What C&R guns should a collector have?

[strat81]

This is a question that I expect to get all kinds of responses to. I just received my poor man's license, er, my 03 C&R FFL. In your opinion, what guns should every collector have at least one of, and why? And "one of everything" is not an option... let's limit your list to 4 firearms total.

Handguns, rifles, shotguns, American, Russian, German, Italian, Japanese, Swiss... whatever. Sound off, crufflers!

 

[BADUNAME13]

CZ52

K 31

Mosin Nagant

SKS

Historical... the first 2 are a BLAST to shoot, the other 2... well how can you argue with that?

 

[Rasputin747]

A Nagant M1895 revolver. Only around $80-90, and has a cylinder with 7 spots for bullets.

 

[ilbob]

I second the Russian nagant revolver, as being very unusual, and quite collectable while being dirt cheap.

other than that, buy what you think is neat and you can afford, and can afford to shoot.

 

[Roadkill]

Way too many choices to limit it to four. My start would be a 1903,1903A3, M1 Carbine and Garand.

 

[kds99]

k31
91/30
m-1 carbine
remington model 8

These are all great rifles with lots of history I am pretty sure the model 8 was the first autoloading rifle made

The k31 should go up in value over the next few yrs

 

[Bob R]

Bolt:

K31
Mosin 91/30
Swedish Mauser
Spanish FR8

Semi-Auto:

Russian SKS
Swedish Ljungman
FN49
SVT-40

Pistol:

CZ52
Nagant M1895
Sistema 1927
Any pre-war S&W revolver.

Of course, before the madness ends, you will probably have all of them, it just takes a while.


bob

 

[Belgiboy]

Definately Swiss K31 and any of the mosin-nagants that are plentiful and cheap right now. A nice Lee Enfield and a Yugo SKS, that would complete my list of good deals that can be had right now.

 

[ctdonath]

M1903A3 - the US classic
M-N M44 - gutsy and cheap (and want of one is driving me nuts, I'm not sure why; anyone wanna sell me one?)
SKS - most modern C&R in a cheap, shootable, semi-auto package
and that gutsy little 7.62x25 semi-auto pistol whose name escapes me at the moment.

...aw, man, whadja have to bring this thread up for? I've only got two M-N 91/30s on my C&R, and now yer making me think I gotta fill things out! ack!

 

[GlenJ]

Anything that's not being imported right now like an Albanian SKS or do some research and look for rare stuff like Westinghouse Mosin-Nagants. Check Allens Armory on the web.

 

[DMK]

It really depends on how you focus your collection. But since you are asking, I think you are just looking for some cool guns:

Just out of what's available now:
SKS - fun plinker.
K31 - very accurate and a sweet trigger
CZ-82 - Nice shooter, great ergonomics and sights.
Mosin Nagant or Mauser - Classic bolt action, cheap ammo.

(The CZ-52 is a runner up. Big bang, cheap ammo, but terrible sights and ergonomics)

 

[PAshooter]

K31 definitely tops the list. Scored a nice example at the local fun show for $100 + my C&R. Accurate as all get out, and ammo is relatively easy to come by.

I also have a Nagant revolver. Not too practical, but an inexpensive oddity that's fun to own, and mild (though expensive) to shoot.

There are so many...

Yugo SKS is a pretty "modern" arm that's a steal these days.

If you're a history buff, then (as other have said) an '03 Springfield, a Garand, and a carbine belong on your list.

I picked up both a Russian and an East German Mak using mine (Bulgy's don't qualify). Really nice, compact pistols.

I now see that CZ82's are available with a C&R - you can't go wrong with a CZ, and mine is in beautiful shape.

And speaking of CZs, the model 52 (which I don't own... yet) is an interesting piece of history and a hoot to shoot... that's the "gutsy" 7.62x25 that ctdonath was referring to.

