*crying* Swiss K31 and Milsurp Prices

[M-Tecs]

It's been a while since Simpsons Ltd. has had anything other than K31 Sniper rifles

[jim147]

I think my brother has a hex mosin for sale I'll check with him.

I remember seeing a whole pallet of new mak-90's for $80 or $90 bucks apiece. I have one it has had 30 rounds down the barrel.

[HollowPoint]

I think back when I bought my Enfield No.4 MkI I paid $160.00 for it and I bought my K31 at the same time from the same store and if I recall it was around $260.00. It was so long ago that I don't really remember the exact prices. I do know that I have also seen these same milsurps in guns stores and pawn shops being sold at around the three-hundred-plus range.

Many of the guns sold on gunbroker are marked excessively high to cover the percentage that gunbroker takes from each sale and to catch the gullible buyer who just wants a particular type of gun and isn't really price shopping.

In two instances I've contacted the seller using the information they provide in their description pages and bought the guns in questions directly from them at a lower price. One was a .17 Remington and the other was a Ruger BlackHawk. Their description pages usually state something to the effect that it's an in store item and as such, it may be sold in their store before it's sold on the gunbroker auction site.

HollowPoint

[Plate plinker]

I've learned my lesson with the cheap nagants, since I passed on them thinking I didn't need one. Stupid me I never thought of it as a investment opportunity. Next time a cheap surplus rifle pops up I am buying as many as I can realistically afford.

[C. Latch]

I've learned my lesson with the cheap nagants, since I passed on them thinking I didn't need one. Stupid me I never thought of it as a investment opportunity. Next time a cheap surplus rifle pops up I am buying as many as I can realistically afford.

I predict $400 AR15s this summer. I've already seen that price, not counting taxes, etc.

After 4 years of Trump (eight, max) the left will put a radical democrat in office (the pendulum always swings) and those same ARs will be worth $1000 again.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Many of the great surplus rifles have been imported and sold out, but I imagine that a few remain here and there in various parts of the world waiting to be discovered. About the last real flood of surplus will be the return of our own M1 Garands and Carbines from places like South Korea, if our current laws are changed and importation is permitted. Although well-worn, there will be diamonds amongst the gravel. If it happens, don't miss out on it. They were doubtless among the best military rifles to be made, and after them began the era of select fire rifles for which a tax stamp is needed. There are still original parts available in decreasing amounts with which to rebuild the M1s, and in some cases new after-market parts. If this last truly big import occurs there will no doubt be some parts imported as well, although they may be of foreign manufacture. Not necessarily inferior, but not as collectable.

[Scharfschuetze]

Many of the great surplus rifles have been imported and sold out, but I imagine that a few remain here and there in various parts of the world waiting to be discovered.

Right you are Gebirgsjaeger.

On various tours in Central and South America, I saw warehouses full of all kinds of Mausers, (mortars and anti-tank guns too) just racked up and rusting into the floor. There were some real beauties there, but most of 'em suffered from Third World lack of maintenance and were just rusting into the floors. A few of the countries still use Mausers for parades and ceremonial events.

While in Asia, I saw lots of Garands and M1 Carbines in Vietnam, Korea and Thailand. While the M1s in Korea are well known, Thailand still has warehouses full of them from back in the SEATO days. That fact seems to be unknown for some reason.

In Central Asia, there are still lots of Lee Enfields about and I saw them almost daily with the various para military organizations.

In the old French and British South Pacific protectorate of Vanuatu (previously the New Hebrides), I saw an arms room absolutely chock full of MAS 36 rifles in unissued condition. The racks of Martini single shot shotguns were well worn, but still very usable. When I asked why the French rifles were so pristine, the Mobile Force armorer told me that the French would not give them 7.5mm ammo for them. Their SLRs on the other hand were in use daily as the Australians supplied them with 7.62 NATO ammo. They now use the FAMAS French rifle in 5.56.

Perhaps some of these lost souls will find their way here while our country is under a more pragmatic administration.

[Boz330]

The K-31 is a fine rifle and the cost to make that today, especially as accurate as they are would be astronomical. I paid $159 for a Walnut stock example and the first handload I tried shot a 3/8" group at 100yd. You might find a new rifle that will do that but it ain't going to be $159 or $300 for that matter which is the last price I saw for them.

Bob

[Der Gebirgsjager]

As fate would have it, I acquired one of the MAS 36 rifles back in the middle '70s when they were far and few here in the U.S. It is in great condition, but has no two matching numbers on it, and as you know they number almost every part. But for $70 I thought I was getting a very unusual item. In the following decades they were imported in great numbers, many unissued, with all matching numbers. But, I don't regret the purchase, and I learned that it really is quite a fine rifle.

