RARE?

[bb91]

Okay, you know that everyday you see something very common (probably lots of somethings) listed as "rare"!

What is your personal definition of rare?

For example you are about to list an unusual item for sale, what would be your honest criteria to list an item as rare?

Let's here some of your reasoning and opinions on what rare really is when it comes to examples of milsurps etc. Is there a magic number for you?

Here's a randomly picked Mosin some of you may have seen before that'd I'd consider "rare" enough, for now at least until 1000 more show up!

Have fun with it!

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And this makes this one even more unusual.

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[Junk Yard Dog]

M1907 carbine would be rare, a US M1903 with rod bayonet and .30-03 chambering would be rare, a G33/40 Mauser carbine would e a bit less rare, but still a nice find not seen every day. When it comes to sellers on auction sites "rare" is whatever bullshit they think you will fall for.

[shmlnaaa]

HMMM, well, my personal definition of rare is something that there are VERY few of and also in a configuration that's not a bubba(i.e. what makes it unique is still collectable in some way). Monetary value doesn't really play into it, so a G.41, while difficult to obtain due to price, I wouldn't call rare. Lately, my "cut off" for what I call truly rare and what I call very uncommon are European WW1 used and Finnish used Type 30 Arisakas. Anything as difficult to locate an example of as that I call rare and anything easier to find an example of I call very uncommon, uncommon, and then common. Of course, my opinion about this may be skewed since I have 2 Civil Guard marked Type 30's...

[martin08]

Of course, there are blue books, research books, and other publications which will list specimens of small quantity.

But if I can do several targeted searches on the internet, and find fewer than 50-100 solid references and/or pictures of certain items, then it's rare. For some reason yet unknown, I have a knack for amassing such items.

If I can only find one obscure reference of a stopped shipment, and one other picture of a gun, then it is ultra-rare. I have one of those. The only other one pictured on the net in the US is in Maryland. It's just a cheap Chinese Mauser ($175). But extremely few exist.

Here it is. Fabrique Nationale Model 1930, with FN Logo and dated 1938. One of two, that I can find.

[bb91]

HMMM, well, my personal definition of rare is something that there are VERY few of and also in a configuration that's not a bubba(i.e. what makes it unique is still collectable in some way). Monetary value doesn't really play into it, so a G.41, while difficult to obtain due to price, I wouldn't call rare. Lately, my "cut off" for what I call truly rare and what I call very uncommon are European WW1 used and Finnish used Type 30 Arisakas. Anything as difficult to locate an example of as that I call rare and anything easier to find an example of I call very uncommon, uncommon, and then common. Of course, my opinion about this may be skewed since I have 2 Civil Guard marked Type 30's...

shmlnaaa, I agree that those Civil Guard marked Arisaka's are pretty uncommon, I'm sure I saw one at a gun show once but had no Idea why that japanese rifle has a Civil Guard S number on the butt-stock

[shmlnaaa]

I guess I should post some pics then!

I'm not entirely sure if I'd rate the 31M as "rare," but it's probably pretty close.

[shmlnaaa]

shmlnaaa, I agree that those Civil Guard marked Arisaka's are pretty uncommon, I'm sure I saw one at a gun show once but had no Idea why that japanese rifle has a Civil Guard S number on the butt-stock

Aw man, talk about missed opportunity! Though don't feel too bad because there are some Japanese markings that look sort of similar, but they couldn't be a CG number due to the rifle having evidence of later use in Japan. I routinely run across examples that i think might be WW1 European or Finnish used examples until I take a closer look.

[Miller Tyme]

OK I'll play
This is one of 2 Kossuth Crest stamped rifles in the US, and one of 2 snipers known to exist in both the US and Europe

[racerguy00]

The oddest (rarest?) duck I've found so far is my New England Westinghouse M44.

[Miller Tyme]

The oddest (rarest?) duck I've found so far is my New England Westinghouse M44.

I would say that rifle is a slam dunk for rare RG.

[Dan4good]

The oddest (rarest?) duck I've found so far is my New England Westinghouse M44.

I would say that rifle is a slam dunk for rare RG.

wow

[ffeng31]

I'll bite too. I no longer have this rifle as there was a time that my collection thinned due to some tough economic times. I still cry about it

Yes, you are seeing it correctly, 1950 M91/30 with a tang date of 48.

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[zeebill]

Simple answer is this, it is only rare if I don't have one yet! Bill

[shmlnaaa]

Keep them coming guys. You're all posting some pretty awesome stuff.

Here's one that I used to have. It's not an ex-sniper. The tang date is 1943.

Simple answer is this, it is only rare if I don't have one yet! Bill

Funny how that works huh? lol.

[Flyin Brian]

Must not be rare because I'm sure Bill has these stacked like firewood

[ffeng31]

Just put this on my Enfield post but I think it could go here as well. 1922 Enfield Mk V Trials rifle .

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[Flyin Brian]

OK, how about a 1943 M38 with [SA] and D stamp???

[shmlnaaa]

OK, how about a 1943 M38 with [SA] and D stamp???
...

The 1943 date w/ [SA] on an M38 is impressive. Those later dated Finnish captures are pretty hard to find, increasing in rarity with each added year with 1944's ones being VERY hard to find.

[Flyin Brian]

Come on man... you're not going to say anything about my new VKT M27??

[shmlnaaa]

Come on man... you're not going to say anything about my new VKT M27??

Meh, it's OK. I'm mean it's of what, like 9 other 1935 VKT's known? That's SOOOO common.

J/K, that thing's killer! I've just been on sort of an M38 kick lately for obvious reasons. A Finn'ed M38 has moved up a few notches on my want list.