Sorry... too hard to limit the list to four. You need to broaden your horizons

 

[BobCav]

Just started my collection last week!! Meet my 1943 M1 Garand, my 1943 M1903/A3 Remington and my 1930 Springfield M1903 (top to bottom). Inland carbine en route, all courtesy of the CMP! (This was right out of the box before cleaning - I scored BIG on this one!)

 

[bsf]

I do not think there are any “must have” C&R guns. The greatest thing my C&R license has done for me is save me money, and lots of it. Some vendors do not distinguish between FFL types when it comes to discounts, and this has probably saved me 10 times the cost of my C&R and renewals.

My personal favorite is the CZ52, though. I owned it for years before I shot it. Now, with ammo prices as they are, it is my go-to gun for pistol training. I like cheap ammo.

 

[TheDisturbed1]

and SVD Dragunov from waaaay back then... I would probably whiz myself to get an opportunity on one of those..

+1 for mosin-nagant... get one of each model

 

[musher]

Cripes! Nobody got the right answer.

ALL of them. Well, at least one of each anyway.

 

[M92FS]

M1 Garand : the only full power semi-auto rifle during WWII that was issued to the basic trooper.More than 4 million rifles were manufactured during WWII by various manufacturers in US.The M1 Garand continued to serve during the Korean War.Total amount of rifles made by the 1950s is 5.5 million. A big strong rifle the M1 Garand earned it's reputation for reliability under combat conditions from the jungles of the Philippines to the frozen hills of Korea. cartridge : .30-06

Mauser Kar 98k : Carbine version of Gewehr 98. A full power rifle chambered for the 7.92 x 57mm Mauser ( 8mm Mauser ). the rifle of German troopers during WWII. About 11.5 million were made from 1935-1945.

Mosin Nagant rifle/carbine : Russian soldiers basic rifle/carbine during WWII. Carbine used by cavalry , armor troops , logistics , special forces and etc. cheap and reliable. cartridge : 7.62 x 54 R

Lee -Enfield Rifle Short Mag. Mk III/No. 4 : Over 3 millions Mk III were made in Britain , India and Australia and it served in WWI and WWII.About 4 millions No. 4 were made in Britain, USA , Canada , India and Australia. About 40000 American made No. 4 were also supplied to China. cartridge : .303 British.

and lastly M1 Carbine : The M1 carbine produced by Winchester and other manufacturers became standard issue to the US airborne forces during WWII.It was used extensively in the Pacific campaigns and became very popular throughout the free world after the war ended.It was widely used in Asia after WWII by French, then Vietnamese and US forces in Indo-China and by the British in Malaya.Total production is estimated to be 6,232,100 including M1A1 ,M2 and M3 carbine. caliber : .30 Carbine. It's a rifle/carbine which was liked by some for it's accuracy and ease of control and hated by some for it's lack of stopping power.

sorry I just have to include M1 Carbine.

quote by ctdoanth :
and that gutsy little 7.62x25 semi-auto pistol whose name escapes me at the moment.


Tokarev TT-33

 

[kfranz]

A collecter "should" have whichever he wants.

Hakim
Lee Enfield No. 5 Jungle Carbine
MAS 36
M39

Why? Because they haven't been mentioned yet. The "limit to 4" I hope was meant as a discussion limiter rather than a purchase limiter.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

First two I'd say to grab would be a Schimdt Rubin K31 and a Russian SKS. (Very nice one for sale here actually http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=273689)

The reason I say one of those first is due to my view that they are starting to disappear. The K31 is getting a bit harder to find compared to maybe 6 months ago, they're known for quality, accuracy, and workmanship.. And a stock that looks like a beaver chewed on it. The Russian SKS is a very nice collectors piece, I've heard they have better quality then the Yugo's and are very solidly built.

Once those are grabbed I'd look for a decent condition Mosin Nagant, there are many variants, you'll need 4 of the 91/30's one hex. You'll need a few of these. 1 round wall Izvehsk, 1 Round wall Tula, 1 Hex reciever Izvehsk, 1 Hex reciever Tula. Then you'll need to start looking into the M44... Did I mention the Mosins are addicting?

