfield Mk 4, Nagant revolver.
Don't really consider my S&W M1917 .45 or M1911 from c.1917 as 'milsurp', although I guess they are.
Justin T
Member
LVSteve
Member
Ματθιας;140370858 said:
Yeah, I should have been more specific when I said Finns. I meant the Finn specific models like the M27, M28 and the M39. Prices of common M39 variants are definitely soft when you account for inflation.
The one that still holds a deep fascination for collectors is the M28/30, and prices reflect this.
LVSteve
Member
Matching Swedes are quite common. Chileans not so much. In fact I've never seen a matching Chilean in the flesh or on the web. Neither of mine match, I'm sure. I THINK my Brazilian 1908 long rifle matches.
With South/Central American Mausers I've often said that the mismatched bolts are due to the home country keeping the bolts in a separate box to keep the coup rate down to manageable.
There are quite a few matching Enfields out there. The arcane wood fitting and headspace regimen means that British armorers were pretty good at keeping the right parts with the right rifle.
Original matching Mosins are like hen's teeth. Most supposedly matching guns turn out to have been ground and electropencil matched during one of the many refurbs. I do have a matching M39 from Finnland, but you can argue those are murky because the Finns generally reused Russian receivers and bolts and changed out the barrels. To add to the confusion, the serial number on most Mosins is only on the barrel shank, not the receiver. This and the use of Cyrillic characters eventually caught the eye of the ATF, hence the awful billboard import marks afflicted on the more recently imported guns.
TAROMAN
US Veteran
Many years ago, I was in Hunter's Haven in Alexandria, VA.
In the center of the showroom was a rifle rack filled with a couple dozen absolutely new 1909 Argentino Mausers.
Don't recall the price, but seems it wasn't astronomical.
Luckily my 1891 and 1909 are both matching.
Interesting, I have found the 1891 to be the most accurate of the pair.
Hard to photograph a rifle this long. Never mind the bayonet.
In the center of the showroom was a rifle rack filled with a couple dozen absolutely new 1909 Argentino Mausers.
Don't recall the price, but seems it wasn't astronomical.
Luckily my 1891 and 1909 are both matching.
Interesting, I have found the 1891 to be the most accurate of the pair.
Hard to photograph a rifle this long. Never mind the bayonet.
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Here's the old trapdoor Springfield I bought recently. Dates to 1888. Lots of color case hardening left.
I have a few motley milsurps.
1945 Winchester carbine.
1950 Tula and a Yugo SKSs.
My model 12 riot.
A Winchester Winder Musket
A 1939 K-98, A M-48 Mauser, A m-44 and a 91-30 Mosins. A couple CZ-52s and this military look a like FN/FAL.
1945 Winchester carbine.
1950 Tula and a Yugo SKSs.
My model 12 riot.
A Winchester Winder Musket
A 1939 K-98, A M-48 Mauser, A m-44 and a 91-30 Mosins. A couple CZ-52s and this military look a like FN/FAL.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
On the finish captured winter war 91/30 mosins the finish reworked the bolts and receivers into a few different configurations. They shimmed the barreled receiver to they stock till they show 1” moa’s. There’s the orginal Russian year number inside the receiver near the trigger guard and the barrel has the Finnish year number. It gets confusing on which year to go by.
Don’t forget the winter war of 1939. When Russia was looking for another seaport invaded ����. The Finns weren’t an easy push over. In rifles of the white death it’s were 4,000 Russians attacked 32 Finns. The Russian with 3,600 soldiers retreated with five Finns left alive. When hitler seen this he thought Russia would be an easy push over. It was till the winter hit.
Don’t forget the winter war of 1939. When Russia was looking for another seaport invaded ����. The Finns weren’t an easy push over. In rifles of the white death it’s were 4,000 Russians attacked 32 Finns. The Russian with 3,600 soldiers retreated with five Finns left alive. When hitler seen this he thought Russia would be an easy push over. It was till the winter hit.
