What started your interest in milsurps?

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shuvelrider

shuvelrider

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For me it was from attending gun shows in Illinois when small, looking at all the greasy guns. Of course could not buy them then, time in the army and then the young family thing kept money tight. Finally did buy a correct JC #5 in the late 80's for $140, that started my collection.
Some people told not me to waste my time on "that old junk", like my older brother. What they see as junk, I see as history that reaches out to me. Now I reload for a few of them plus the more modern things I have, have a nice selection of older sporting guns too. But those old greasy guns will always get my attention.
My grail gun would have to be a M-41 Johnson rifle.
 
Always had an interest in history, even as a child. When I started shooting as an adult I had a chance to try a couple of milsurp bolt actions. Nothing collectible, just good working examples. Learning how accurate they could be and how much I like the versatility of bolt actions sparked my interest. Finding out they were REALLY affordable compared to new/modern rifles cemented their place in the household. (Money was tight for a young married couple.)

It didn't take long to learn how much fun it was to develop reduced power cast bullet hand loads for them. That's why, except for the Garand (which is in its own category), my other milsurp rifles are bolt actions.

Jeff
 
Was always (since I can remember) been interested in guns of most any kind. Then, in a hardware store (see how old I am?), I found a barrel of M98 Mausers selling for $19.95. Same price for Enfields. Eddystone 1917's were $29.95!

Oh, how I WISH for a time-machine-quick-trip back so I could haul a few truck loads of them back here now!
 
4v50 Gary +1.

It´s like driving a 50´s Chevy Truck. There´s more to it than just the
Steel and wires.
 
Cheap shooting. My recently acquired Mosin was a hundred bucks, and surplus commie rounds are dirt cheap. Contrast with a .308, where you might as well take a match to a dollar bill every time you squeeze.

P
 
I remember the late-into-the-night talks with my father, about the feats accomplished in both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam.

My biggest thing is history, I personally love the subject. Doesn't matter about the time period, I'll still love it.

It'd probably have to be the fact that these firearms were made to fight for, and defend, nations in that time of reckoning.

One rifle I have is even likely to have served on the front, fighting the good fight! Oh how I wish these rifles could talk, I would listen for hours, and even ask it if it would tell me again.
 
The Stalingrad level in the original Call of Duty, followed by the realization I could buy a Mosin for $100.
 
The satisfaction of rescuing an old warhorse from bubba, we are preservationists of military history through its relics.
Have a Longbranch courtesy of bubba that needs that kind of restoration, got all my parts and peices. Just waiting till after deployment to start, luckily the barrel, action, bolt, and buttstock are primo.
You just cant explain the satisfaction of restoring and shooting these guns.
 
The only use I can see for these things is use as tomato stakes. I have no interest in a military gun from 1890 at all. But you guys that like them have my respect.
 
When I was 12 (I am 35 now), my grandfather brought out a 1900 DWM Bulgarian contract Luger. It is chambered in the original 7.65 Para, has all matching numbers and was never re-arsenaled. It is a WWII bring back from my Great-uncle. Grandpa told me it was rare, but it was before the internet. I didn't find out how rare until much later. Looking back, that was the pistol that sparked my interest. I did post pics over at the Luger forum, but I haven't checked them in a while. I posted them here too, but it has been a few years. Needless to say, my collect has really bloomed now. Thank you C & R license.
 
Was always (since I can remember) been interested in guns of most any kind. Then, in a hardware store (see how old I am?), I found a barrel of M98 Mausers selling for $19.95. Same price for Enfields. Eddystone 1917's were $29.95!
Click to expand...

I think that I overpaid. My local hardware store had a barrel of K98s for $25.00.
 
I love old milsurp guns. I don't really know why. Probably for the same reason I like an old Dodge Charger or an old straight tail Cessna. I guess it'd be simply that I find that the old milsurp firearms have more character than new guns. And guys, you can still find those ol' hardware stores with barrels full of rifles, if you know where to look. ;)
 
They used to be cheap. That's what got my interest to start with. Now days I can buy a new AR15 for the same price as a 40 year old AK. Better yet I can get 2 NIB Savage '06's for the same price as a near 100 year old Springfield. It won't be long before a Mosin Nagant out paces all the intro hunting rifles. The milsurp game has just gotten too rich for me.
 
As others have said, history is what drives my interest. I am a history major, so it is my particular forte as well.

Military combat arms have more appeal to me than civilian arms. They are simple, clean designs, with no frills or fancy doo-dads. They are designed and built for one overriding purpose above all other concerns: to kill as efficiently and quickly as possible. These weapons were not designed with deer hunting in mind, but for far deadlier purposes. I respect their purpose in life, sinister and morbid tho it be.

Military rifles also are darned useful as hunting weapons, so I don't ever see myself buying a civilian weapon for that purpose. I am still young, so I can carry a 10 pound battle rifle all over God's Creation as needed.
 
When I found out as a little kid that in our attic was a dead-mint, unissued, Italian M-91/38 TS carbine with sling, bayonet and smooth steel scabbard that Dad sent home in '44. Boy, I can't tell you how much rockwool insulation I bayoneted to death over the years growing up. That was over 64 years ago, but I still have that carbine (as well as the set he gave my Uncle ) and a sweet M-1934 .380 Beretta that he also sent back). It was these Italians that got me started in reloading and I shoot them regularly. I started seriously collecting in 1968 after a 2 year stretch as a combat infantryman and haven't stopped yet. My latest addition; a US Springfield-Lee M1875 Vertical Action Rifle in .45/70 Government. That was my Holy Grail rifle ... so, now what the heck do I look for???
 
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