Which Milsurp to start with?

[juk]

I'm not even sure if I can legally buy a firearm in Louisiana now. Went to a gunstore, and they can't sell to a Bama resident, so I have to do some digging and fill out some paperwork before I can make a purchase.

The way it is looking, I am going to have to buy a gun sight unseen. That kinda worries me, but most companies have a hand-pick option that should help a little. I may just save my pennies and pick up a Garand at the CMP South store. At least then, I know what I am getting and I absolutely love the Garand. I would eventually like to get into Service Rifle matches, and I would have no qualms showing up with a decent Garand. Ultimately, I am wanting a rifle that I can hold on to until my dying days and be proud of. The Garand is a little more expensive than the others, but my thinking now is that it would be worth the wait.

 

[Quoheleth]

How about an SKS? JG Sales has Yugos for under $300. The 7.62x39 is still relatively cheap. Rifle plus spam can is right at the $400 budget.

Q

 

[Sam1911]

I'm not even sure if I can legally buy a firearm in Louisiana now. Went to a gunstore, and they can't sell to a Bama resident, so I have to do some digging and fill out some paperwork before I can make a purchase.

What? Why? If you're buying a long-gun, you can purchase from a dealer in any state, so long as the laws of both states are followed.

[EDIT -- I got it... for some bizarre reason LA has a "contiguous states" provision. If you were from Mississippi or TX you'd be good to go. Odd.]

The way it is looking, I am going to have to buy a gun sight unseen. That kinda worries me, but most companies have a hand-pick option that should help a little.

If you go with AIM Surplus, folks say it is REALLY worth the extra $10 or whatever. I think it probably is for others as well. AIM has a lot of happy customers.

I may just save my pennies and pick up a Garand at the CMP South store. At least then, I know what I am getting and I absolutely love the Garand. I would eventually like to get into Service Rifle matches, and I would have no qualms showing up with a decent Garand.

Well, no one's going to talk you out of that! A bit different from a cheap mil-surp bolt rifle, but an awesome weapon, to be sure.

Ultimately, I am wanting a rifle that I can hold on to until my dying days and be proud of.

Well...sure. But life is long, generally. No reason to think in terms of your "one and only for always." If you want a Garand, by all means get one, but you'd be very happy with some of the other choices too, no doubt.

The Garand is a little more expensive than the others, but my thinking now is that it would be worth the wait.

You'll need one eventually. Might as well make it sooner rather than later!

 

[Ro1911]

Sam1911

Garands in decent shape have been showing up at those prices in Oklahoma and Missouri now for about 6 months (the $400 ones are usually either in bad shape or being sold because of a need for grocery $$$$.


Ishapores are scarce in my neck of the woods, if you do find one it's in 308 and they want $400+ for it and all of those I've seen were torn up quite a bit

If you look in retail store for 7.5 mas you'll never find it, gunshows or online are the only places to go

 

[Ro1911]

by the way this is an M1 I just got for $600 worth of trade

 

[Sam1911]

I don't like axis weapons for alot of reasons, and the fact that some of them were used to execute innocent people is like number three on the short list as to why I personally don't collect them

War crimes, atrocities, and the killing of innocents have been committed by soldiers under every flag, and using every kind of firearm, sword, or other implement of violence. I'd stop collecting Garands and Enfields too if you want to avoid that issue.

I understand the point that you are trying to make but I don't agree with it, and quite frankly I don't care if the gun was used to kill an enemy soldier or not, but civilians are a little different

Again, though, our enemies are not the only soldiers to have killed regrettable numbers of civilians, innocents, and non-combatants. You have to be very, very picky indeed to purchase military weapons that could not have been used in those ways. Maybe the K-31 would be exempt. But that's about it. Don't consider American and British weapons are "clean" if you consider German, Russian, Italian, or other country's' weapons to be "dirty" in that way.

I've seen alot of the people who do collect nazi items and I do not want to be associated with them or the racial hatred that they seem to embody

Understood, but those folks who greatly love their K-98, or Carcano, or Mosin, or Kalashnikov, or Simonov, etc, etc, are not embodying racial hatred or associating themselves with Nazis, Communists, Soviets, or whatever other group you find abhorrent.

If you don't enjoy shooting something for some reason, that's fine. But don't fall into the intellectually lazy trap of believing that there's truth or validity in the "gun of the enemy" or "murder weapon" line of reasoning. Otherwise you'd better never buy ANY used firearm. You really just have no idea.

 

[Ro1911]

For $400 the OP could get an Enfield and a Mosin Nagant.

 

[wesessiah]

I have three Kar 98Ks, which I paid $200, $200, and $250 for. I have three Mosin-Nagants, two M91/59s, which cost me $99 and $160, and a Finnish M39 that cost me $300. I also have an obscure SMLE Jungle Carbine that cost me $350. Local prices for a Swiss K-31 were hovering around $350. The only thing more expensive I hve seen are the 1903s, collectible Enfields, and collectible/rare Mausers.

