I own many milsurp rifles that I bought back when they were cheap. So I've owned them for over 40 years. My favorite to shoot are a 1911 Schmidt Rubin and a wonderful old beat up Mauser GEW98.
The worst shooter, by far, is my SMLE Jungle Carbine. When I shoot that little rifle people standing behind me have to take cover.
Many of the rifles clost around $25. The Garand, 1917 Enfield and 03 were more expensive, but not very. The Garand was $243 and the other two $150 each.
I even own and shoot a MK2 Ross Straight Pull. Say a prayer - take a shot. In the 60's many of these guns came in like new. You could go to a gun show with $100 and walk out with four rifles. The Arisaka rifles were never over $25. They were considered junk. Lots of guns were in the $30 to $40 range. New Chek K98K's were $49 for years. Bayonets were under $5 usually. When I bought a rifle I would usually buy the bayonet too and then a Lee Loader. They cost $8. They made them in almost ever caliber.
They used to have boxes and bins of mixed bayonets, most pretty dirty, but if cleaned they looked fine. Sometimes I wouldn't know which one fit a new rifle, so I'd buy half a dozen or so, and see if one fit. The rest I'd either keep or give away to friends.
I wasn't rich either. I was in the Marine Corps. I'd fill my apartment with rifles. Moving was hard. I had a little Austin Healy Sprite. I'd just fill it to bursting with guns and uniforms.
In 1972 good Navy Colts, originals, cost $130 to $160. Yes, money was more expensive then, but I was making about $700 (flight "skins") a month, and living in the BOQ, so I bought a gun or so a month.
I had one theft wherein I lost some real beauties, but I still own most of them. I enjoy them as much as I ever did, which is the real benefit of having a nice gun collection. You, or at least I, never get tired of them.
