Prices and recommended milsurps to shoot?

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nidh0gg

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Hi all, I'm looking to get a bolt-action milsurp rifle, specifically to shoot (paper) with. I know very little about any of these rifles and i'm struggling to find a place to start as many stores don't stock them anymore and many websites are far outdated on pricing. I was originally planning to just get a mosin nagant as I heard they were dirt cheap but the prices have rose up and they run at about $350 from what i see so I figured i'd just go and get a better milsurp as I heard mosins aren't particularly good rifles anyways (garbage rods)? For the rifle I'm looking to spend about $500 but can go more but preferably not too much for a milsurp rifle. I really like the look of the rifles when the handguards are up to / same length as the barrel like the Lee Enfield SMLE but after looking at the EE they cost around $1000 for those so would prefer something similar to that and with a smooth bolt action, any help would be much appreciated!
 
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If you want a starter milsurp, don't feel (that) strongly about a full stock and budget is an issue, sporterized Lee-Enfields can be had for $200 or less.

They come up on the EE regularly.
 
trilobite said:
If you want a starter milsurp, don't feel (that) strongly about a full stock and budget is an issue, sporterized Lee-Enfields can be had for $200 or less.

They come up on the EE regularly.
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I do not like the (look) of the sporterized stocks for the lee enfields

DILLIGAF said:
M38 or M44 and a quick trigger job :)
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any particular model i should be looking for or are they all pretty much the same? Also, how hard is it to change the trigger?


thanks
 
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Any good non-beater Milsurp is fun to shoot IMHO. I have a Mosin sniper and it is one of my most fun bolt actions to shoot. I'm also a big fan of the Lee Enfield and have 4 of them in various vintages/versions. A Swiss K31 is also an excellent choice or a K98 if you can find/afford a good one. I enjoy the VZ24 and it's still relatively inexpensive but you will find all the old Milsurps use pretty expensive ammunition (7.62x54R for the Mosin is not bad though). I know it's not a bolt action but have you considered an SKS, it's cheap, sturdy, fun, and ammo is relatively cheap. Most of us who have Milsurps have at least one SKS.
 
Chas59 said:
Any good non-beater Milsurp is fun to shoot IMHO. I have a Mosin sniper and it is one of my most fun bolt actions to shoot. I'm also a big fan of the Lee Enfield and have 4 of them in various vintages/versions. A Swiss K31 is also an excellent choice or a K98 if you can find/afford a good one. I enjoy the VZ24 and it's still relatively inexpensive but you will find all the old Milsurps use pretty expensive ammunition (7.62x54R for the Mosin is not bad though). I know it's not a bolt action but have you considered an SKS, it's cheap, sturdy, fun, and ammo is relatively cheap. Most of us who have Milsurps have at least one SKS.
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After looking online I see a lot of people saying the swiss k31 is a really great rifle, and there seems to be some surplus ammo available for them which is a plus, how much do these rifle cost in shooting conditions?

also, how much does a non-sporterized shooting condition lee enfiled go for?
 
nidh0gg said:
sorry, what does a "sporterized" lee enfield entail?
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People after the war often sawed full stocks on Lee-Enfields shorter to make them lighter for hunting. Some were professionally done in factories, some are really hideous hack jobs done in someone's barn. Most are somewhere in between.

Some people on this board who know a lot more than I do make a hobby of restoring sporterized 303s back to their full stocks.

In a modern market, the sawed-off stock takes, say, $400ish or so off the price.

On the EE, compare:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-SMLE-III*-Sporterized-for-185-Ottawa-pick-up

to

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1688175-Lee-Enfield-No4-MK1-3-FRT-Savage-Marked

It all depends on what's important to you.
 
trilobite said:
People after the war often sawed full stocks on Lee-Enfields shorter to make them lighter for hunting. Some were professionally done in factories, some are really hideous hack jobs done in someone's barn. Most are somewhere in between.

Some people on this board who know a lot more than I do make a hobby of restoring sporterized 303s back to their full stocks.

In a modern market, the sawed-off stock takes, say, $400ish or so off the price.

On the EE, compare:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...-SMLE-III*-Sporterized-for-185-Ottawa-pick-up

to

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1688175-Lee-Enfield-No4-MK1-3-FRT-Savage-Marked

It all depends on what's important to you.
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ahh that clears it up a lot more thank you. I really dont like the look of the spoterized ones so I guess ill have to pay the extra for one with a full stock, so they should cost about 700$~ I assume for a shooting grade lee enfield (based on that post)?

theres a post right now for a no 4 mk 1/2 for $650, what should i be looking for/looking out for to know if its good for shooting and is in good condition?
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1685845-Lee-enfield-no4-Mk-1-2-Maltby-1942
 
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The K31 is very good and the surplus ammo is not only available but excellent ammo, some say it's match quality. I'm afraid I don't have a current price for one, mine cost about $500 5 years ago.
I actually enjoy shooting my Enfields more to be honest and there are many around, check Corwin Arms, Ellwoos Epps and other sponsors on this site, prices vary. Ammo is more of an issue though, factory .303 is expensive if you don't reload.
 
With any Milsurp, ideally its best to check it out in person. There are many you tubes on each of these rifles with tips on checking bore condition etc.
 
K-31s are retarded expensive now, so are k-98 mausers and Lee enfields
The cheapest milsurps to buy and shoot are the mosin nagats, svt 40, sks, and the m48 yugo Mauser to a lesser extent as the ammo for it is pricey. A Swedish Mauser is another option
 
There are still quite a few options around at your price range but as was mentioned, it is best that you check it out in person so that you can see first hand what you are getting. The internet is a crap shoot. Too bad you are not located in Ontario because there are a hand full of places that still have full military surplus rifles in stock and at reasonable prices.
 
What about something like an M38 full military for under $500. They have not seen as much action or any for that matter but that could also be a good thing because it will mean they are in better condition than most Mausers. The 6.5x55 is touted as being one of the best rounds and has been around for over 100 years. One of the site sponsors has a couple in stock.
 
I love my enfields but if you don’t reload, commercial .303 British is not cheap. If it were me I’d try to find an Isreali K98 that’s been rechambered to 308. You can shoot 308 Win as well as 7.62 nato to keep ammo cost down, as well as hunt. They have a ton of history behind them and are good shooters from what I hear.
 
Israeli .308/7.62x51 rebarreled 98's are available, as is Chinese ammo. M96 Swedes are great if you reload.
 
nidh0gg said:
After looking online I see a lot of people saying the swiss k31 is a really great rifle, and there seems to be some surplus ammo available for them which is a plus, how much do these rifle cost in shooting conditions?

also, how much does a non-sporterized shooting condition lee enfiled go for?
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Sir, there is a sticky here about the K31, but right now they are outside your budget, rising daily, and the surplus ammunition, GP11, is not the bargain it used to be. Plus, if you ever get into reloading, it is Berdan-primed and a RPITA to set up, always supposing that you can still find Berdan primers.

tac
www.swissrifles.com
 
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