Prices and recommended milsurps to shoot?
- Thread starter nidh0gg
- Start date
thank you, about how much do israli mausers 7.62/3.08 go for usually (one with a decent bore/rifling)
For under $500 I'd start with the Mosin - robust, accurate, easy to clean (and IMHO the design is ###y as hell). If you use surplus ammo be aware the its usually steel so may not be accepted on all ranges and that the primer's create a series of salts that will rust the bore out if you don't clean it within a couple hours of shooting (hot water or windex down the bore, followed by a lightly oiled patch and you're good). Next as said earlier in the string .. an SKS for the semi auto. Same comment on the ammo and cleaning, a bit more complex to clean but still not a big deal.
If you don't reload check out the ammo costs / availability before you buy. Italian Carcano's are cool rifles but the ammo's almost impossible to find and then its expensive. Swedish Mauser is easier to find but still expensive. Mauser JS (German) is more common but between $1 and$3 per round depending where you get them. You can find some Mausers converted to 308 .. cheaper but still not 2bits a shot.
One rifle I got that is great fun is the Norinco JW25 .. a mockup of a full stock Mauser but in .22. Cheap ammo, good starter gun for younger or smaller shooters.
If you don't reload check out the ammo costs / availability before you buy. Italian Carcano's are cool rifles but the ammo's almost impossible to find and then its expensive. Swedish Mauser is easier to find but still expensive. Mauser JS (German) is more common but between $1 and$3 per round depending where you get them. You can find some Mausers converted to 308 .. cheaper but still not 2bits a shot.
One rifle I got that is great fun is the Norinco JW25 .. a mockup of a full stock Mauser but in .22. Cheap ammo, good starter gun for younger or smaller shooters.
Another vote for the Mosin Nagant! The Mosins can be accurate, if you happen to get a good one without tool marks in the barrel, and ammo is relatively plentiful and inexpensive still... There are other excellent choices such as the Swedish Mausers or the Swiss K-31 but ammo will be much more expensive, particularly since you do not reload. If you are lucky enough, you may be able to find some of these rifles below $500, especially if you do not mind shooting a "sporterized" version.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
They are around the $600 mark iirc, they were all rebarreled when converted to .308/7.62 nato so they generally have great bores.
Corrected my brain-fart - Berdan, of course.
Thanks, Diopter.
Incidentally, Prvi Partizan [PPU] make both 7.5x55 and 6.5x55SE with excellent brass. Graf and Wolf brass is actually made by PPU, and it is Boxer-primed, too. The Swiss calibre, although using the correct 174gr FMJ bullet, is around 200 fps slower than GP11, the Swedish stuff I don't know, since I have always reloaded it.
tac
Thanks, Diopter.
Incidentally, Prvi Partizan [PPU] make both 7.5x55 and 6.5x55SE with excellent brass. Graf and Wolf brass is actually made by PPU, and it is Boxer-primed, too. The Swiss calibre, although using the correct 174gr FMJ bullet, is around 200 fps slower than GP11, the Swedish stuff I don't know, since I have always reloaded it.
tac
Nice Israeli Mausers are getting up there. I see them for around $500-$700. Swedes are sometimes found at gunshows for $400-$500.
Of course there will be the ones who say they aren't worth that, but no matter what firearm we talk about, that will always bubble up. Another good deal, so far, are the 91/30 Mosin Nagants. Most are refurbs and shoot like a darn. Ammo is still available. Don't be too quick to turn your nose up at an SKS either. Lots of fun to shoot.
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My first milsurp rifle (40 yrs ago) was a M38 Swede. I still have it as well as a couple others. Only downside is cost of ammo. I've put hundreds through my Swede's- All of it handloads. When I bought my first one Norma factory and brass was all you could find. I found a really nice shooting accurate load using 140 gr Hornady SPs and 4064 powder. All I've ever used. Nice M38s still are around for 500 or under. Would be my first choice if ammo cost/availability is not a big issue or you take up handloading.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
If you can find a Brazilian M954 or a Nowegian K98, they are both chambered in 30-06, and of course the Israeli post war conversions are chambered in 308. Having said that, 8x57 is certainly not hard to find, so any K98 or M98 are my milurp picks. The RC's are butt ugly but usually shoot well and Yugos are much nicer and are usually cheaper. Take your pick.
- Location
- On a sand bar in the Atlantic Ocean.
An Israeli converted K98K would perhaps be a good fit. Surplus 7.62 NATO ammo is relatively inexpensive and plentiful.
OP, based on your $500 or less and available ammo requirement I'll chime in..
Honestly a mosin nagant 91/30 is top spot. You can still find them around for sale at $200 to $250 and they do shoot well. I've yet to own a mosin that won't shoot. My brother and I shoot our mosins at 500 yards all the time at a 10" plate. With handloads any of my mosins can ring that plate with realative ease..
Surplus 7.62x54r is around by the can of 440. And even that stuff is capable of making hits at longer ranges.
That or an sks, bought my first sks right after I got my PAL and I still have it to this day. It's a fun gun to shoot.
