Surplus Rifles

[jws527]

Start with a Mosin and a K31 - and this is coming from a guy who began his C&R odyssey seeking out a Mauser 98k.

The K31 is simply an amazing rifle in almost every respect. And from a milsurp point of view, it's less of a hassle to shoot than the others because none of the available ammunition is corrosive. Oh, and prices have been climbing. Get one while you can. I picked up an all-matching piece with an ID tag for $165 not more than a few months ago. The stock has clearly seen some use and abuse but the metal parts are nearly flawless.

I never go the range without one of my Soviet Mosins - they're cheap, the ammo is cheap, and the guns themselves are easy to take apart and clean. They're crude and make a lot of noise. An incredible amount of fun for the money. And if you get serious, you can always step up to a Finn, which is the same basic design taken to a different level.

 

[cortez kid]

All great sugesstions and ideas. Yours is the best. Start collecting ALL the milsurps. Each have they're own charms.
kid

 

[Mercaptan]

I'm on a brief hiatus from milsurp collecting, I guess I was cured by purchasing an FNP-45. I will most likely get back into collecting those.

Anyway, my quick picks:

Finn M-39s, fantastic shooters based on the M91/30 action. Sure, they cost 200 dollars, but in the scheme of things they are much more refined in every way, shape, and form from a 91/30 nagant.

K-31 is a fantastic shooter, though ammo cost has forced mine to remain a safe queen.

CMP rifles are always a good bet. Every red blooded American needs an M1 Garand.

SKS is alright, but once you get one you will long for an AK, or fall into the pitfall of mall ninjas in making your SKS a low grade AK.

I once had the philosophy that 'more was better.' Not true anymore. Where else can you get a fantastic semi-auto 30-06 for 450 dollars these days? I can't see how anyone would complain about the cost of CMP weaponry.



Most of all, remember these guns have historical value. I will never mess with mine, aside from cleaning the stock. Anything else is a cardinal sin to me, but your mileage will ultimately vary.