Gun prices and reality or rather lack of reality!

[1Shirt]

The prices of Milsurp rifles has hit in my opinion an all time record high based upon a number of factors. These include, I think supply and demand, fear of the government, buyer beware factors, etc. I sort of use the local Cabella's as a gage. A year ago, our local store was selling 91 Mosin Nagants for 99.00.
Yesterday I looked at a dozen that were priced at 199.00, and most were not in as good a shape as those sold a year previously. 3 years ago, I picked one up at a gun show for 89.00, after picking thru 20 or more of them for bbl condition. A real shocker came yesterday when I checked the used rifle rack and saw an M38 Mosin (pretty well beat up, and with an at best marginal bore priced at 348.00. I bought my M-38 about 4 years ago for about 85.00 in Colorado Springs, and the store had 5 or 6 of them (same price), and all in pretty decent condition. I wish I had bought a couple more of them. Mine is the one that I shoot the CBA Mil Carbine match with. There was an M44 Hungarian in the rack in decent but not special condition, for 450.00 or so. There were two long Swede 6.5x55's at over $600.00. It is obvious that they are selling at these prices, because they are turning them over. Am glad I bought my Milsurps awhile back. The last K31 Swiss I saw on the rack had a price tag of just under 400.00. Someplace down the road, I sort of expect some of what is being sold right now to hit the market again, but who knows what the prices will be then!
1Shirt!

[Moondawg]

I have noticed the same trend, and it is sad. I would like a 6.5x55 Swede, but don't want to pay what they are bringing.

[lylejb]

I agree. Some of it is just crazy.

Was at Cabella's in Springfield, OR yesterday and saw the same Mosin's for $199. I would be hard pressed to part with $99 for what I saw.

Years back, I remember gun shows with tables full of SKS's for $99. What are they going for now? Had I only known.......

[Charley]

Well, for one thing, they are not being dumped on the market by former Eastern Bloc countries desperate for cash any more. Inflation has had a hand as well.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I caught the Mil surp bug during the Clinton era.
about halfway through Bush 43's visit in the White House, I sold 17 of those Milsurps on a auction for about double, the price...I was tickled then...Now, of course, I'm kicking myself in the butt. The two I miss the most is a Last ditch Jap and a 30-40 Krag Calvary Carbine...oh and a couple US made Mosin Nagants (for the Czar, a Remington and a Westinghouse).

[hornady308]

You may be right, but Cabella's is about the last place I'd look for a price check. Their prices on used guns are so high that I no longer bother to check with them. Gunbroker is the gage I use, but only for items that actually sell.

[dale2242]

You youngsters.
I remember back in the 50s and 60s when you could buy 1911s and M1 Carbines for $50 each.....dale

[rollmyown]

The way your prices are going, in a couple of years you'll be paying Australian type money!

At least prices here are mostly stable on most things except ammo, (especially 22LR, which is connected to your shortage).

[Petrol & Powder]

I recall being a gun show in the early 90's (pre 1994 crime bill) and seeing wooden cases of SKS rifles for sale. The rifles where caked in cosmoline or whatever grease the Asian manufacturers used. The asking price for the wooden case of 10 rifles and all of the related stuff (slings, cleaning kits, etc. ) was $890.00. I've often wondered what that seller's cost was. The normal asking price for an Chinese SKS in those days was generally less than $100 each. I didn't have $890.00 to spare and I didn't really want 1 SKS, never mind 10 of them but looking back at that now I think I could have made a small fortune off of one case.
Anyway, the flood of decent Mauser's, Enfields and the like from years past seems to have receded. There are still some good individual rifles to be had but it's tough to find a good deal on one now.

At that same show there was a documented International Harvester M1 Garand that the seller claimed had never been issued. I don't recall the pedigree or how it ended up in the commercial market but it was beautiful. It was considerably more money than 10 SKS's but it held my interest far more than any SKS.

[Boyscout]

Gander Mountain: $189.00 for a Mosin-Nagant. I paid $89.00.

[GhostHawk]

I paid just over 400 for my Yugo SKS in good condition with transfer fee's and shipping, and was glad to get it at that price. Wish I'd bought 2.

