Best Bolt Action Milsurp

I have many Enfields, Mosins, a VZ24, a K31, a 7mm Brazilian Model 1935, and enjoy them all but I am slightly partial to my Mosin sniper. All of mine are in good shape, but ammo is a consideration in your choices as 8mm is hard to come buy for me at least, whereas I reload .303 and 7mm, and 7.5x55 and 7.62x54R is still reasonably cheap and available.
 
I checked the EE today

no 4 700 with bayonet in amazing shape and long branch
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1635967-1942-Longbranch-No4-MK1*
This one is at top of the OPs budget and MIGHt be OK. No mention of originality in the ad, or if the numbers match. I would not buy it witout more info and better pics.

no 4 550 in good shape
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1632751-No-4-Mk-1-matching-(Now-550-shipped)
No photos and un-numbered wood on a British No.4, a Fazakerley based on the SN. I would expect to see the forestock numbered by the front band on most of these. Would want photos before buying, but it sounds dubious. It's also an A suffix rifle with non-standard parts. I tend to inspect such rifles very carefully before outlaying cash.

no 1 850 in amazing shape
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...90-1917-SMLE-No1-MkIII*-full-wood-and-bayonet
Over the OP's budget. It's a wartime gun with no FTR marks but wearing 1950's EFD replacement wood. I suspect restored sporter, would want to see in-hand. I've never seen factory installed post-war straight-profile EFD replacement walnut on a legit rifle without a pantographed FTR53 on the left receiver wall.

no 1 650 amazing shape
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1634924-Lee-Enfield-No-1-Mk-3*
DP marked post-war indian wood on a restored sporter. Avoid.

This is one page of the EE. Want me to keep going?

I fixed your list for you.

For the uninitiated, at an ROF (royal ordnance factory) setting up a forestock to a barelled action was not a journeyman task. Only the most experienced inletters set the draws and finished the forestocks. Slapping wood off another rifle onto a former sporter will NOT make it shoot like an as-issued original. 99.9999999% of restored sporters are stocked incorrectly and are destined to crack at the stock draws and shoot wandering group along the road to that unfortunate and avoidable failure.

If you have gunsmith level inletting skills, have at er, but if you don't own $300+ with of various chisels and a tub of inletting black that you have worked half through over the years - I would submit you will probably c@ck it up and not end up with a preperly bedded rifle, unless you are rather lucky. I messed up a good many of the early forestocks I inletted before I learned enough to reliable tell that I had not been fitting them well enough.

There is a reason unmolested originals are selling for big money now and the EE is filled with restored sporters many folks are wisely choosing not to purchase.
 
I have many Enfields, Mosins, a VZ24, a K31, a 7mm Brazilian Model 1935, and enjoy them all but I am slightly partial to my Mosin sniper. All of mine are in good shape, but ammo is a consideration in your choices as 8mm is hard to come buy for me at least, whereas I reload .303 and 7mm, and 7.5x55 and 7.62x54R is still reasonably cheap and available.

If you want to reliably shoot these old milsurps, you MUST reload.
 
I fixed your list for you.

For the uninitiated, at an ROF (royal ordnance factory) setting up a forestock to a barelled action was not a journeyman task. Only the most experienced inletters set the draws and finished the forestocks. Slapping wood off another rifle onto a former sporter will NOT make it shoot like an as-issued original. 99.9999999% of restored sporters are stocked incorrectly and are destined to crack at the stock draws and shoot wandering group along the road to that unfortunate and avoidable failure.

If you have gunsmith level inletting skills, have at er, but if you don't own $300+ with of various chisels and a tub of inleting black - I would submit you will probably c@ck it up and not end up with a preperly bedded rifle, unless you are rather lucky. I messed up a good many of the early forestocks I inletted before I learned enough to reliable tell that I had not been fitting them well enough.

There is a reason unmolested originals are selling for big money now and the EE if filled with restored sporters many folks are wisely choosing not to purchase.


^^^^^^
Fully agree
 
I am talking about "in new condition with matching bayonet", if you find them for $700.00, I'll take ten.

