Cosmoline
Member
Actually building your own firearm is a far better way to learn the basics.
Value of "Sporterized" MilSurp?
- Thread starter NukemJim
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Bud Tugly
Member
Saturno makes an excellent point. In 1967 a local store had several crates of .303 Enfields packed in cosmoline that they were selling for $15 each. Being a poor teenager I managed to scrape up the money to buy one, cleaned it up, cut it down, refinished it, and had a deer rifle that I used for years until I could afford something better.
Most other folks who bought them at that time did something similar. They were just old junk guns in the eyes of most people and a way to get a hunting gun cheap.
WWII was a still a fairly recent event for most adults back then and few of them remembered it fondly. The whole idea of collecting memorabilia from it hadn't really become big business like today.
Most other folks who bought them at that time did something similar. They were just old junk guns in the eyes of most people and a way to get a hunting gun cheap.
WWII was a still a fairly recent event for most adults back then and few of them remembered it fondly. The whole idea of collecting memorabilia from it hadn't really become big business like today.
I agree in principle but reality is that most of the do-it-yourself Mosin sporterization projects turn a decent military rifle into a total piece of junk because most of the people do not have obviously the skills nor the time or the equipment to do a decent job....I rather learn shadowing a good gunsmith before embarking into an adventure like this.
I saw only once a butchered Mosin that someone extremely skilled picked up for literally nothing, fortunately the barrel nor the action were hacked/ruined beyond recover.
Hours and hours of excellent workmansip turned that Mosin action and barrel in a magnificent sporter, exquisite wood and extremely accurate too....that is not definitely a $200 rifle (not that who made it is going to sell it) and if you really want it, you better be prepared to fork way more thant that, regardless of what the "collectors" may say.
But this is the exception not the rule.
I do not think that in order to be a good, capable shooter I have necessarily to make my own firearm or sporterize a military rifle.
Everything is possible, the firearm market, like most other consumer space can be fickle.
One thing is for sure, I'm not going to get rid of my old beat up South African sporter.
Very good example that proves my point. In 1962 (5 years before) the cheapest Remington 700 (ADL) retailed for 114.95.
Assuming a similar price in 1967 (let's say $150 to make it easy), that 303 Enfield you mentioned were sold for 1/10 of a new Remington 700.
Fast forward to present day, a 303 Enfield in good conditions at the big box stores can be had for $150-180.
A Remington 700 SPS can be had in the same place for about $500 on sale, even less for a Weatherby Vanguard not to mention the cheaper Savages, Stevens, Remington 770, Mossberg.
aka108
Member
I bought 5 basket case 98K's a good number of years ago. The actions were good, barrel of no value, stocks cracked at the wrist and forward part of the stocks look like alligators had gnawed them for a year or so. 40 bucks each. I bought some Mauser take off barrels from a gun dealership called Paragon in Joilet, Il. Nice bright barrels with sights at 20 bucks each or l6 for 100. The forward part of the stock was sacrificed to the radial saw and rounded off by thel sander. Wrist was repaired with a bit of epoxy, some screws and wood dowels. The the stock was sanded, stained and oiled. Put the new barrels on the receivers, lined up the sights and headspaced. Probably ended up with 75 dollars in each. Kept 1 and the other 4 went out the door at 175 each. They were not worth nearly as much as a decent shape original 98K but they were good for their purpose. Harvesting a deer from a tree stand or out to 150 yards or so and not worried about getting it scratched up or out in the rain.
headoftheholler
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- Jan 18, 2012
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My favorite hobby, cutting collectors dreams into what I deem to be a good hunting rifle.
There are two ways to look at sporterizing, one is its a mortal sin to do anything to a military rifle, the other is to breathe new life into a former tool of war to become what I want it to become. Who are you or anybody else in a position to dictate what I should or shouldnt do with my own personal firearms? I dont want the same savage, or Remchesterby that every other redneck can buy off the shelf, I want something I built myself to the standards I dictate, not a gun company. A few of mine, though not nearly as nice as some others on here.
Tikka Mosin sporter on a 1896 reciever, (117 years old)
Sold this one for a hefty profit
K31 sporter, was a tack driver, traded for shotgun valued at 800
Swede sporter ( number one choice for deer)
The spanish mauser and K98 project are done yet, the spanish has a figured walnut stock and the K98 has a blonde flamed maple stock.
Got one of the Kimber mausers as well, perfect flat shooting , low recoil, all weather rifle if I ever saw one.
There are two ways to look at sporterizing, one is its a mortal sin to do anything to a military rifle, the other is to breathe new life into a former tool of war to become what I want it to become. Who are you or anybody else in a position to dictate what I should or shouldnt do with my own personal firearms? I dont want the same savage, or Remchesterby that every other redneck can buy off the shelf, I want something I built myself to the standards I dictate, not a gun company. A few of mine, though not nearly as nice as some others on here.
