First milsurp, some advice please............

KyleSchenk

KyleSchenk

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
37   0   0
I am currently looking for my first one. Trying to keep the cost lowerish (Poor student here:rolleyes: ) Ive been debating between a variety of rifles such as an sks, mosin-nagant, enfield or a mauser. I would like a semi, but at the same time accuracy is somewhat important to me. So that kinda eliminates the sks i guess? Between the other three, what would be the cheepest to feed lead to and the availability of ammo? Aswell which would have the best accuracy. Little help please boys.

Thanks
 
The SKS is cheap to buy and even cheaper to shoot. At 170 bucks plus taxes for a 1120 round crate of ammo they're hard to beat for a centerfire semi-auto. The guns can be found for $135 at Lever Arms (no bayonet though), $165 at Milarm w/ bayonet, $180ish (I think) from P&S Militaria. Ammo works out to something like $0.15 per round. I have one and its a lot of fun but it aint no sniper rifle. Not always considered a milsurp either FWIW.

A mosin nagant can easily be had for $150 or so in very good, refurbed, condition. Ammo, at least where I get mine, seems to run at more like $0.30 per round which is still cheap by centerfire standards but again isn't that cheap. Accuracy on a mosin is theoretically better than an SKS but I find that it's not by much. Ammo that isn't corrosive surplus stuff is hard to track down and is kinda pricey for what it is.

Enfields are quite popular. But... they'll set you back at least $200, and more like $300 ish for one in very good condition that still has all of its wood. Commercial ammo is more expensive, more like a buck per shot. Ammo is available everywhere though. Reloading should cut costs a little. They are quite accurate though and wildly popular. Surplus ammo is much harder to find.

Mauser's are in the same boat as Enfields. They're more expensive than enfields, more in the $350 to $600 range depending on where they're from, if they've been refurbed by the Russians and etc. Ammo is also the same as an enfield, expensive and no surplus available. Very accurate though.
 
Don't sell the SKS short, for short ranges up to 200m, it's accurate enough for lots of hits if you do your part. Ammo are cheap and plentiful and after a case of or so of off-hand practice, you might be amazed at what you can hit.

The SKS use an intermediate round with practically no recoil whereas the bolt actions use full-powered rounds with significantly more recoil (a 303 Lee-Enfield jumps around a lot more at the bench). Less recoil and semi-auto capability = more fun.

As for accuracy, the Nagant, SKS and Mauser have basically the same type of open sights, accuracy obtained will be dependent on shooter's eyesight and skills (the Enfield (No. 4..) have a receiver sight but it is a coarse battle sight set for 300 yds ?). Accuracy might finally be determined by the condition of the bore, a new SKS generally have good bores (chrome plated?), the same can't be said for most surplus Nagants and Enfields available. Of the four, a good Mauser is generally considered to be better assembled and more accurate. However, when fed with surplus ball ammo, the relative differences in accuracy of these 4 rifles might not really be all that much.

Ammo cost is important for a student too, especially if you plan on doing a lot of shooting. While the 7.62x54R rounds are plentiful, surplus 303, and 8mm ammo are harder to find and when available relatively more expensive.

It all depends on what you want the rifle for and what are your accuracy requirements. For casual plinking at low costs (rifle $160, 1200 rds of ammo for about the same) the SKS rules. The other end of the spectrum is the Mauser, a Mauser with good bore might cost $400 plus.

A good compromise is to buy the SKS now and have lots of fun and practice. When more funds are available, buy a good Mauser, mount a low cost scope such as a Weaver K4, handload some good ammo and you'll have the perfect short range/long range combo.
 
Out of your list I'd pick either the SKS or Mosin Nagant as a first rifle. The SKS will be cheaper to shoot with the Czech milsurp ammo, but you should be able to find a Mosin cheaper than an SKS. Unless you reload, it's hard to be the price of milsurp 7.62x39 or 7.62x54R.

Personally, I'd look for a M44 if you go with a Mosin, I think they're lots of fun. Either rifle would be a fine choice for a first milsurp.

PS. You'd probably get more responses if you posted this in the Milsurp Forum. Battle rifles is where the M305 weenies like to hang out. ;)
 
I agree with everyone here. The lowly sks is reliable accurate to 3-4 moa and cheap to shoot. It will take a ton of practice before you will feel limited by the potential of the rifle.
 
Try a surplus Israeli Mauser in .308.... Inexpensive, accurate, and not too costly to feed.

Just my thoughts...

The SKS is a fun toy... NOT a rifle. My shotgun is more accurate!

(Purely my experience - YMMV!).

Neal
 
nelly said:
Try a surplus Israeli Mauser in .308.... Inexpensive, accurate, and not too costly to feed.

Just my thoughts...

The SKS is a fun toy... NOT a rifle. My shotgun is more accurate!

(Purely my experience - YMMV!).

Neal
Click to expand...

