BANG ON! I don't understand why people are still bubba'ing rifles. I just wish stupid was painful.
Why wouldn't they?
For a modern example just look at the SKS, as it is the new Enfield. They are dirt cheap at less than $200 bucks, and there are hundreds of thousands of them out there already bought or just waiting to be bought. They won't be worth anything for at least 30-40 years, so there is virtually ZERO motivation outside of a very small group of long-term collectors hand picking the rarest of the breed. And why should they think any different?
Even the average Enfield is still a far cry from a valuable rifle. Only the rarest of the rare fetch more than $1000, with most used examples selling for maybe $500-$700, and that is still far less than many decent factory hunting rifles today. That is a terrible return on a 50 year investment. I think it will be another 20+ years before they become rare enough to be considered a worthy "investment", and none of the original buyers will be around to benefit.
I love Enfields and Mausers and all the other historic pieces. Not because they are valuable financially, but because they are priceless pieces our our history. Carried by our best people in our worst times, and each with a different and unique story. I would actively discourage folks from giving them anything but the best treatment today, but I also think it was amazing that after the end of WWII, virtually every citizen had easy access to a reliable firearm with a great past. What they did with it did not diminish the role that it played in our history, and in fact it often only served to ensure it's value would increase eventually.
If people don't bubba a few, and use a few until they are completely worn out and worthless, the rest will never increase in value. And if I was an old Enfield, Mauser, or SKS, I would rather go out in a blaze of glory than sit in a cold dark safe for the rest of my life, only to be taken out and oiled once in while.
