Help me choose a rifle......

[waco]

I would like to buy an old surplus military rifle for plinking and target shooting. I'm not sure what to buy. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on one I know that.

What are some good choices? I would like the price to be in the neighborhood of $300 give or take. It needs to have decent/good sights. Brass and mold options must be plentiful. And I would like something know for decent accuracy out to 100 yards with the factory iron sights.

Where would be a good place to start? If money were no object I would choose an '03 Springfield.

I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

Waco

[725]

Don't know what they go for now but the K-31 is a dandy. MoissanNagants are good shooters and they are all over the place.

[1911cherry]

VZ24 Mauser? Good action and surplus ammo still available, should be a hoot to shoot boolits in, mine was. But it got traded off for a collectors grade Mosin for the kids, darn kids....

[runfiverun]

if you can find a K-31 for that price jump on it.
the old 7.65 Argie rifles are still out there and are pretty easy to get shooting.
the brass is easily made from 0-6 or the like.

same can be said of the 7.7 arisaka's. [except their triggers are usually 42 lbs]
which ain't too bad to fix since they are just a mauser trigger.

the Finn made 7.62X54's are good shooters and the only one I would even consider buying.

[Scharfschuetze]

A good tip above.

I think that right now, the Argentine M91 and the Swiss K31 rifles are probably the best bang for the buck. I see them both going for about your goal of $300 in the local shops. They almost always have a good trigger and very well fitted wood and furniture. I have examples of each and they shoot as well as any brand new rifle if your eyes are up to the sights. Mine will outshoot any 1903 Springfield that I have to way out yonder and the military long range sights let you shoot out past 600 yards with good cast boolit loads. The Swiss K31s usually have bores in the neighborhood of .307 to .308 compared to the .311 to .313 bores on the 1891s.

Whatever you buy, make sure that the bore is in good shape. Spend the money; it will save you grief later. You may or may not get matching numbers, but it's something to look for and again, I'd spend the extra money for it. It's a sign that the rifle was mixed and matched from parts like much of what came in from Russia in the 90s. I think that importing parts may have either got around import restrictions or resulted in less import tax. Just a guess.

Keep in mind that almost all of these older military rifles were fired with corrosive ammo during their tenure with both the military and probably their last owner. A lot of these rifles were bought at bargain basement prices in the 50s and the 60s. For some reason, a lot of fools who bought them operated on the principle that you didn't need to clean a rifle so try and look beyond the grime and really inspect the bores and the throats. We see posts all the time about members spending weeks getting the fouling out of old rifle barrels and finding the rifling in less than sterling shape. Better to buy a well cared for specimen than one with years of crud on and in it. Caveat emptor.

I look at old and original military rifles as an investment as well as a fun hobby and a link to past history. A few more dollars spent now will, in the end, be satisfying to you once the sticker shock is gone.

[mac1911]

Hands down sub $500 range the K31 is very hard to beat. Under valued as shooter IF I ONLY new better when these where 150$. To busy chasing the 03s.
I have a few friends that bought the M48 mausers when they where in abundance and they are decent also. Accuracy is minute of black of a SR1 target....
I will be loading some cast for my K31 soon.
Will be running the ranch dog 165 flat nose bullet...they run well in every 30 cal I shoot so far.

[dverna]

I have seen the Savage Axis for under $300....new. It comes in .308...lots of brass and molds

It is not military, but offers a lot of rifle for the money. When your eyes go....and they will....you will want a scope.

Don Verna

[Hamish]

This part of the country the only thing that gets close to that $300 price is Turkish Mausers and overinflated Mosins.

[B. Lumpkin]

Hit all the pawnshops in a 50 mile radius of you. A decent, shootable Enfield can be had for that money.

