Military Surplus rifles thread.

[carpediem]

I think there should be a thread for the discussion of the tools of the past. Rifles that have been carried into many conflicts spanning the globe and have now found their way to the surplus market. So, here is where we can discuss the old war horses.
If you have them, post some pictures!

 

[carpediem]

I will start by saying that the top five surplus rifles I have always wanted are; a Lee Enfield WWII vintage (not the jungle carbine), K98k Mauser, an '03 Springfield, a Swedish Ljungman AG-42 and a Tokarev SVT-40.

 

[dsdmmat]

The only surplus rifle I have is an M1 Garand. I bought it because "I could" and that both of my Grandfathers carried one in WWII. Other than that I have a few military style rifles ( M1A and AR). My father carried an M14 in Vietnam and I carried the M16 and the M9 in the Balkins. I have only carried the M9 in Afghanistan.

 

[Bananabandit]

I enjoy me some sks and mosin fun. M1 garands are quite pricey but wouldnt mind one.

 

[dsdmmat]

I enjoy me some sks and mosin fun. M1 garands are quite pricey but wouldnt mind one.

I do have an SKS I forgot about that one. It is a Yugoslavian still in cosmoline. Had it for 14 years now just sitting in the safe.

 

[Steve H]

I suspect there is enough interest here to justify a sub-forum.

 

[Criticalt]

Im not very hip on the origin of most rifles but, I have an Enfield 303 British ive had for 25 years. Ive shot it alot but really have no info on it.

 

[carpediem]

I enjoy me some sks and mosin fun. M1 garands are quite pricey but wouldnt mind one.

I have a couple sks. one is a beautiful arsenal refinished 1952G Russian.Some 20 years ago it ran me $125 or $150. Everything I liked back then was around that price. I also have a Chi-Com paratrooper model. That one needs a new teigger group. Man, where are the early 90s prices these days. I should have gotten an SVT-40 back then, they were only a couple hundred.

 

[GOYABEAN]

I have a couple sks. one is a beautiful arsenal refinished 1952G Russian.Some 20 years ago it ran me $125 or $150. Everything I liked back then was around that price. I also have a Chi-Com paratrooper model. That one needs a new teigger group. Man, where are the early 90s prices these days. I should have gotten an SVT-40 back then, they were only a couple hundred.

Try this place Buy AK Parts | SKS Parts | VZ 58 Parts | PKM Parts & More for trigger group

 

[carpediem]

The only surplus rifle I have is an M1 Garand. I bought it because "I could" and that both of my Grandfathers carried one in WWII. Other than that I have a few military style rifles ( M1A and AR). My father carried an M14 in Vietnam and I carried the M16 and the M9 in the Balkins. I have only carried the M9 in Afghanistan.

Thanks for your service.

 

[Acer-m14]

growing up i found a yard sale and had to go get Dad .. Enfield 303 British n shells and a 12ga bolt gun ,, 25 bucks .. we got them ..
the Enfield was missing the front site and i think mag .. i was like 12 at the time .. never did shoot it and Dad traded it off ..
i still love the looks of the Enfield and the rear sight .. still want to get one .. but for now I got my Mosin and it did its job and put meat on the table

 

[Runner99]

my question: is there any "value" options in mil surps these days (like 100 dollars mosins used to be).... it seems all prices have gone up considerably over the past few years...

 

[dsdmmat]

my question: is there any "value" options in mil surps these days (like 100 dollars mosins used to be).... it seems all prices have gone up considerably over the past few years...

Something is only valuable if the person is willing to pay for it. If you have no firearms and need one any firearm is valuable to you.

I don't know if there are any bargains anymore. I was considering getting a mosin just to convert it to 45 ACP. It is one of those projects that is on my back burner. There are several irons in my fire right now and the mosin is not one of them.

So to answer your question there is always value to mil surplus, what that value is, only you can tell.

 

[redtail]

Love the milsurps, currently looking for an m1 carbine for the collection. Difficult to find at a fair price and even more difficult to find one without the bayo lug. FUAC.

 

[billb]

I have a 303 cal Enfield. The markings are MA Lithgow, SMLE 111*, 1945. Unfortunately the fore end of the stock was cut to convert to a hunting rifle. Never shot it.

 

[GOYABEAN]

Holloween sale Southern Ohio Gun

 

[carpediem]

I once bought a Mosin for $35. Unfortunately it wasn't a good gun and now hangs in my garage sans bolt. It is absolutely unsafe to shoot unless it were rebarreled and properly headspaced.

 

[Acer-m14]

Holloween sale Southern Ohio Gun

Dang i got mine for 140 bucks was listed at 179 no baynet or oil cans or sling .. just the ammo pouches ..

I would like to find another one before Christmas for a friends wife but has to be under 150. can't keep her hands off my gun .. LOL ..

 

[Mk44]

I've had my share of Mosin's 91/30's & M44's. Brought them back in the days when they were cheaper. They are fun fun rifles.
Another nice rifle that shoots the 7.62x54R cartridge is a Finn M39.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I've had my share of Mosin's 91/30's & M44's. Brought them back in the days when they were cheaper. They are fun fun rifles.
Another nice rifle that shoots the 7.62x54R cartridge is a Finn M39.