Tikka Mosin sporter on a 1896 reciever, (117 years old)
Sold this one for a hefty profit
K31 sporter, was a tack driver, traded for shotgun valued at 800
Swede sporter ( number one choice for deer)
The spanish mauser and K98 project are done yet, the spanish has a figured walnut stock and the K98 has a blonde flamed maple stock.
Got one of the Kimber mausers as well, perfect flat shooting , low recoil, all weather rifle if I ever saw one.
I'm glad you were able to sell them but person I would not buy a run of the mill sporterized rifle (I assume they came out good) as a hunting tool in a non common caliber and not tapped for scope (you did not menton it so assume they were not tapped) for that money.
In my neck of the wood you can buy lots of nice sporters in common calibers and with a scope only few 20 dollar bills more or even used commercial hunting rifle.
Liberty1776
Member
Bud Tugly -
I remember those Enfields hitting the Army Navy surplus stores in 1967. My dad paid the extra $5 and got an unissued Jungle Carbine for $20. Wisht he'd bought a boat load of them...
I remember those Enfields hitting the Army Navy surplus stores in 1967. My dad paid the extra $5 and got an unissued Jungle Carbine for $20. Wisht he'd bought a boat load of them...
bainter1212
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- Sep 17, 2012
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That Greek MS about 10 posts up.....hurts my heart to see that thing sporterized. I have one in original condition, those things are impossible to find nowadays. But I'll bet the action on that thing is slick as glass. Mine is. If it was 1967, the things were everywhere for $15, I would definitely sporterize one. Hindsight is 20/20......
inclinebench
Member
R.W.Dale
Member
So??!! The gorgeaous sporterized one that I had n my hands was EXTREMELY accurate and beautifully balanced, the bolt was as butter smooth as a Mauser 98...so what is the problem??
I owned that rifle. A nicely built SCW mosin complete with "made in USSR" stamp. Recontoured bbl, aftermarket sights, deep high Polish blue, bedded fajen stock.
Guess how much I paid for this rifle in 2005?
$170
posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complains about
Some sporterized Milsurp rifles can be picked up for much less than the current market price for the same rifle in its original form. I recently picked this 1917 Remington Mosin Nagant that was sporterized back in the 1920's. The barrel shortened, recrowned with front sight band, bent bolt, Pacific R1 cocking piece aperature sight. The original stock had a section of walnut grafted into it to form a pistol grip.
An example of the highest quality gunsmithing and finest of the engravers art check out this sporterized Mosin Nagant. There are many other milsurp sporters there too.
It is the 21st post on page 2 of the following link.
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=150441&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
'loose
An example of the highest quality gunsmithing and finest of the engravers art check out this sporterized Mosin Nagant. There are many other milsurp sporters there too.
It is the 21st post on page 2 of the following link.
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=150441&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
'loose
wlewisiii
Member
As has been said, there are sporters & there are sporters...
On the lesser side I have this:
Ugly bad cut down stock job on a 7x57 Spanish Mauser 93. Once I put the right height front sight on it, it turned out to be a tack driver though. $125.
Considerably better is this:
A very nice civilian stock properly fitted to an otherwise unmodified Japanese Type 99. Stock sights, still in original 7.7x58, early rifle with chromed barrel. $150.
Then there is the VZ24 I got for $100 knowing it had a sewer pipe for a barrel. It's been rebarreled with a 19" 7x57 barrel & is waiting till I have the money for a Timney trigger, a good stock & a good (preferably no drill) scout scope mount. When it's done, I'll probably have $500 in a rifle I can sell for $200. But that's the way it is with these kinds of rifles and you either like them or not.
I like them.
On the lesser side I have this:
Ugly bad cut down stock job on a 7x57 Spanish Mauser 93. Once I put the right height front sight on it, it turned out to be a tack driver though. $125.
Considerably better is this:
A very nice civilian stock properly fitted to an otherwise unmodified Japanese Type 99. Stock sights, still in original 7.7x58, early rifle with chromed barrel. $150.
Then there is the VZ24 I got for $100 knowing it had a sewer pipe for a barrel. It's been rebarreled with a 19" 7x57 barrel & is waiting till I have the money for a Timney trigger, a good stock & a good (preferably no drill) scout scope mount. When it's done, I'll probably have $500 in a rifle I can sell for $200. But that's the way it is with these kinds of rifles and you either like them or not.
I like them.
jimmyraythomason
Member
I got $750 in trade for a Colombian 98 Mauser I built in .308 win. Definitely more than I paid for it(if I actually kept up with those things).
R.W.Dale
Member
Its useless and inaccessable when you mount a conventional scope
A hunting rifle needs a safety that can be disengaged as you mount the rifle to your shoulder. A mosin fails miserably at this
posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complains about
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