New Shooters Like OLD Military Guns.

[Adam Helmer]

Last week it was 70 degrees and sunny at my nearby gun club. We have six benches under roof. I am usually alone mid-week. Last week four young new club members showed up and wanted to know about my Garand, M1903, M1917 and Swiss M1911 Carbine.

I gave a tutorial on each and then let them fire cast boolits out of all arms. It was uplifting to see young shooters interested in old arms.

Adam

[Winger Ed.]

I've always found young people to be rather fascinated by any of the old infantry rifles.
The conversation usually starts out with, "Wow, what's that"?

[pworley1]

I like to let young shooters shoot my antiques. They are always amazed that a rifle over 125 years old can shoot as well as their new ones.

[Adam Helmer]

Guys,
I was uplifted because the young folk were not fans of the AR in all of its flavors. In July 1965 SAM issued me an M16 and I was not impressed with that groundhog round then or now. Anyway, the new club members were interested in historic arms that they got to shoot. I hold an MA in History and am president of my county historical society for the last 19 years.

Adam

[hoodat]

I'm not a young person, and I still think it's pretty amazing to realize that a hundred years ago, the average soldier was packing a rifle that would easily drop a moose at two hundred yards. 30-06, 303 Brit, 8mm Mauser, -- Those guys definitely weren't undergunned.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

My oldest grandson joined Army last fall. Shot a number of rifles with family over Christmas leave. He stated that he like the Garand over the AK's and AR's. The boys put over 100 rounds downrange from the Garand that afternoon. I've started reloading .30-06 this weekend.

[ShooterAZ]

Even OLD shooters like OLD military guns! Most of my collection is milsurps from the good ol' USofA. And yes it's blast to do the show & tell, history lessons, and range time with the younger shooters. I even had a young shooter prefer the 1903 Springfield over the Garands, M1A's and M1 Carbine and other semi-autos.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Steel, be it blued or Parkerized, and wood, be it walnut, birch, beech, etc., possess a charisma lacking in aluminum and plastic. The latter has so become the norm that the old stuff seems unique to the synthetic generation despite millions upon millions having been made.

DG

[Shanghai Jack]

While not old military, I've had many people entranced by the Schuetzen style. They usually go through stages:
snorting at the old weapon saying if I shoot it, it will probably blow up
asking where I buy ammunition for something that old
warning that I'm going to blow up my gun by having a bullet stuck in the barrel
reminding me that I need a full case of powder or I'm going to blow up my gun or ring the barrel
marveling that people stand up and shoot on their hind two legs
asking to try it.

[Shanghai Jack]

Steel, be it blued or Parkerized, and wood, be it walnut, birch, beech, etc., possess a charisma lacking in aluminum and plastic. The latter has so become the norm that the old stuff seems unique to the synthetic generation despite millions upon millions having been made.

DG

+1 on that

[elk hunter]

Our range has 1000 + members. Of that 1000 + I may have had 20 or so inquire about what I'm shooting. Some do look up and wrinkle their noses when a cloud of Black Powder smoke drifts by. Most have absolutely no interest in anything that isn't an AR or a ten mile wonder weapon with a mounted astronomy telescope for sights. Of course I have no interest in their modern plastic guns either so I guess we're about even. I like old whiskey and older guns.

[jr612]

What's not to like about milsurps, other than the skyrocketing prices, lack of ammo for certain calibers, lack of replacement parts ect ect. Other than that, they are great. In case it's not clear, I'm only halfway kidding.

[Adam Helmer]

What's not to like about milsurps, other than the skyrocketing prices, lack of ammo for certain calibers, lack of replacement parts ect ect. Other than that, they are great. In case it's not clear, I'm only halfway kidding.

jr612,
Kidding is OK. Welcome to this Site. I collect Military Surplus Arms and bought MANY in the $12-$16 range back in the 1960s. ALL are now in my vaults. IF I had a $1,000 in 1961, I would be a millionaire today!

Adam

[elmacgyver0]

Our range has 1000 + members. Of that 1000 + I may have had 20 or so inquire about what I'm shooting. Some do look up and wrinkle their noses when a cloud of Black Powder smoke drifts by. Most have absolutely no interest in anything that isn't an AR or a ten mile wonder weapon with a mounted astronomy telescope for sights. Of course I have no interest in their modern plastic guns either so I guess we're about even. I like old whiskey and older guns.

I have always loved old , new and everything in-between.
I have black powder, plastic, open sights, lasers, telescoped, tritium, holographic, and digital sighted weapons.
Long range, short range and in-between.
I like BB guns, pellet guns, CO2, springers, pump-ups and PCP.
I don't have much interest in paint ball and airsoft.
I guess I'm picky.

[jr612]

jr612,
Kidding is OK. Welcome to this Site. I collect Military Surplus Arms and bought MANY in the $12-$16 range back in the 1960s. ALL are now in my vaults. IF I had a $1,000 in 1961, I would be a millionaire today!

Adam

I know the feeling, I started collecting around 2005. If I knew then whay I know now, I would have bought many more. Live and learn I guess.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Always had a fascination for milsurps, the older the better. These my 1900,1901 & 1902 LE's from over a century ago!

[WinchesterM1]

I don’t know what you guys are talking about…. I hate old military rifles…

[Noah Zark]

I have two acquaintances that are ~25-30 yrs of age and FFLs. They both tell me that their contemporaries, well, most customers under 35-40 years of age who purchase military surplus firearms do so because they have selected those specific weapons when setting up to play shoot-'em-up video games in their childhood, youth, or even present day pastimes.

There are no scoped pre-64 Winchester Model 70s, or Remington ADL/BDLs as selection options in these video games, and given the decline in the number of younger hunters (presumably because there's no smart phone app for deer hunting), my two young FFL acquaintances tell me that their contemporaries almost never buy scoped wood and metal sporting arms.

Noah

[lead collector]

Boy- O Boy, how things have changed, and got crazy expensive these days.

Go to a gun show now-a-days, and you will learn how much the young folks like these old war horses.
Even though most have never served a day in the Military, there are lot of these 20-ish guys, that are carrying these rifles around, buying and selling and trading.
My brother thinks the Video war games are driving it. Maybe? Hard to tell, as some that I have talked to, have not even shot these guns. Honestly they really dont look like they could take the recoil anyway. Just the same, they are buying them like crazy, and I guess they just like to pet them?

Like many of you guys, I had my chance, several years ago, when they were abundant and cheap.
Back then I was interested in other things. That said, I bought a few, but should have bought all I could afford.

I remember several times when SKS's and Mosins where stuck barrel down in 55 gal trash cans at the big Tulsa show. Less than a hundred bucks... take your choice, of any or all.

Wish I would have got a Smith Corona 03A3, before they got so high. Also a Swedish Mauser, and maybe a .30 carbine or two.

Well its too late for the bargains, but I do have a better job, than I did years ago, when they were cheaper.
I still go to the shows, but dont bring home a gun very often.


There are probably a lot of Ukrainians that probably with they had some of those cheap Mosins too!

[dverna]

$100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1965 would be worth $27,000 today.

In 1965, $100 would buy 3 M-1 carbines worth $5000 today
Or 6 SMLE’s worth $2500 today
Or 2 M98’s worth $1000 today.

Guns are rarely a wise investment.