You're going to want to look for a decent condition Kar.98 these are starting to be harder to find as well. If you can find a decent, matching, non-scrubbed one for under or around $220 it's a good deal IMO.

Take a look at the civilian marksmanship program. Get the requirements and put in for a Carbine ASAP. These are limited and it's going to be difficult to find them for a decent price once the stocks have run out.

Pistols, look for a decent Nagant Revolver (single action if you can) and a decent German P-38

But these are just my opinions. I, personally, do think of them as collectors pieces, but just the same, I like to shoot them too. I've no use for a gun that won't be fired. My Yugo-M48a, un-issued before I got it, has over 600 rounds through it now. My 91/30 has about 300 through it. I'm praying this weekend is beautiful and my range is done with renovations. I've a 91/30 with PU Scope mount and my new K31 to test fire.

As far as what you "must" have, there's really no right answer. It's all about what you like, what you want, and what you want out of the C&R.

 

[biermkr]

You are only limited by your imagination and the size of your bank account. Have fun and happy collecting.

 

[strat81]

Thus far, here is the tally (assuming I can count correctly!):
Mosin-Nagant 10.00
SKS 8.00
K31 7.00
CZ52 5.00
Nagant Revo 5.00
M1 Carbine 5.00
M1903 4.00
M1 Garand 4.00
Lee Enfield 3.00
Mauser K98 3.00
CZ82 2.00
TT-33 Tokarev 2.00
Rem. Model 8 1.00
Swede Mauser 1.00
Span. FR8 1.00
Swede Ljungman 1.00
FN49 1.00
SVT-40 1.00
Sistema 1927 1.00
Makarov 1.00
SVD Dragunov 1.00
Hakim 1.00
MAS 36 1.00
M39 1.00
P-38 1.00

I must say, I am VERY surprised that the Garand is not #1 on the list. I asked for a 4-gun limit so that I didn't get a laundry list of every gun produced between 1898 and 1950. Of course, I am limited by budget but I don't necessarily have a bias towards any country, time period, or type of gun. What I'm personally leaning towards:
-M1903: My grandfather carried one in WWII so what else would be better to start with? Unfortunately the CMP rifles don’t look promising due to poor bores, so I’ve been checking Gunbroker regularly. I should hopefully be able to get something nice for less than $750.
-Mosin-Nagant: Cheap enough, and it'd be nice to have the commie equivalent of a M1903. Nice variety around too, maybe I’ll get two!
-German Mauser: WWII fascinates me due to the heroism of our troops and because it was (another) example of how evil human beings could be. Let’s throw an Axis rifle into the mix.
-M1 Carbine: A cool gun, plus the supply won’t last forever. My CMP paperwork is filled out and ready to go. Just have to wait a little while until I have some disposable $$$ (just blew $5.5K on a new roof, grrr!). Shouldn’t be too hard to reload for, and might actually make a decent HD gun. Plus I’m a wuss and shooting a Garand and M1903 constantly will beat me up too much.
-An eastern-bloc autoloading pistol: Haven’t decided on one, but probably a Mak or Mak-chambered gun.

Any other suggestions?

 

[BADUNAME13]

Alot of us were probably going for cheap..

you said:

-An eastern-bloc autoloading pistol: Haven’t decided on one, but probably a Mak or Mak-chambered gun.

CZ 82

 

[strat81]

Alot of us were probably going for cheap..

And since when do THR members make "cheap" suggestions? The answer to every "which one" question is "Get them all!"

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Garand + 1911 or 1911a1.

(and then, to round out the four)

Garand No. 2 + Victory Model Revolver.


(you will get used to the recoil VERY quickly)

 

[Vern Humphrey]

All the Colts and pre-'64 Winchesrter Model 70s you can get your grubby little hands on.