Prickly aren't you?
Re-read it, I said 'Condition and Bayo' would bump it up.
See; I'm that rare duck that goes hunting with a '35 Chilean Carbine in 7.65 x 53, it's a gun and was meant to be used... seems like that is what the OP was looking for...no?
No-one takes out a 1908 Brazilian in 100 % condition with kit. Actually I find that puzzling; striving for a 'Cherry' rifle, then no-one will do anything with it... boring actually.
Feel free to come back with a picture of your game taken with such a rifle.
I used to have a few...Photobucket... says it all doesn't it?
Maybe next week though; sorta fun looking it the cabinet going, "eeny, meany, miny moe..."
 
Prickly aren't you? No, I am not. I said "new" and new has a very specific meaning in the English language, right?
Re-read it, I said 'Condition and Bayo' would bump it up. Sooo....?
See; I'm that rare duck that goes hunting with " I am not a country bumpkin, I do not hunt" a '35 Chilean Carbine in 7.65 x 53, it's a gun and was meant to be used... seems like that is what the OP was looking for...no?
No-one takes out a 1908 Brazilian in 100 % condition with kit. Actually I find that puzzling; striving for a 'Cherry' rifle, then no-one will do anything with it... boring actually. I do have quite the amount of new condition Mausers and i shoot them all.
Feel free to come back with a picture of your game taken with such a rifle.
I used to have a few...Photobucket... says it all doesn't it?
Maybe next week though; sorta fun looking it the cabinet going, "eeny, meany, miny moe..."

.........
 
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If you want to reliably shoot these old milsurps, you MUST reload.

Yes, totally agree, will be reloading for all of mine soon, still have many thousand of rounds in calibres I don't reload for yet. Also, the GP11 Swiss stuff is pretty good match equivalent ammo. Accuracy, availability and reliability is a great incentive to reload, plus it's easy to do I have found.
 
If you want cheap nothing beats a mosin, cheap to buy and cheap to feed
If your looking for something with some accuracy then a k 31 or a finn mosin if you can find one in your price range. I got a Finn mosin on the EE not long ago for around the $6-650 mark so they are out there. K 31 seem to be $700 plus
The sweede mauser and the k 98 are good choices too.
The problem with most of these rifles (minus the mosin) is that the ammo is expensive and can be hard to find so your pretty much going to have to reload.
My suggestion would be to find a decent Finn mosin in the $600 to $800 price range. you'll get the best of both, cheap to feed and accurate
 
Yes, totally agree, will be reloading for all of mine soon, still have many thousand of rounds in calibres I don't reload for yet. Also, the GP11 Swiss stuff is pretty good match equivalent ammo. Accuracy, availability and reliability is a great incentive to reload, plus it's easy to do I have found.

As a plus you can make 8mm Mauser and 7.65 Argentine Mauser from 30-06 brass.

GP11 is still plentyful for around $0.65 per round, you will be hard pressed to do better
 
Country Bumpkin; apparently folks from all walks of life hunt, showing your ignorance there...kinda nice to walk a 100 yards for load development though. A little blood on your hands might help with the aggressive rhetoric as well.
And I get to actually put mine to work in a useful way. Shooting & using are different; punching holes in paper...yeah, right.
OP did say he was looking for less than perfect pieces as well... there are lots of workhorses out there, he's not looking for a Shiny Pony IIRC. Why attempt to quote prices on pristine pieces, that isn't what he asked for?
 
Country Bumpkin; apparently folks from all walks of life hunt, showing your ignorance there...kinda nice to walk a 100 yards for load development though. A little blood on your hands might help with the aggressive rhetoric as well.
And I get to actually put mine to work in a useful way. Shooting & using are different; punching holes in paper...yeah, right.
OP did say he was looking for less than perfect pieces as well... there are lots of workhorses out there, he's not looking for a Shiny Pony IIRC. Why attempt to quote prices on pristine pieces, that isn't what he asked for?

You win, congratulations, attaboy.
 
I have to second the suggestion of a K31. Cases of clean, very accurate surplus ammo available. Amazing shooters. Something of a unique action and look that make a good 'conversation piece' as mentioned. Fit and finish like few other military rifles. Can't go wrong.

Also had an oddball suggestion pop into my head when considering a good 'conversation piece'..... MAS 36/51. Many unique features on a very stout and practical rifle, and no better conversation starter than a built in rifle grenade launcher and sight, especially if you actually start lobbing dummy grenades with it!
 
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