[country gent]

I can remeber M1 garands for around $200.00 all day long at the dcm cmp store you had to be an affiliated club member and have fired 120 rds in dcm competitions but that was the going rate there. They are now well over that for a rack grade and a good clean one is alot more.

[unclebill]

7 or 8 years ago i bought two unfired yugo sks's for $150 each
mosins cost 50 bucks
99 for an enfield

[RogerDat]

Bought a couple of different Enfields at less than $90 for one packed in cosmoline. Less than $100 for a sporterized model from a pawn shop. Thing is this was at least 15 years back maybe more. Have seen them higher then lower then higher a few times over the years.

I think the current prices are not sustainable unless the demand remains high. At some point people who bought out of panic and speculation will return some of those to the market which may bring the prices down. Any decent "piece of history" rifle is probably worth $200 to folks.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Fleetfarm has mosin nagant's for $119 this week
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/cent.../0000000066925

[kopperl]

Any one remember the garbage cans full of Mexican Rolling Blocks and 92 Winchesters in the late 50's/ Every hardware store in South Texas seem to have them. NRA was selling 1911's for 25.00.'Course I was earning 189.00 a month as a buck sergeant on recruiting duty.

[Four-Sixty]

I'd say the falling price of AR type rifles ought to be a better barometer. I expect gun prices to go down. Ruger, and others, are cranking out firearms cheaper, with better quality, and easier to maintain. A lot of older folks holding large collections will pass on, and you heard it here first, a lot of "scarce" or "rare" rifles won't be so scare any more. Want an example? Look at the coin market. Over the past 20 years the grading companies have taken the mystery out of the exact numbers of coins out there, and really shown some coins, once thought to be rare, are really common. Combine that with "hoards", "accumulations", and stockpiles, and there really is more guns out there than can be consumed. (What percent of guns get used up?) I work with two guys right now who are liquidating their hoards for family reasons. This economy gets much softer, and prices will fall more. Guns will be getting cheaper. Disclaimer: my argument ignores gun grabbers and bad governments.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'd say the falling price of AR type rifles ought to be a better barometer. I expect gun prices to go down. Ruger, and others, are cranking out firearms cheaper, with better quality, and easier to maintain. A lot of older folks holding large collections will pass on, and you heard it here first, a lot of "scarce" or "rare" rifles won't be so scare any more. Want an example? Look at the coin market. Over the past 20 years the grading companies have taken the mystery out of the exact numbers of coins out there, and really shown some coins, once thought to be rare, are really common. Combine that with "hoards", "accumulations", and stockpiles, and there really is more guns out there than can be consumed. (What percent of guns get used up?) I work with two guys right now who are liquidating their hoards for family reasons. This economy gets much softer, and prices will fall more. Guns will be getting cheaper. Disclaimer: my argument ignores gun grabbers and bad governments.

/\ totally agree. barring some sort of gun grab scare or excessive regulation, the prices will fall. The days of really good military bolt actions for less than $200 are probably over but those inflated priced guns will come out of collections and sell for less money than new guns. The numbers just are not there.

[Piedmont]

I don't know about milsurp prices dropping because collectors die. There are always younger guys getting into the hobby. I've been following the milsurp market since 1993 and as soon as importation of a specific gun stops or the foreign guns dry up (none left in Katmandu) the prices start to rise and just keep going up gradually.

I guess a depression could change that but economic times have been pretty poor in the USA since 2008 and the prices are still high.


They aren't making any more of the milsurps. (Probably no one will be able to buy standard issue of today. The rifles have a full auto switch and most western governments will likely destroy the hand guns because guns are bad.) The price of a new Ruger doesn't affect the price of genuine war rifle or pistol.

[TXGunNut]

I'll say that Cabela's is a great place to buy a gun but can also assure you that every gun @ Cabela's is not a great buy. I saw some very interesting milsurps at my local Cabela's today but have no idea what a reasonable price would be. Seemed like a lot of gun for the money, though.
As Piedmont pointed out today's milspec will not become tomorrow's milsurp. The used gun racks are stocked with picked-over milsurps and rifles purchased from estates, today more than ever it pays to be an educated consumer.