Hey folks,
Been lurking on this site for a while trying to absorb as much information as I can but I haven't found a concise post that sums up the information I'm looking for so here I am. I'm looking for a nice, cheap military surplus rifle that will be part shooter (and maybe some hunting for deer or hogs) and part historical artifact. Here's the criteria I've come up with:
-Relatively cheap. $500 or so would be the upper limit.
-Safe and enjoyable to shoot. Not looking for a paperweight.
-Good history behind the model. If its been used in an important historical event, cool. I like things with good stories behind them. Something that can be hung up on the wall in addition to being used occasionally.
-Cheap and easy-to-find ammunition. I don't reload (though I'd like to start someday) and even cheap ammo is expensive these days.
From reading I've narrowed it down to either a Lee Enfield or a Mauser. Both are easy enough to find, have a long and rich history behind them, and come in calibers that I can find. I'd love something like a 1903 Springfield or American Enfield but they're just a bit out of my price range.
Ideas so far:
Enfields--it's really just between the No. 1 MK III and the No. 4. Both seem easy enough to find, .303 British sounds like a good caliber that I can get easily and hunt with if I want to. The only thing that makes me lean towards the No. 1 is the historical aspect of it. I really enjoy WWI history and that would mean the No. 1 is the better choice.
Mausers--here's where it gets complicated because there's so damn many models. I'm not too sure about the 8mm round--doesn't sound like it would be very fun to shoot all day but please correct me if I'm wrong. The 7x57mm sounds like it would be very enjoyable to shoot and a great hunting round. Then there's the 6.5mm Swedish which also sounds like it would be a nice shooter. My concern with the latter two is finding cheap factory loads for them. Maybe I'm wrong since I haven't been paying attention until recently but they don't seem to be nearly as common as .303 or 8mm Mauser.
If I go looking for a Mauser the models that jump out at me are:
-Spanish M1916. Good history, great size (not too long and unwieldy like some of the earlier Mausers), easy to find. Plus there are a lot of them in 7.62 NATO which I suppose I should also consider. I'm more drawn to the 7x57mm since that's what was being used in the Spanish Civil War (another subject I enjoy reading about) but if the milder 7.62 NATO that those rifles shoot is easier to find and cheaper then that's an option. I know the 98 action is supposed to be superior but in a round like 7x57mm or 7.62 NATO (milder loads like CETME or the boxes marked "for M1A") does it really matter?
-Any of the Gewehr 98's in 7x57mm. M1904 Brazilian, 1904/1912 Chilean, 1912 Colombian, and 1910 Serbian. I don't know if any of those were ever used in any wars but I imagine the Brazilian and Chilean models were not, thus making them a little less desirable to me.
-the Swedish 1896. Doubtful they were used in any wars but they have a storied history among hunters and a few Scandinavian explorers. 6.5mm sounds like a nice round but, like the 7x57mm, I worry about its availability. I also hear that the Swedish Mausers tend to be some of the most well-made.
-CZ VZ24 in 7mm Mauser. I really like CZ firearms in general and they all seem to be well-made. Some of these were used in the Spanish Civil War by Catalonian Republican troops. Not sure how hard it would be to find one of these, though, or how expensive it would be.
Any thoughts or recommendations from you folks that have played around with these old military rifles?
Thanks!
Been lurking on this site for a while trying to absorb as much information as I can but I haven't found a concise post that sums up the information I'm looking for so here I am. I'm looking for a nice, cheap military surplus rifle that will be part shooter (and maybe some hunting for deer or hogs) and part historical artifact. Here's the criteria I've come up with:
-Relatively cheap. $500 or so would be the upper limit.
-Safe and enjoyable to shoot. Not looking for a paperweight.
-Good history behind the model. If its been used in an important historical event, cool. I like things with good stories behind them. Something that can be hung up on the wall in addition to being used occasionally.
-Cheap and easy-to-find ammunition. I don't reload (though I'd like to start someday) and even cheap ammo is expensive these days.
From reading I've narrowed it down to either a Lee Enfield or a Mauser. Both are easy enough to find, have a long and rich history behind them, and come in calibers that I can find. I'd love something like a 1903 Springfield or American Enfield but they're just a bit out of my price range.
Ideas so far:
Enfields--it's really just between the No. 1 MK III and the No. 4. Both seem easy enough to find, .303 British sounds like a good caliber that I can get easily and hunt with if I want to. The only thing that makes me lean towards the No. 1 is the historical aspect of it. I really enjoy WWI history and that would mean the No. 1 is the better choice.
Mausers--here's where it gets complicated because there's so damn many models. I'm not too sure about the 8mm round--doesn't sound like it would be very fun to shoot all day but please correct me if I'm wrong. The 7x57mm sounds like it would be very enjoyable to shoot and a great hunting round. Then there's the 6.5mm Swedish which also sounds like it would be a nice shooter. My concern with the latter two is finding cheap factory loads for them. Maybe I'm wrong since I haven't been paying attention until recently but they don't seem to be nearly as common as .303 or 8mm Mauser.
If I go looking for a Mauser the models that jump out at me are:
-Spanish M1916. Good history, great size (not too long and unwieldy like some of the earlier Mausers), easy to find. Plus there are a lot of them in 7.62 NATO which I suppose I should also consider. I'm more drawn to the 7x57mm since that's what was being used in the Spanish Civil War (another subject I enjoy reading about) but if the milder 7.62 NATO that those rifles shoot is easier to find and cheaper then that's an option. I know the 98 action is supposed to be superior but in a round like 7x57mm or 7.62 NATO (milder loads like CETME or the boxes marked "for M1A") does it really matter?
-Any of the Gewehr 98's in 7x57mm. M1904 Brazilian, 1904/1912 Chilean, 1912 Colombian, and 1910 Serbian. I don't know if any of those were ever used in any wars but I imagine the Brazilian and Chilean models were not, thus making them a little less desirable to me.
-the Swedish 1896. Doubtful they were used in any wars but they have a storied history among hunters and a few Scandinavian explorers. 6.5mm sounds like a nice round but, like the 7x57mm, I worry about its availability. I also hear that the Swedish Mausers tend to be some of the most well-made.
-CZ VZ24 in 7mm Mauser. I really like CZ firearms in general and they all seem to be well-made. Some of these were used in the Spanish Civil War by Catalonian Republican troops. Not sure how hard it would be to find one of these, though, or how expensive it would be.
Any thoughts or recommendations from you folks that have played around with these old military rifles?
Thanks!