The point is, there are PLENTY of decent milsurps to be found within a 400-dollar budget. Of all the ones I have shot a Finnish M39 will be the best shooter, accuracy is very consistant, 2-3 MOA on almost all M39s, some will do better, especially with handloads, and the ammo is cheap enough that you will get your money's worth (if you buy the spam cans online for plinking).

maybe i should expand my area of search. the k31's tend to be lower than that here, and the last m39 i saw my friend bought for about $200. i guess the prices in this area are just mixed in. the sniper models here go for $350 or more just depending on who has it. most of the mausers i see are about $400 to $500 with the occasional $350.

as far as the m1 goes, i haven't seen one in person for less than $800 since early 2008. with the mosin discussion, after picking up a p-series, it's my favorite of the bunch.

a friend told me to check out this website... it looks like they have some pretty good deals/finds. good prices on the k31 and mosin nagant... they'll sell you a crate of mosin nagants for $75 a piece to $85 a piece, lol... you guys may already know it
http://classicfirearms.com/

 

[HGM22]

You do realize the 98k was designed/made LONG before the Nazis, right?

I'd get a Yugo 24/47 or SKS.

 

[Ro1911]

Yes I do realize that, but I don't care and I can dislike whatever rifle I like.

 

[25ring]

Excellent Service grade Garands can be had through the CMP for about $600 and change including shipping and a case.Delivered right to your door.They've also been checked out by their own armourers.Probably the best buy going right now!---Mike.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Excellent Service grade Garands can be had through the CMP for about $600 and change including shipping and a case.Delivered right to your door.They've also been checked out by their own armourers.Probably the best buy going right now!---Mike.

The $600 Garands coming from CMP may be shootable but they are cosmetically challenged (bfugly). Surplus Greek ammo is about .65 a round.

not a CMP


The Swiss K31 may be a good start, excellent made rifle and most have super accuracy. GP11 ammo is about .50 a round.

assorted K's


The Enfields have some great history, no more surplus ammo and commercial is spendy.

a few LE's


The Yugo Mausers are good shooters, several models including the Mod98 capture. These Yugo's have a long history that is tied to the old Mauser family by marriage.
Yugo 8mm surplus is so cheap it's almost free.



Yugo capture Mod98

 

[mortablunt]

Mosin Nagant. Just look up what you should watch out for and you will be fine. Honestly, it's amazing how guns which are nowhere near as good as the MN cost 7 times more.

 

[camekanix]

If you want to shoot on a budget don't forget to be realistic about how much it will cost to feed your rifle. I started out on a tight budget and got a Mosin M-44. Now I have various Mosins and enjoy all of them. The M-44 and M-38 are fun because they don't just go boom, they go BOOM!!!
All of them are accurate enough to stay on a paper plate at 100yds and some actually impress people. That being said I do have other milsurps but for just grabbing something and heading out for some plinking I always grab one of the Mosins.

 

[paddling_man]

Out of respect for the OP, should this be two different threads?

OP - Enjoy your search! Milsurps are FUN! My first rifle as a teenager in the eighties was a 1916 7x57 Mauser. Still accurate as heck to this day, though the ammo has gotten a bit more expensive to find. I would pick something with common ammo (30-06, 7.62NATO, etc.) or something with cheap ammo you can stock up on (7.62x54) while still available.

Enjoy!

 

[snakeman]

yugo m24/47, swiss k31, or mosin I like the mauser best myself.

 

[Jonny V]

I would say to get a MN, only because they're so cheap, and they really are "blasters" at the range. Sit next to a guy shooting one, and you'll get it.

I would also say (more seriously) to get a K98K. The Mauser 98 is simply the best bolt action design of all time, bar none. If you get tired of hammering surplus 8mm Mauser ammo out of it (available here for 30 cents a round: https://samcoglobal.com/index.html), then you can have the Mauser made into a world class safari rifle. That's something the others will have a lot of trouble matching.

I know that the Springfield is a great rifle, and it's on my "buy" list too. However, the Mauser 98 is the standard against which all are judged. No surprise that Roy Weatherby used it to start his business.

 

[nathan]

Settle on a Finn M 39 and have awesome accuracy in a mosin nagant package. The ammo is available and cheap. Also commercial hunting ammo is widely available and packs a punch. You can use it for elk and moose hunting , too.

 

[Tom609]

A Finnish M39 has few equals in the accuracy department and the ammo is still relatively cheap and available (~ $79 / 440 rounds).

I happened to get my "unissued" M39 here and have been very pleased with it. http://www.gunsnammo.com/ ... check out Gunbroker too.

I also own a 03a3 and a M1. As others have said, they too are excellent rifles.

 

[vellocet]

The Swiss rifles are the best, but they are expensive and the ammo is expensive. If you can find a good LONG mosin you might have a pretty simple, accurate cheap gun and cheap, available ammo, too. Your best bet for a good rifle are the yugo 24/47s. When they say they are in like new condition they probably are. You will get a better shot from a new short sixty year old barrel than a not-new long one. And that crap yugo 8mm ammo is still pretty cheap. When they jumped from 139 to 199 within 6 months "wholesale'," the 24/47s, it reflected shooters discovering these rifles. I posted this same information before;enjoy what ever you get.