must haves for a wwii gun collection
- Thread starter mg357
- Start date
1.) Start off with a Remington Model 1942 1903-A1,made 1 year in 1942 just before the 1903-A3, resonably priced and actually used quite a bit. 500-600
2.) A good M1 carbine that hasn't been arsenally refinished.
600-800 or more but don't fall into the rutt of "they only made this many"!! YOUR NOT COLLECTING CARBINES!!
3.) M1 Rifle (GARAND) WW II correct 800-1200, condition dictates. Pleantiful!!
4.) Last, because they are not as good rifles as the '03, the 1903-A3. Can still be had in the cosmoline new! 400-600.
None of these are rare, you will be told that though. There are million's of M1 Rifles and M1 Carbines in the US, and don't be fooled, WW II correct ones are abundant, they just reside in collections eversoe frequently appearing for sale... I would venture to say everyone on the forum who owns 20 or more rifles owns an M1 rifle or has!!! I own 2!!
Its amazing what the modern movies have done for the prices of these firearms!!! Dont get me wrong, The Longest day with John Wayne did great things to inspire the Vietnam Generation, but most of them( all of yall) came home and avoided military firearms as a whole!! The new movies "Band of brothers" etc.. have encouraged a new following, a new appreciation of the efforts of the WW II veteran, there DAD or Granddad.
The Johnsons are nice, used mostly in the pacific theatre and late in the war, overpriced in my opinion.
Passed on a Mint S&W Victory not too long ago for $245.00.
I've owned 4 remington rands, my 1st was when I was 12, every one I knew who owned guns had one...
Be choosey and informed, don't pay too much and only settle for period correct, you can shoot them and enjoy them and not hurt them!! Good luck
In 1979 or 1980 i was at a gun show and a dealer had summer Army Air Corps flying helmets new unissued for $10 a piece, he had probably 200, a giant box he wheeled in! Hardly sold them, I still have mine!! A forum member here, set up at the show, said something to the effect" maybe the kid has something, in 20 years we will be wishing we bought this junk". His friend sold me an unissued fairburn Sikes a few years later for $125, i sold it in 2004 for in excess of $1200 ... Gotta love it!!!
2.) A good M1 carbine that hasn't been arsenally refinished.
600-800 or more but don't fall into the rutt of "they only made this many"!! YOUR NOT COLLECTING CARBINES!!
3.) M1 Rifle (GARAND) WW II correct 800-1200, condition dictates. Pleantiful!!
4.) Last, because they are not as good rifles as the '03, the 1903-A3. Can still be had in the cosmoline new! 400-600.
None of these are rare, you will be told that though. There are million's of M1 Rifles and M1 Carbines in the US, and don't be fooled, WW II correct ones are abundant, they just reside in collections eversoe frequently appearing for sale... I would venture to say everyone on the forum who owns 20 or more rifles owns an M1 rifle or has!!! I own 2!!
Its amazing what the modern movies have done for the prices of these firearms!!! Dont get me wrong, The Longest day with John Wayne did great things to inspire the Vietnam Generation, but most of them( all of yall) came home and avoided military firearms as a whole!! The new movies "Band of brothers" etc.. have encouraged a new following, a new appreciation of the efforts of the WW II veteran, there DAD or Granddad.
The Johnsons are nice, used mostly in the pacific theatre and late in the war, overpriced in my opinion.
Passed on a Mint S&W Victory not too long ago for $245.00.
I've owned 4 remington rands, my 1st was when I was 12, every one I knew who owned guns had one...
Be choosey and informed, don't pay too much and only settle for period correct, you can shoot them and enjoy them and not hurt them!! Good luck
In 1979 or 1980 i was at a gun show and a dealer had summer Army Air Corps flying helmets new unissued for $10 a piece, he had probably 200, a giant box he wheeled in! Hardly sold them, I still have mine!! A forum member here, set up at the show, said something to the effect" maybe the kid has something, in 20 years we will be wishing we bought this junk". His friend sold me an unissued fairburn Sikes a few years later for $125, i sold it in 2004 for in excess of $1200 ... Gotta love it!!!
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Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
1911 pistol & an M1 Garand leap to mind.
Russian Mosin Nagant
German Luger
Had a chance to get a pretty nice '44 Garand. Did some research & by the time I got back to the shop it was sold.
Russian Mosin Nagant
German Luger
Had a chance to get a pretty nice '44 Garand. Did some research & by the time I got back to the shop it was sold.
1911 pistol & an M1 Garand leap to mind.
Russian Mosin Nagant
German Luger
Had a chance to get a pretty nice '44 Garand. Did some research & by the time I got back to the shop it was sold.
I got my 1943 M1 from the DCM back when they were $120 each. The barrel is in surprisingly good shape but it had the usual mixed parts. Fortunately for by volunteering to clean rifles at local American Legion Posts I was able to swap parts until mine is correct. With permission of course.
redneckemt
Member
The Johnson (well a handful of them anyways) was also used by 1st Special Service Force (The Black Devils' Brigade) during WWII. Joint Commando unit of Canadian and American Troops, the real story is much better than the movie.
If I remember the book right they got some Johnson LMG's in a Trade with the USMC, for some early C-4 like stuff.
As for a collection of WWII guns. Good Luck, Prices have gone up and CMP / DCM has run out of Carbines, and they're getting to the last of their 03's and M-1's, and I think they've been out of 17's.
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