What is your favorite out of those?

 

[meketrefe]

I was looking at one of those M39s but I cannot find them unissued.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I was looking at one of those M39s but I cannot find them unissued.

Finnish M39 Rifles For Sale at Classic Firearms

Here are a bunch of good condition options. I think they are issued but in very good condition.

 

[meketrefe]

thanks! .. I saw those but un-issued ones are out of stock.

 

[Mosinitis]

Surplus military rifles are imported in waves and when the supply runs out, they go up in price. I have a CMP Garand, two Russian SKS's and six Mosins. I paid $95 for Russian SKS's at the gun show 22 years ago. They are in excellent condition. I am not really serious about surplus rifles. If I lived in a different state I would get at least one of each of commonly imported rifle. I wish I bought Russian capture K98 when they were in ample supply. Mosin-Nagant is my favorite. Many of them have remnants of blood under the the barrel (from the use of the bayonet) and often pieces of shrapnel in the stock. If only these rifles could talk.

 

[carpediem]

I think my crap Mosin is an M39. It has a hexagonal receiver. But it had a Russian marked bolt in it. Total abortion of a rifle.

 

[Mk44]

What is your favorite out of those?

Out of the 3... 91/30, M44 or Finnish M39? The Finn M39.
The M39 is a Mosin on steroids. The M39 is a better built, better quality, better accuracy rifle than the Mosin's.
(M39 had a solid-beefier stock, quality barrel, better trigger & sights). It's like a Caddilac vs Chevy.
There are several variants of the Finnish M39.. Sako , VKT, Sk.Y, Tikka. Sk.Y being a collector.



The M39 (top) vs the M91/30 (Photo by F. Borek)

There was a fellow "Pat Burn" from NY that sold VERY nice M39's & some unissued M39's. He would get shipments of M39's. But I haven't seen him list anything lately.

I like the Mosin's for what they are & their history.

But, I pefer a Swedish M38 over the above. lol

 

[Mosinitis]

M39s are the Russian Mosins rebuilt and upgraded by the Finns. They are more accurate and higher quality, but they are also heavier. For an infantryman of that era it was more weight to carry and not as good for bayonet use as the lighter rifle. We shoot them mostly from the benches and put them back into a vehicles. They had to carry them on their backs all day.
Here is a very good documentary about history of Mosin-Nagant. It has English subtitles.

 

[carpediem]

Anyone have a Swiss straight pull? I like those rifles and hear good things about them.

 

[Mk44]

Anyone have a Swiss straight pull? I like those rifles and hear good things about them.

There were a couple variants of the old Swiss rifles 1889, 1896/11,1911,K11, K31

I have two K31's. They are solid rifles. Shoots the 7.5x55 cartridge. Love the straight pull design. Bolt has a camming action.
The K31 (metal bolt knob) had a shorter/ stronger action vs. the Swiss 1911's.
It has a (detachable) magazine, but the rifle was designed to feed through the top with stripper clips.
Some of the old Swiss rifles came with a name tag of the previous owner/soldier.
The Swiss rifles didn't see much action because the Swiss were a neutral country. But the rifle is very accurate.

 

[carpediem]

There were a couple variants of the old Swiss rifles 1889, 1896/11,1911,K11, K31

I have two K31's. They are solid rifles. Shoots the 7.5x55 cartridge. Love the straight pull design. Bolt has a camming action.
The K31 (metal bolt knob) had a shorter/ stronger action vs. the Swiss 1911's.
It has a (detachable) magazine, but the rifle was designed to feed through the top with stripper clips.
Some of the old Swiss rifles came with a name tag of the previous owner/soldier.
The Swiss rifles didn't see much action because the Swiss were a neutral country. But the rifle is very accurate.

The K31 is the one I was thinking of. I want to add one of those to the collection just because of the action. I wonder if they were exported during WWII? Probably not.
Interesting story about Swiss "neutrality". An old fella I knew owned a local "hardware" shop that was more of a miniature Gander Mtn. It did start in the late 1800s as an actual hardware shop and kept that moniker. Anyway, the owner answered the call and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He ended up being the waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator. They were raiding the oil fields, probably Ploesti or somewhere near there, and his plane took a German 88 Flak round through the wing. The two engines and hydraulics were heavily damaged. They kept flying but the plane began to fade fast. They set course for "neutral" Switzerland. Eventually they reached Swiss airspace and the plane was on it's last legs. The pilot opened the bomb bay doors and told everyone to jump. They did, and while floating down to Swiss soil they watched their plane crash on a barren mountainside not too far away. A Swiss man living nearby heard the crash, and armed with a rifle, perhaps even a K31, rounded up the crew and turned them over to the authorities. They were not returned to the allied forces, nor turned over to the Germans. They were imprisoned in a large camp for the duration. Meanwhile, stricken American planes that landed at the adjoining airfield were, minus their crews, turned over to the Germans and the crew "detained". He said that stricken German planes that landed there were returned with their crews to German forces as soon as possible. This man eventually managed to escape the hospitality of the Swiss, cross into Italy and make his way to Allied forces there. He ended up back in the fight for what remained of the war. I used to sit and listen to him tell stories about that all the time. Cool shit.