[JMax]

I bought a sporterized 03A1 made in 1934 w/scope for $200 in SoCal when I lived there 2 1/2 years ago. I regularly see sporterized 03's in gun shops and advertised in Va Guntrader at or below $300 so I would check Oregon to see if they have local gun forums that could be a source for your searches. Cali has Calguns so check what resources you have locally. I cannot recommend any milsurp rifle higher than an 03. I have had Mauser's and Enfield SMLE's but the 03 is my choice.

[ShooterAZ]

I got my Mosin-Nagant for 69 bucks back in the day. I was able to pick through more than a dozen rifles at the surplus store, and was able to get one with a good bore. It's a really good shooter with both cast and jacketed. It likes the .312 jacketed and .314 cast boolits. I'm sure if you look around you could probably find something decent. I bought my Remington 1903 Springfield from the CMP back when they had the Greek returns, and it is my dedicated favorite cast boolit shooter bar none.

[30calflash]

In the northeast the days of a $300 milsurp rile is dwindling, except for Russian M-N's.

JMax recommendation of a sporter is sound, it may have been updated with a decent set of sights, scope or stock and you could have some cash left for brass and dies.

[Andy]

You're probably stuck with 30-06 if you want brass and molds to be cheap/plentiful/always available. You can still get a garand from the CMP for $600 but I know that's above the budget you mentioned.

Are you looking for a period-correct rifle for the fun factor or is a sporterized version ok? If you're looking for something mostly period correct I think your only likely option right now is a mosin or maybe get lucky on a barely modified enfield. Brass isn't going to be dirt cheap for either though. If you're just looking for a inexpensive to fire beater you can probably find a sporterized rifle in .308 or 30-06 that would meet your requirements.

[Kraschenbirn]

About a year and a half ago, I picked up a mismatched Swiss 96/11 for $160 from a consignment auction. A thorough cleaning, a little higher front sight, and a bit of stock repair turned it into a superior shooter that will easily match my pre-war K31 for accuracy. Around the same time, snagged an all-matching (and not 'rearsenaled'!) 1938 Tula M91/30 for $175 from an old pawnshop next to a closed-down military base (also had a '99 Krag rifle with correct bayonet in his milsurp rack but wanted $1350 for it). After that, in the year before the election, the market around here went really whacko...whacko enough that I quit even bothering with the auctions and shows. While I'm not really up on current prices, my point is that there are still some fairly decent pieces out there and, now that the Wicked Witch of the Northeast has been banished, prices should begin to drift back somewhat toward reasonable levels.

Bill

[sghart3578]

I'm voting for the VZ24. I lucked into a 7X57 many years ago but I am now looking for an 8X57.

They are around $250-$300. My LGS has one for $249 and I may buy it.

I got my '03 Springfield pretty cheap. Just look online. Don't be afraid to buy a "Bubba'ed" rifle, that's how I got my '03 for cheap. I restocked it, cold-blued it and had a local smith mount a Lyman 57 target sight. Kicks butt now.

K31's have always intrigued me but I know nothing about them, or Swedes or Argentinians for that matter.

[waco]

I would prefer an unmolested rifle. A sporter is not out of the question i guess.As long as brass is obtainable. 50-100 will likely do me. A $600 Garand is a going price for a shooter? I did not know they were that cheap.
What is the cost for a shooter grade '03?
GunBroker just seems like a rip off.......

[turtlezx]

Iam with DEVERNA buy a savage new for 300 to $ 350
and you know that it will shoot well not some 100year old war relic

[dualsport]

Ishapore 2A, 7.62 NATO. For a real bargain look at the Steyr M95 8x56R. They are plentiful and economical to buy. Very fun to shoot. Have fun!

[jimb16]

Don't dis the turk mausers. I've had a couple and they were exceptional shooters with anything I choose to shoot through them. While they may not be a purdy, they are still a bargain and worth every penny.

[izzyjoe]

Turk mausers usually have well worn throats, as with any battle rifle, and they can shoot very good with boolits, but so so with jacketed. I'd say the Swiss K would be the best bet!