The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Several years ago I got caught up in the MN buying frenzy at the local chain sporting goods store. After a couple of years I became less and less interested in them and thought seriously about selling them.
Fast forward to the present. I still have them and with the prices increasing and supply dwindling, I've decided to not be in such a hurry to let them go.
It's not a huge collection, just a few representative examples.
I have a '28 Izhevsk,' 43 Izhevsk, '33 Tula and a' 38 Tula. My goal was to get a hex and round receiver from the two major makers of the rifles.
I'll try to post pics when I get home tonight if I remember.
Jon

I suspect that there are a lot of folks who now wish that they had kept their Mosins.

The prices on Mosin Nagants have soared in the past year or two.

I think people are finally realizing the collectability of them. As a result, the collectors are buying them up left and right as fast as they can. Unfortunately, many Mosin Nagants have bee ruined in this country from people sporterizing or otherwise modifying them. This also has caused some rare examples to have been recklessly destroyed in the process. Even when some think they are doing good by refinishing the stocks or rebluing the guns, they are still destroying history and collectors value by prettying up the "ugly commie guns"... truly, the ignorance and idiocy can be mind boggling at times.

Me, I'm hanging on to mine and keeping them in 100% original military configuration, just adding them as money and opportunity allow. They are FABULOUSLY interesting rifles.

I estimate that my collection of 11 refurbished M91/30's and M44/38 carbines has now more than tripled in value in a mere four years. I am not getting rid of mine.

This is the end of the good old days. Twenty years from now, you will hear the bellyaching to the tune of, "If I had known, I would have bought cases of wartime 91/30s for only $200.00 each. OK, now you know, so don't whine when that time comes.

Collectors of the future will be looking for the very rifles hanging on our walls now. There will be no more civilian purchases of military weapons that are now in the hands of the armies of the world. There is a finite number of collectible rifles and people will soon be coming to that realization.

Pics as promised.
Top to Bottom: '28 Izhevsk,'43 Izhevsk, '33 Tula, '38 Tula, '42 Sako on a '96 Tula receiver
Jon

I rarely sell anything out of the firearms collection, but I am not married to any of this stuff, I need money and I would sell, however it would take a shitload of cash to get any of it away from me.

Nice looking set of Mosin Nagants. Thanks for sharing your collection.

You know my LGS owner had an interesting thought on this. He said that prices might be coming down for firearms not exported from Russia(enfields, arisakas, U.S. rifles). He said that that might be due to the fact that most collectors are older gentlemen and there are mot that many new young ones starting in the hobby. He was thinking that perhaps when the older collectors start dying off(not trying to be morbid here) the demand would go down. Intriguing theory....

I sort of think that the intense interest in these guns resulted from the huge number available and the low price points. This made the purchase and subsequent collecting a relatively inexpensive hobby. Things have changed and I can't help but think that the price points are rapidly diminishing the beginning of collections by new enthusiasts. I must admit though, that I am seeing them sell. So, who knows where it will go. But the Mosin does boast of so many variations that collecting, as compared to many of the Mausers and other Milsurps, should remain should remain strong. I'm still in for the right guns when they show up.

King Johhny wrote:You know my LGS owner had an interesting thought on this. He said that prices might be coming down for firearms not exported from Russia(enfields, arisakas, U.S. rifles). He said that that might be due to the fact that most collectors are older gentlemen and there are mot that many new young ones starting in the hobby. He was thinking that perhaps when the older collectors start dying off(not trying to be morbid here) the demand would go down. Intriguing theory....

I'm not so sure about that. While quite a lot of my generation prefer the ARs and black rifles, the interest in WW2 era firearms is there as well. Many times I've had people my age, and even kids coming up to me at the range. They've recognized some of the old milsurps from seeing them in Call of Duty and some other video games.

Don't think that you are not going to get super deal on old grandfathers guns. The internet has put a big hole in that reasoning. We have people coming in to the shop to see if we want to buy guns, swords and all kinds of stuff. The first thing from their mouth is, " I saw it on the interweb that it sells for???? " When in fact it is really only worth ??

When bad weather and the looters hit my family and friends said they'd show up at my door because they know I love high end ar15s like my noveske ml18 clones and they think they'll get one.

NOPE

"Comrade! Take most glorious mosin nagant of izhevsk!"

I shall be addressed as commissar brdm2, supreme commander of the people's militia of kentexistan.

Who would want a POS plastic fantastic when they could have a .30 rifle built to last the millennia, and simple enough to be mastered by everyone?

Glad you decided to keep them. Nice collection! Take that M39 out to the range and,youll get bit again! :-)

I love the attention I get at the range when I pull out the old war rifles. Everyone has to stop by to take a closer look. When they learn the M1 carbine was made half an hour away that amps up the cool factor.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:Who would want a POS plastic fantastic when they could have a .30 rifle built to last the millennia, and simple enough to be mastered by everyone?

Plastic is the "in thing", Jim. Spray and pray vs aim and shoot. I too have a gun with plastic; it is a .22 rifle with a plastic trigger-guard. (it snuck by me)

SA1911a1 wrote:
Plastic is the "in thing", Jim. Spray and pray vs aim and shoot. I too have a gun with plastic; it is a .22 rifle with a plastic trigger-guard. (it snuck by me)

I've got one of those too! Its a 1948 Mossberg 151(a)....i didnt even know they had plastic in '48!!

In 1948 plastic was still considered ultra modern and expensive, in 1948 you would not have found it on an infantry rifle. In 1948 the US infantry rifle was the M1 Garand, no plastic there.

However just like with other surplus rifles, in 5-10 years finding unmolested examples will be increasingly difficult, and pricey.