Re: Milsurp Rifles, What's Next?

[Speedo66]

Guns seem to come in in waves. We were flooded with SKS's, I bought one at $79, one at $89. Sold one at a nice profit.

Then the Swedish Mausers. I bought a '96 long rifle at $89, and a 1938 short rifle at $79. Sold both for a decent profit.

Now the Mosins are here. If you're ever going to want one, buy it now. The $139-159 they're going for is still within reason. I personally have no interest in them, but some may be kicking themselves in a year or two.

Who wants to predict what, if anything, may be next?

 

[Cosmoline]

Good question. It could have been the Korean Garands and M1 Carbines, but that door appears to have been slammed shut for now. There are still huge warehouses full of eastblock weapons in Russia itself, but it's doubtful these will be tapped in the near future. I've also heard they're being scrapped as part of modernization. Sometimes they'll find a cache of oddballs like the Nepalese Martini-Henry rifles from a few years back. Other than that it's doubtful. The international trade in these things is getting more and more difficult.

The most interesting of the recent imports I've seen have been the Molot 91/30 snipers from the post-war batches. Those have been remarkably cheap because some didn't realize they were legit arsenal snipers.

I've been actively buying for the past six months, and the trend I see in C&R across the board is that prices are heading up on everything. 1895 Nagants that used to be all over for $100-$150 are now scarce and running for twice that amount. Finnish Mosins that would go for $250 a year ago are running $400 and $500. Sometimes near a thousand for some rare models. And this doesn't appear to be short term panic either. The buyers are getting smarter about details and the internet seems to be making it harder to find steals.

 

[Fishbed77]

Just get a CMP Service Grade M1 Garand while they still have them.

Mine was probably the best gun money I've ever spent.

 

[Speedo66]

I was surprised that so many Mausers came out of such a small country as Sweden.

There's hope that other countries like that, Denmark and Norway come to mind, still have stocks of old rifles secreted away. Greek Mannlichers would be nice too.

Many EU countries are in dire financial straits right now. How do we get the word across that we're willing to help them out by buying their goods?

 

[Robert]

The way things are going there may not be a next. Or at least they won't be able to be imported.

 

[jonnyc]

Not sure exactly what would be in them at this point, but there are surely some tasty little arsenals just waiting to be tapped in Africa and Cuba. Who know what changes may come in the next few years.

 

[barnbwt]

"there are surely some tasty little arsenals just waiting to be tapped in Africa and Cuba"

I've read a ton of VZ52 rifles went to Cuba; God knows they're probably sick of maintaining those things by this point . Most of those countries got their guns as lend-lease, right? It wouldn't surprise me if most of those hand me downs were actually returned to the original owners after they got newer hand me downs . The exception is probably South Africa which had/has a vibrant arms industry due in part to the apartheid sanctions which, IIRC, severely curtailed their access to foreign arms--they probably have some old stuff laying around still, but it was probably sold to neighbor states and still in use.

The future of milsurp is parts kits, I'm afraid, and even then for a short time longer . And for some reason even demilling is going more the way of shredding than cutting these days (i.e. no FAMAS kits even though France is retiring those rifles). Just like with machine guns, these things dry up if no more are brought into the market, and how long has it been since a functioning military gun was sold directly onto the civilian market? I imagine we'll never even see the Remington 700-based sniper rifles here in the US due to politics

TCB

 

[gandog56]

Another Mosinitis Relapse!

Mosin number 14. Finn M24. Just won the auction.

Best of all, proceeds to the NRA

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12426604/

 

[USAF_Vet]

The era of technology that followed the current C&R wave is probably not ever going to hit the C&R market, as much of it is select fire. At best, we may see (more) imported parts kits for stuff like AKs and FALs, and possibly others but I don't know if parts kits built on new production receivers would be considered C&R.

Not to mention our current administration. Not sure we can expect much of anything positive firearms wise until 2016, at the earliest.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I think the UN is doing its best to stop the international transfer of all weapons for the civilian market so I would recommend getting what you want to get because tomorrow will be too late.

 

[Jackal]

Parts kits will be the next wave, without receivers, barrels or FCG's.:banghead:

 

[Cosmoline]

Mosin number 14. Finn M24. Just won the auction.

Sweet! The "Lotta" rifles usually aren't so minty. A decade ago that price would have been considered high. Now it's a downright bargain. It's a good indication of where things are heading. The market is getting smarter and the supply is getting smaller.

 

[Ignition Override]

barnbwt:
About three years ago on either Gunboards or Surplusrifle, an Aussie described this sad story he learned from a friend in South Africa.
The friend walked into a gun shop and discovered that staff were destroying Enfields and Brens under govt. orders, as he happened to observe this tragic waste.