X2 on this..... I hunt with my Israeli K98 and also plink with it using cheap Port 7.62mm. Well made and accurate. The only downside is that you will have to keep your eyes peeled on EE forum as no dealers sell them as part of their regular inventory. (I think El Torro has one for sale right now actually in the Military Rifle EE forum)
 
Have you considered a P-14 or P-17? I picked one up at my local shop for $175 including base rings and 4x scope. the p14 is in .303 while the p17 is in 30-06. mine shoots very accuratly. now, it is bolt action. but arguably one of the strongest and ruggedly made ones ever. I was looking at lee-enfeilds, but they have a two-part stock. this results in the gun "flexing" slightly at the hinge pin, adversly affecting accurasy. as for simi-autos. get an SKS. most of them can outshoot most new shooters anyways. I have two and it's still one of my favs to take to the range, camping etc...

Cheers,
BCtrigger
 
you just can't beat an sks when youre on a strict budget.if youre a new shooter ,like i think youre saying,this is definatly the rifle to start with when it comes to centrfire.do you own a 22lr yet? either way ,you can hone your skills with a good inexpensive to shoot rifle. when you say milsurp ,are you looking for a rifle thats seen some type of service? ,not new manufacture? if so, the mosins are sure a good deal right now.as far as getting an accurate rifle,something that can be accurate past 200m, the lee enfeild and mausers are going to cost more to shoot ,which may really limit your range time.
 
Last edited:
Not really a new shooter, been doing it for quite some time. Just never owned a military rifle, yet. Im going to look into the Israeli K98. Thanks for the help guys.
 
The SKS is about as cheap as it gets for center fire and I agree, it's a lot of fun. The one I'm currently wearing out is decently accurate out to about 75 yards. I also have an M44 whose accuracy was downright abysmal when shooting military surplus ammo. Got some dies and began reloading the brass with .308 bullets...wow....it is indeed the most accurate thing I own. I rember the M44 cost me 142 bucks from P & S and the SKS 150 bought locally. With the reloading, they are about the same price to shoot.
 
coppertop thanks for the info, i currently do not have any reloading equipment though. Paulinski, not bashing the sks at all, just looking for a bit better accuracy. I still really want one, in my books the seem to be a great bang for the buck. Just looking for something i can shoot from a slight longer distance and keep the groupings tighter. Any more input would be greatfully appreciated guys. Thanks you have been alot of help!
 
Another Mauser 7.62 Nato option would be a Spanish FR8. Much better sights, and "cooler" than the Israeli. Same price range, if not cheaper.
 
Go for a mosin if you want a true milsurp and cheap. They can be had for 100 to 200 dollars, shoot relatively cheap ammo, are generally fairly accurate and reek of history. SKS's are great fun and cheap to shoot, but in your price range, all you will get is a Norinco commercial gun, which has NO history to it...
 
Milsurp?

Good morning:

While from a commercial perspective I'd love to sell you on a nice "full woody" (don't laugh, that's the slang for a Lee Enfield SMLE that Bubba missed) with all the trimmings, but from a practical standpoint it'll sit in your safe. At a buck for every pull of the trigger it'll sit in your safe :(

That said, one you have the spare money it is your patriotic duty as a law-abiding gun-owning Canadian to eventually own a Lee Enfield. Look us up (and the other fine milsurp vendors in Canada) when the time comes.

What should you start with? On a college budget the SKS is your best bet. Don't believe the hype though: while it's not an MOA hair splitter in terms of accuracy it's plenty good enough for practice.

At the bargain basement price you'll pay to feed the SKS you'll shoot more and be better than if you bought an expensive-to-feed rifle and left it in your safe. Even after you buy that superbly accurate surplus rifle to shoot the SKS - the 'jeep' of rifles) will still follow you on any field outing since it'll still be every bit as cheap to feed and fun to shoot.

Failing that, your trusty SKS will still get you most of what you paid for it if you shoot it, don't like it, and decide to sell it.

What would I recommend other than an SKS? A semi-auto M-14 (though it's not really 'surplus' either it is a military-type rifle). A Mosin-Nagant can be fun but if you want to shoot a lot I'd counsel against an M44 Carbine (it's literally a blast but hard on the shoulder).

The best advice I can give is to follow others on outings to the range. Ask around: you're sure to find some friendly folks in your area who are members here and happy to let you test drive their rifles (always offer to pitch in on ammo costs). The resulting 'try before you buy' experience is priceless.

Hope this helps,

- Peter
 
Lots of good advice in this thread. Also, keep your eyes open. There are lots of interesting ex-military rifles out there. Instead of looking for a particular model or caliber, see if anything interesting comes along. While 7.62x39 ammunition is the current bargain, other calibers are available, and handloading is always an option.
 
Might I recommend a bolt action for your first milsurp rifle.
A Lee Enfield with full wood is a true milsurp and you will fall in love with the feel of her. The weight, the solid nature of the rifle.

Just be careful that all parts have the same serial number and that the bore is mirror OK.

They shoot
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom