Value of "Sporterized" MilSurp?

There value is solely what the market will bare

Having an original stock that has been "recontoured" or cut down. I don't care HOW nice a job it was, if they took the original military stock and tried to cut it into a sporter stock, its junk.

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i agree theese three are horrible

spanish 1893 cut down withsmall schabble fore end


greek m-s 1903/14 with pistol grip added to cut down military stock



early 1903 with cut down staight grip stock

I don't have any pictures, but many years ago my best friend sold a 303 british to me because he need money. Paid $50 for it. I did a really nice job sporterizing it. Top shelf work. Surprised him with it for his birthday. He cried. How much was it worth to me? Priceless.

Dirtyjim: I'll concede that the greek gun looks ok (not great, but ok), but the other two still look like crappy cut down sporters to me.

We've all got our opinion on what looks good & what looks crappy.
I'd take those three over any richards, fajen, bishop or any monte carlo style stock from any maker.
I also think thumb hole stocks are hideous but lots of people like them.

Offhand -
Those are two beauties - that's the way to do 'em...

Offfhand said:

Here's a couple of my "sporterized" Argentine Mausers. Never underestimate Bubba

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I'm familiar with Bubba's work...those don't look like Bubba to me.

I've spent good money on sporterized guns, which honestly are different than a custom gun built on a milsurp action.

Sporterized 1891 Argentine Mauser



Custom built on a 98 Mauser action

I don't have any pictures, but many years ago my best friend sold a 303 british to me because he need money. Paid $50 for it. I did a really nice job sporterizing it. Top shelf work. Surprised him with it for his birthday. He cried. How much was it worth to me? Priceless.

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Awesome dude, everyone should have friends like you.

mgmorden

As long as the owner of the said sporterized or customized rifle is happy with it's looks and it performs to his/her satisfaction, functions properly and safely, who cares what others think.
Everyone has their own standards and opinions, I have several military mausers, some sporterized, some not, they all work safely, perform admirably and kill just fine.
And I don't care what anybody else thinks about them. This is America and they are mine, don't judge others by your standards.
As far as pricing them, each one is going to be on an individual basis by a qualified appraiser, which may not necessarily be to your liking.

As long as the owner of the said sporterized or customized rifle is happy with it's looks and it performs to his/her satisfaction, functions properly and safely, who cares what others think.

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The thread is discussing resale value of a sporterized gun. If you're happy with whatever gun you have then more power to ya, but when it comes to prices that is intrinsically linked with "what others think".

This is my sporter which actually is the first firearm I did purchase since moving to the US (I bought it the day after becoming a US citizen)

I don't know if you can use the term "sporterized" because the only original thing left is the Mauser 98 action from the 1930's (it has nazi stamping).

It has a nice sporting stock (with seemingy perfect inletting) with fancy caps, leather sling,

Is rechambered in 30-06 with a contoured sporting barrel.

Bluing is faded along the barrel in areas, stock has few scratches and dings.

Action is buttery smooth and the rifle is very accurate.

Price tag was $200 but I was able to get it for nothing just trading on par a Beretta 92 CO2 replica (a high end one, sold by Beretta itself) pellet gun basically brand new wich I had no interest in whatsoever anymore, can you believe that??

When I got it it had an old Weaver scope with fogged up glass and an index reticle which I sold on ebay for just about $50 or so (scope + base).

So I put it a mode modern scope and base and replaced the recoil pad (the old one was so old that the rubber was basically "cooked up" starting to crumble at the edges)


I would not trade that thing for a brand new Remington 700....

However I heard that as a general rule of thumb, a sporter that has the stock and barrel/sights/bolt handle properly replaced and not hacked/modified military ones tend to be more valuable (obviously assuming a job well done)

since i own around 30 sporters and customs, and have at least 20 project rifles in the works at any given time i'll give my opinion on their value and probably offened a few people at the same.
your arverage run of the mill sporter is worth $200 or less.
sporters built on gew98, argentine 1909, brazilian 1908, brno 98/22 receivers with nice marking will be worth at least $50 more than WWII era mod 98 receivers.
magnums should be built on fn 1950's or czech vz-24s before i would even consider them.
the majority of aftermarket stocks need to have about 1/3 of their wood rasped off before i would consider them adding to the value of the rifle. classic 20's-30's style stocks on the otherhand can add considerably to the value. $100+ over a boyds or similar aftermarket stock.
bolt mods, only a welded bolt handle adds to the value. forged bolt adds nothing.
drilled and tapped- its probably done off center and out of line so unless i can personaly inspect the d&t job it adds nothing. if done right +$50-75
metal work- if you can boil water you can rust blue so there is no excuse not to have a nice blue job. -$75 if it doesn't have a nice blue job. add a little if the triggergaurd has been tastefully reshaped.
barrel, sporterized should still have the original or a replacement military barrel, but it can be recontoured.+ $25-35 for recontoured barrel. aftermarket barrel puts it into the custom rifle catagory.
sights- quality receiver sight and banded front add $75+, all others with the execption of caterpillar front & express rear add nothing.

collectors don't buy sporterized rifles so their opinions are irelevant and mean nothing

collectors don't buy sporterized rifles so their opinions are irelevant and mean nothing

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Among other things, I collect sporterized rifles. Apparently, you do too. Are you saying your opinion is irrelevant?

My opinion is relevant because I will buy something for what i think it's worth. Given that this thread is about resale value, and i'm a potential buyer, my opinion is relevant and meaningful. Yours too.

I love a well done sporterized rifle. I did an old Jap Mauser with my Grandpa as a 13 year old. Its my Sons now. I wouldn't sell it for a grand. If someone wants to learn this disappearing art a Military bolt is a great place to start. You might never get return on the time spent, but it will be the first gun of yours that someone will want to shoot or handle. I am 51 and when I was young I am betting that of the 10 people I hunted with as a child 6 were sporterized military guns. They are very personalized. My 18 year old Son and I are doing two Mosin's together.

Most decent looking sporters - say, aftermarket wood stock and adjustable sights - are worth about $200 to $250.

A Hackjob - cut up military stock and original or crudely removed / deleted sights and cheapO scope mount - is basically worthless. $100 or less.

Personally, I would never pay even $300 for ANY milsurp sporter unless it was professionally done by well known firearms house, such as the Gibbs, BSA, and Holland & Holland Enfields which were either totally reworked by REAL gunsmiths, or were built from the ground up as sporting rifles. I.E. - $900 is totally fair for an original H&H Enfield sporter from the 30's. A Mosin Nagant in a Boyds drop in stock isn't worth the $200 they spent on it.

In my estimation, about 49% of sporters are in the <$100 "worthless" category. About the same number are in the ~$200 good shooter category, and a select few are +$300 fine rifles.

Unless you can post pictures for us to verify, I would avoid them. If you just HAVE to help the guy out, or are really itching for a bunch of new toys, I would offer $120 each sight unseen. You can bump that up at time of delivery if they are nicer than average or if you feel generous. CYA, because there is a serious chance that they are mostly worthless.

Among other things, I collect sporterized rifles. Apparently, you do too. Are you saying your opinion is irrelevant?

My opinion is relevant because I will buy something for what i think it's worth. Given that this thread is about resale value, and i'm a potential buyer, my opinion is relevant and meaningful. Yours too.

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in these threads collector means milsurp collector not sporter collector & i'm pretty sure you knew that. milsurp collectors only see a ruined military rifle regaurdless of the condition of the donor rifle or the finished product.

all collectors are good for is regurgitating their tired old line that all sporterizing does is turn a $600 rifle into a $100 and they are clueless and irrelevant in my opinion

MY 2 cents, if your talking about a forced match mosey. Bubbafacation if done properly hasn't hurt it, hell it can't hurt it I gut mine down to 19 1/2 cleaned and polished everything 2.5 pistol scope You might call it junk but I have a usable truck gun for less than 100 bucks, having said that I will say mine is junk but it works well for what it was intended a beater rifle for a beater truck ( I love fine firearms but a meat stick has a purpose)

99% of the time, "sporterizing" a milsurp results in a reduction in resale value. A lot of collectors even advise against refinishing the original stock, although if you have a particularly beat-up specimen, refinishing can sometimes increase the resale value if done professionally.

I sold an Ishapore Enfield in excellent condition that I kept all-original. I got $450. By comparison, Ishapores that were modified (ex: drilled and tapped for scope mounts, put into a polymer stock, etc) were going for $250 - $350.

It is irrational for people to spend time and money to decrease the value of their historical rifle... but sadly it happens all the time.

dirtyjim said:

i agree theese three are horrible

spanish 1893 cut down withsmall schabble fore end


greek m-s 1903/14 with pistol grip added to cut down military stock



early 1903 with cut down staight grip stock

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I had an option to buy one much like that third one...the '03...for $175 and should have but didn't. Pristine bore. Cut down original wood. Those are the ones that will command the lowest prices unless a new stock was poorly done.

There's nothing wrong with a well-crafted sporterized military rifle -- I have an '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen (the most radical form of the Whelen) built by CW Fitch in Phoenix in the late '60s or early '70s. It's a beautiful rifle.