That must be one result of either the UN's idiocy, or maybe SA is paid by one of the British/Euro "arms control" groups, as many other countries have been paid to destroy any surplus military rifles....no matter how obsolete.

Much of this mistaken motivation seems to have accelerated after the distribution of the movie "Blood Diamonds" etc.

USAF Vet: With the fragmentation in one major party right now, there is a high probability that we will have our first (female: catch my drift?) Queen in the White House after 2016.

 

[jim243]

Queen in the White House after 2016.

Not in my lifetime.


We have yet to hear from Africa (the Congo)and all the FAL's that are floating around there. I would not be surprised to see some of them come to our shores to be re manufactured as semi-autos.

Jim

 

[barnbwt]

"Much of this mistaken motivation seems to have accelerated after the distribution of the movie "Blood Diamonds" etc."

True, the unprecedented dumps of arms by the US and every other country that mattered into every random aspiring rebel leader last century did help destabilize a lot of governments in Africa and South America. But, as per usual, the response of people was emotional, not logical. It was never the guns that cause the problems, but the outsized support these previously marginalized groups received that made them suddenly threatening and subversive. A million dollars of guns, rice, or cocaine are probably all equally useful to FARC

I'm doing my part to buy up kits that for sure won't be around much longer. I'm currently eyeing a Steyr MP34, though my wallet is screaming at the prospect. It's like I said with the SKSs; I just don't see a future with downward price pressure on these items, but many many opportunities for prices to spike. More gun owners, more builders, overall inflation, international pressure to dry up the supply, and the ever present threat of "Round X+1" with the gun-ban crowd.

About the only thing that could drop parts kits prices would be a ban on home manufacture, and good luck to all with that one . Even then, the "right" people (read; "wrong" people) would then pay top-top dollar for parts kits which could still be sold legally, unless we try to ban the sale of scraps of metal

TCB

 

[Speedo66]

As a kid growing up in the 50's in NY, I remember dump tables and barrels in the sporting goods and surplus stores filled with surplus rifles. Imagine a table filled with 30-40 cosmoline covered rifles just thrown on one another.

This was in lower Manhattan (yes, Manhattan!), and the ones that come to mind were tables in Modell's covered with Italian Carcano's, and barrels in Kaufman's Surplus filled with Martini Cadet rifles in .310 caliber. The Carcano's were $12, and the Martini's were $11.

I was about 11 or 12 at the time, really liked the Martini's, but couldn't find a source for ammo, so passed on it. I already had a .22, and my parents were fine with my target practice, so purchase wouldn't have been a problem.

No permits, paperwork, etc. were required for long guns in NYC at the time.

 

[henschman]

After the war there will probably be a glut of Colt 6920s and M-16s/M4s with capture markings.

 

[Kiln]

Hate to say it but several posters here have the right idea. The days of plentiful milsurp ammo and weapons are long gone.

Modern day firearms are either select fire or are being barred from import by our overlords for our own protection.

 

[Dunkelheit]

Wow, i didnt knew SIG built Mosins.

 

[henschman]

Just barrels for them.

 

[fpgt72]

I think this is going to be it. We are getting into more modern weapons, and like others have said the UN is doing its best....along with Kerry.

One thing is for sure, they are going to do nothing but go up in value....till they get to where you can't own them.

 

[Flyboy73]

I understand Russia has a bunch of C&R guns they cannot import. Something to do with a treaty they signed with us.

They could sell them to a different county, then import then here (think they would have to wait a certain time to import then).

Brion

 

[fpgt72]

I understand Russia has a bunch of C&R guns they cannot import. Something to do with a treaty they signed with us.

They could sell them to a different county, then import then here (think they would have to wait a certain time to import then).

Brion

That does not work real well....just ask someone that has tried to get SSD gun (yea I know modern) from Canada.....then try to ask someone that has looked into getting those SVT's that Canada gets.....next to impossible....but doable, just not worth doing.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

The second era of surplus is over. It's sad but true.

 

[Ignition Override]

Flyboy 73:

Somebody (probably) at Gunboards or maybe Thefiringline had some info that the Russians could give the appearance of destroying heaps of surplus rifles, but actually allow them to quietly leave storage areas for export.

At least Canadians received large quantities of really nice Russian SKS in the last few years, at really low prices when they buy a case of ammo.
This, from a Canuck. It seems kind ironic that the truly Euro-style socialist govt. in Canada allows them in, yet we we don't.
It must be because of the recent tragic events, or it's a much broader ban on Russian weapons.