While the Mauser was successful in living on in civilian guise as various sporting rifles, and the Win. Mod. 70 owes some of its lineage to the M1903, most of the great old bolt action military rifles will never be produced again. Because of an increasing number of collectors, the excellent - pristine examples are becoming increasingly difficult to find and expensive.
I don't believe that there is a larger percentage of the population that are becoming collectors, but if collectors make up
only .01% of the population that number may remain at .01% but grows larger with a larger population.

Buying and restoring bubba-ized rifles is an alternative option to building a collection, but parts are becoming increasingly hard to find and expensive. Those who have rebuilt M1 Garands and have been shocked at the cost and scarcity of good replacement gas cylinder housings and operating rods will appreciate that getting these parts held in foreign warehouses and arms depots will be as much or more welcome that the rifles themselves.

It is true that some of us "old guys" lived during the golden age of surplus arms, and got ours while the getting was good.
You newcomers will have to wait and watch for our estate sales.

[runfiverun]

so your saying I shouldn't have hack sawed and planed and re-shaped and cut and re-finished my K-31 before shaving the cheek piece down and putting a recoil pad and scope on it?

[Soundguy]

I just took a look on Gunbroker. I was looking for a clean M91/30, Swiss K31 or Yugo Mauser. Mostly, I'm just looking for a great shooter, not a looker. All have become super expensive within a month of me previously browsing.

Late K31: Roughly 800-1500 USD
Hex Mosin: 400 USD (Nuts)
M48: 400 USD (What)

The worst part is that I the pictures posted are horrific and I cannot even work the bolt or look down the bore. Looks like this is the end of the milsurp market for me.
I know that this phenomenon is simple market economics but it's a little disheartening I guess.

/end rant

shoe

Heck, even Turk mausers are going hot these days. those yoused to be the economy shooters. just find one with a good bore and you were usually golden.. now, they cost as much as a M48

[Der Gebirgsjager]

so your saying I shouldn't have hack sawed and planed and re-shaped and cut and re-finished my K-31 before shaving the cheek piece down and putting a recoil pad and scope on it?

I can tell that you have a streak of sadism and cruelty, trying to cause me pain with this gruesomely vivid description of desecration.
But actually, I don't care what you did with your rifle, as I have two very nice K-31s in my collection, plus a K-11. Just keep your implements of torture away from mine!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Actually, those Turk 8mms are great shooters, just kind of long for today's fashion in rifles. But although that might matter out in the woods or bucking the brush, it's no handicap at all on the range.

[gwpercle]

In 1967 me and two other high school buddies went down to the local Army Navy Store and bought the weird military rifles called 7.5 Schmidt-Rubin , K11....for the outrageous price of $19.95.
I went back later and because all the 7.5 ammo we could buy was Berdan primed and not reloadable, I bought a 30-06...an unissued 1903-A3 Springfield for $59.95, a lot of money for a kid in high school with no job let me tell you ! My daddy kicked in $40.00 but told me " don't tell your mother " Dad was great about helping me finance things like this...he was a great dad.
I still have both rifles !

[salpal48]

The prices @ the Gun shows on Military surplus have Gone sky High.. shooters and Collectors are Buying Them Up fast. . No one Really cares if You say You would not Buy them. . Guys at shows Can't keep them on The tables
The old saying says It all WouDa, Couda, Shouda

[Scharfschuetze]

so your saying I shouldn't have hack sawed and planed and re-shaped and cut and re-finished my K-31 before shaving the cheek piece down and putting a recoil pad and scope on it?

Well I hope that you at least put a compass in the stock or at least a Weatherby style diamond inlay!

[M-Tecs]

In 1967 me and two other high school buddies went down to the local Army Navy Store and bought the weird military rifles called 7.5 Schmidt-Rubin , K11....for the outrageous price of $19.95.
!

You got ripped. About that time my local Coast to Coast had four or five barrels of K-11's for $7.99 each.

[WILCO]

I know that this phenomenon is simple market economics but it's a little disheartening I guess.

It's a little more than that, but if you want to play, you have to pay.

[runfiverun]

actually I stippled the hand grip and finger grooves on the forearm with a pointed punch
[I didn't have a compass] and added sling swivels to it.
when I shaved the stock I done it so I could set my chin on the comb to see through the scope.
probably worse yet is I shoot moly coated bullets in it.


the only brass you could get for them back then was Norma.
100 pieces of brass cost more than the rifle.

[Speedo66]

Back then in the late 50's, the big Army-Navy store in lower Manhattan, Kaufman's, had barrels of Martini action BSA Cadet rifles in .310 for $11, and Modell's had dump tables filled with greasy cosmoline covered Carcano's for $12.

Ammo wasn't available, plus I was 12 and my parents weren't buying me another gun on top of my .22 target rifle.