But if you have a pristine '03 Springfield and want to sporterize it, remember -- you can buy a new Model 70 or Model 700 for the cost of the sporterizing, and still have your '03 in original condition.

skypirate7 said:

99% of the time, "sporterizing" a milsurp results in a reduction in resale value. A lot of collectors even advise against refinishing the original stock, although if you have a particularly beat-up specimen, refinishing can sometimes increase the resale value if done professionally.

I sold an Ishapore Enfield in excellent condition that I kept all-original. I got $450. By comparison, Ishapores that were modified (ex: drilled and tapped for scope mounts, put into a polymer stock, etc) were going for $250 - $350.

It is irrational for people to spend time and money to decrease the value of their historical rifle... but sadly it happens all the time.

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I agree especially when you should be able to find a non stock one at a good price to sporterize. But if one wants to take a Mosin that was purchased for $99 and sporterize it for shooting, hunting, or learning on. It is a great way to go. With a Mosin ammo is cheap and the money would be saved on the ammo cost alone over a 30-06. Unless you reload of course. Plus they are plenty accurate for sport shooting and medium to large game. You can say that you are destroying original value and future value. But what will top price of a $99 dollar Mosin Nagant be? $500 dollars? I never sell my guns anyway. I give them to family or they will get them when I am gone. Be smart in what you sporterize. Plus my eyes are too bad to use iron sight any way.

It is irrational for people to spend time and money to decrease the value of their historical rifle... but sadly it happens all the time.

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But if you have a pristine '03 Springfield and want to sporterize it, remember -- you can buy a new Model 70 or Model 700 for the cost of the sporterizing, and still have your '03 in original condition.

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Sporterizing made more sense in the past than now for sure.

Nowdays we are spoiled by the fact that you can buy an accurate hunting rifle, new, for as little as less than $300 (often in combo with a scope), heck even good quality pieces as a Remington 700 SPS or a Weatherby Vanguard can be had in the $400 range.We live in an era of big box big discount stores where bascically everybody can afford one of these,


50-60 years go was totally different, a good new hunting rifle was probably costing a good chunk of a man take home pay.

Military surplus rifles were very abundant and cheap (Springfields, Mausers, Enfields) and probably back then was costing less to sporterize one, even with the help of a good gunsmith, to make it suitable for hunting than buy a new Winchester 70 for example.

Gunsmith work has skyrocketed in price, surplus rifles dried up boosting up prices and mass produced hunting rifles (if you do not care about fancy wood stock) have significantly come down in price related to wages....in few words, the economics did change.

So yes sporterize does not make financial sense anymore even if you buy a rock bottom price military rifle like a Mosin. By the time you are done you problably spent amost the same amount needed to buy an inexpensive modern hunting rifle (new or used) or a nice sporterized Mauser or Springfiueld that someone already made 50 years ago, American gun shop racks are full of them.

saturno_v said:

Sporterizing made more sense in the past than now for sure.

Nowdays we are spoiled by the fact that you can buy an accurate hunting rifle, new, for as little as less than $300 (often in combo with a scope), heck even good quality pieces as a Remington 700 SPS or a Weatherby Vanguard can be had in the $400 range.We live in an era of big box big discount stores where bascically everybody can afford one of these,


50-60 years go was totally different, a good new hunting rifle was probably costing a good chunk of a man take home pay.

Military surplus rifles were very abundant and cheap (Springfields, Mausers, Enfields) and probably back then was costing less to sporterize one, even with the help of a good gunsmith, to make it suitable for hunting than buy a new Winchester 70 for example.

Gunsmith work has skyrocketed in price, surplus rifles dried up boosting up prices and mass produced hunting rifles (if you do not care about fancy wood stock) have significantly come down in price related to wages....in few words, the economics did change.

So yes sporterize does not make financial sense anymore even if you buy a rock bottom price military rifle like a Mosin. By the time you are done you problably spent amost the same amount needed to buy an inexpensive modern hunting rifle (new or used) or a nice sporterized Mauser or Springfiueld that someone already made 50 years ago, American gun shop racks are full of them.

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There is still something to be said for killing a deer with a 70 year old Mosin Nagant that you sporterized. Plus the skills you will learn along the way supersede the collector value of a mis-matched Nagant. IE: checkering, stock refinishing and shaping, metal work, tap and die, staining and finishing etc.... Especially teaching a young shooter these things. Most people under 35 cannot even change a tire. Lets leave the new guns to Japan China. or the lowest bidder. Its cheaper that way. One day I think the quality sporterized rifles of our Fathers will be appreciated like folk art from a time that was. Created and modified by one of the greatest generations ever. Only time will tell. Personally I would rather have the handcrafted quality sporterized handed down version myself. The hard work and craftsmanship of some of these great rifles in my opinion is way undervalued. You would be hard pressed to buy the quality wood on some of them for the price of the guns.