If you don't have to shoot surplus ammo then a m96 or m38 Swede would also be a good choice. They're usually in great shape, with good bores and they are smooth to cycle. Absolute top quality imho.
As for k31s, I've had one for 2 or 3 years , it's a nice gun that fits me well, has a great trigger and is well made. All of that being true it's still not my favorite. I shoot my k31 really well, and have practiced with it quite a bit BUT I find the k31 clunky when shoot prone from a sling.
Lee Enfields are great guns but the prices have doubled in recent years making them out of reach for many. No collection is complete without a lee but they really are getting up there in price..
Honestly a mosin nagant 91/30 is top spot. You can still find them around for sale at $200 to $250 and they do shoot well. I've yet to own a mosin that won't shoot. My brother and I shoot our mosins at 500 yards all the time at a 10" plate. With handloads any of my mosins can ring that plate with realative ease..
Surplus 7.62x54r is around by the can of 440. And even that stuff is capable of making hits at longer ranges.
That or an sks, bought my first sks right after I got my PAL and I still have it to this day. It's a fun gun to shoot.
If you don't have to shoot surplus ammo then a m96 or m38 Swede would also be a good choice. They're usually in great shape, with good bores and they are smooth to cycle. Absolute top quality imho.
As for k31s, I've had one for 2 or 3 years , it's a nice gun that fits me well, has a great trigger and is well made. All of that being true it's still not my favorite. I shoot my k31 really well, and have practiced with it quite a bit BUT I find the k31 clunky when shoot prone from a sling.
Lee Enfields are great guns but the prices have doubled in recent years making them out of reach for many. No collection is complete without a lee but they really are getting up there in price..
Thank you, the Israeli mausers is looking like a really good choice right now, deciding between that and a lee enfield currently
im fine with paying more than $500 depending on what kind of gun it is, and I'm also having a hard time finding some decent mosins that are 200-250 at the moment and seeing them mostly for about 350-500 in which case i would most likely prefer to just spring for an Israeli mauser in 308 since 7.62 nato american eagle ammo goes on sale so frequently
Thanks a lot everyone for all your suggestions, from what i gather most likely going to get a Israeli mauser in 7.62 but might end up getting a lee enfield no 1 mk 3 as i found one for a pretty good price on the EE but im unsure of a couple things about the rifle so got to figure that out to see if its worth it or not
The very best you can get is Polish. No need for trigger job. Very smooth action. Excellent machining. Pricey.
If you actually want to hit something and not just shoot at it, then get a Swedish Mauser 96/38 with a good bore.
(And almost all of them have relatively good bores)
You can find a decent all original shooter for around $300-$400, substantially less for a "sporterized" version.
They will outshoot all other milsurps.
They also have the best fit and finish of any milsurp.
If you don't already reload then just get a Lee Loader and reload...cheap and easy.
Its really no contest.
(And almost all of them have relatively good bores)
You can find a decent all original shooter for around $300-$400, substantially less for a "sporterized" version.
They will outshoot all other milsurps.
They also have the best fit and finish of any milsurp.
If you don't already reload then just get a Lee Loader and reload...cheap and easy.
Its really no contest.
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I'll echo a sentiment that was shared previously, as it is very pertinent to consider before finalizing on the "type" of milsurp to buy: the cost and availability of ammo. Not all Milsurp ammo is readily available or affordable to buy retail. This will severely limit your enjoyment and the "deal" that you found on the rifle will not be a deal at all in the long run when you start factoring in ongoing ammo costs. And an accurate rifle is useless if you can't afford to shoot it regularly.
So, as a first milsurp, suggest getting something with readily available ammo: SKS, Mosin, SVT, 1903, Israeli Mauser etc even if it isn't the coolest. And don't let the often inflated EE prices drive your choices - most of the sellers seem to believe their rifles to be the best and most precious example in the whole wide world. There are plenty of deals to be had by waiting for a reasonable person or by looking around in stores and taking to people and friends. Contrary to CGN mindset, most people are not in this hobby to make money or to continue to fund it via flipping rifles. So, research with an open mind as sometimes finding the "right" rifle for you can be just as satisfying as shooting it!
So, as a first milsurp, suggest getting something with readily available ammo: SKS, Mosin, SVT, 1903, Israeli Mauser etc even if it isn't the coolest. And don't let the often inflated EE prices drive your choices - most of the sellers seem to believe their rifles to be the best and most precious example in the whole wide world. There are plenty of deals to be had by waiting for a reasonable person or by looking around in stores and taking to people and friends. Contrary to CGN mindset, most people are not in this hobby to make money or to continue to fund it via flipping rifles. So, research with an open mind as sometimes finding the "right" rifle for you can be just as satisfying as shooting it!
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Nice looking, I love the Enfield. It’s a fun gun to shoot and it’s a piece of history, not the cheapest to shoot with commercial ammo but hey we great rifles. What country is it from and is it numbers matching?
That's a beauty! I always have always liked the looks of the No1Mk3.
