if you had $500 to spend

[adrians]

my wife let me have $500 to go to the next local gun show .
i have mausers,,, mosins, enfields, ect.
what would you be looking for if you were in my situation?
remember only $500 to spend.
have a good day

[missionary5155]

Good morning
If looking military & do not have...
#1 M1 Garand
#2 M1 Carbine
#3 Military Krag
If looking a civilian & do not have...
#1 35 Whelen
#2 7.62x39 Bolt Rifle
#3 45-70 Bolt Rifle
Mike in Peru

[3006guns]

How about a nice 1903 Springfield?

Or just use the money to pick up all those "goodies" that make casting/reloading easier..........

[Rio Grande]

How about a nice 1903 Springfield?

Or just use the money to pick up all those "goodies" that make casting/reloading easier..........

Springfield A303 was the first thing that I thought of too.
$500 just might get you one.

Or a nice .303 Jungle Carbine.

[Yance]

Primers, powder, projectiles, and brass. Afterwards take her out someplace really nice for supper.

[gnoahhh]

I like Yance's suggestion best. $500 won't buy a pristine 03 Springfield or Krag, and is nowhere close to enough for a nice Garand. Why spend the whole nut to buy one of those that will surely have issues of one sort or another at that price point? Sounds like you got the field pretty well covered regarding the rest of the desirable milsurp bolt guns. I've always had a secret yen to try an 8mm Lebel, if I could find a nice crisp one. And also there's the Swiss K31 I've been meaning to give a whirl.

One can't have too many Mausers though. Unfortunately it's getting so that finding really nice clean 98's with crisp bores from one of the premo arsenals won't leave a lot of change from that $500. (Personally I've given up on throwing good money down the rat hole of dodgy Mausers with issues of some form or another, unless I'm looking for a donor for a custom job.)

[HollowPoint]

I'd probably buy myself a large Coke with alot of ice in it, then for the military purchase I'd maybe buy a set of those cheap Dog-Tags knock-offs; just to appease the wife.

The rest I'd use to buy as many reloading components as I felt necessary. Any residual funds would be used for gas or spending money down the road.

When ever I buy a firearm, I buy it with the intention of using it; not to have it sit in a display cabinet or a storage closet. That being said, if I had to choose a military rifle I'd be tempted to buy either an 03 Springfield or use that money to re-barrel my Enfield No.4 Mk1..

I can use either of these rifles in the field for anything from cottontails to Elk. (not that I'll ever get drawn for any big game here in Arizona.)

You're a lucky man to have such a generous wife. Does she have any unmarried sisters?

HollowPoint

[405]

For a good shooter and easy to find components- I'd really look for a Mauser (7x57 or 8x57) or 03-A3. The bore is everything! Don't know about the $500 limit. May be better to look and get feel of prices first. The idea about getting one for cheap then finding out later it has a poor or worn bore is no good and no bargain in the long run. Be picky and be patient and maybe even put the $500 in a small set aside fund that can be built up a little over time so you can be more selective. But who knows... the 500 could stir one up that does have good bore.

[waksupi]

Send me $500, and I will send you $500 worth of guns.

[runnin lead]

For $500 you could get a K-31 & have $ left to buy brass & dies for it.
You would have a nice military rifle that in a few years from now will be worth
more than you paid.
I felt that I did realy good to find a good 03a3 for $600 (better than good , one small chip)
BUT you never can tell.

[Suo Gan]

There is a guy on Marlin Owners who has a Husky Swede. He wants $220 shipped. I'd offer him $200. Buy some brass and dies and call it a day. Watch football the day of the gunshow and avoid the crowds.

To me not many milsurps are realistically worth $500. I have owned most types and someone else always wanted them more than me, c'est la vie.

[GRUMPA]

I'm with YANCE (post #5) on his answer. I've been saving up for months now just waiting for the show in Phoenix on Dec. 2,3,4. So far I got just over 1k and still trying to save more, heck guns aren't even a thought to me just the ability to get more supplies.

[adrians]

well guys i can always add to the pot (the $500) came out of her purse so my "stash "hasn't been lightened any.
i do like the idea of a Krag , 1903, garand or m1 carbine, i nearly snagged up a K31 a couple of weeks ago but didn't, oh well.
i have no objections to getting another mauser or enfield.
just thought id'e get something a little differant for a change, but it's a feel good situation to be in.
keep the suggestions coming.
in your part of the country what would a halfway decent afore mentioned run you?.
have a good-un.
adrians

[bowfin]

Okay, keeping to military rifles and not handguns or civilian firearms:

A K31 is well under the $500 range and are a good quality rifle. Same with an SKS, but shop around for one in good condition and not used to burn up a case of ammo in 20 minutes.

An earlier Japanese Arisaka in 6.5 would be interesting to me, and it seems that Gunbroker always has a lot of auctions for Norma or Prvi ammunition for sale.

Around here, carbines, Garands, Springfields, and even 1917 Enfields in nice condition top your $500 price tag, which is a shame.

[Shooter]

You could buy a K31 and a nice bottle of scotch wiskey, if you have sharp eyes. Otherwise I would suggest somthing with peep sights.
A FR-8 is a handy gun.

[dbldblu]

Another vote for a K31. Another possibility would be a Finn M39. If you got real lucky, you might find one of each for $500.

[adrians]

hum fr-8 didn't think of that animal ,,,interesting,,, or #5 jungle carbine,

[Multigunner]

I'd look for a sportered but restorable Krag, a couple hundred or so, maybe 300 if great bore and mechanically very good. Then after shooting it some decide whether to invest in the wood and probably barrel to bring it back to original specs, or go all out on making it the best Krag sporter ever.
A real catch would be a school rifle that the owner thinks is a bubba'ed rifle. Don't let on and you might get a great price cut. Many don't know about the turned down muzzle and think its a reftted band sight on a cut down rifle barrel instead of the altered Carbine barrels.

Anyway the only two rifles I'd consider investing much in these days are the Krag or the Garand. Others I'd like would have to be ones I run across dirt cheap.
My first and only Krag was like that, not even looking for one when offered a mechanically good Carbine for 50 bucks. The bore was ruined by Corrosive primer salts trapped under thick cupronickel fouling so I ended up trading it off. It would be worth many times what I got out of it these days even if bore lapped till it looked like bird barrel. If I'd only known about barrel sleeving I'd still have that Carbine. They didn't have repro barrels available back then.

Anyway the Krag seems to be growing in popularity, and more and more are being found in closets of deceased grandpas or at estate sales.

[bob208]

i would not spend the money at a gun show. you would do better at a real live auction.

some guns i have gotten at auction in the last year

03a3 in nra shipping box with papers never fired $300
03a3 drilled with a scope $200
98k serb rebuild $200
98 peruvian converted by f.n. to .30-06 $200


so you $500 would have bought you 2 nice rifles. thats better then any gunshow.

[legend]

I would agree on the k-31.

mine was bought sight unseen from SOG and was a steal ! it shoots way better than i can hold,is accurate with a bunch of different boolits/loads,draws a crowd at the range,i load extras for the unwashed masses that will want to shoot it..


AND,you can get a butt load of primers,powder,etc


I would buy a second one in a heartbeat.