what are the best surplus rifes to get?

[hoosier81]

Hello,
I'm new to collecting and I'm starting to enjoy more of having original military weapons than tricked out ar's or other new toys.
Currently I have
1943 mosin
yugo 59/60
chinese factory 36 newer sks
vz61 skorpian
I'm on a budget there are alot of guns i would love to own that are over 1000 bucks but I'm getting married in two months need to find guns that are under 500 maybe 600.
I've heard alot of talk about spanish mauser's being good but most of my buddys are still stuck in trick out ar15 land. I would like to find guns that I can shoot but also have alot of history. Anyone know how bad the jap bolt actions are? I was at a gun show today that had a rack full of them for 250-350 bucks.
Any and all imput is appreciated thanks!

[hoshow]

Mausers, Mosins (there are lots of varieties and ammo is very affordable), Carcanos, ect. I believe you can still get a gerrand for just over $500 through the CMP. Are you talking about the ariska bolt rifles from Japan? I think they are solid, but I have never fired one, so better get someone else's opinion

[hoshow]

Sorry that was supposed to say Arisaka not Ariska

[Junk Yard Dog]

Contact the CMP and get your name on the list for an M1 Garand, that would be the very top of available surplus rifles just now. You already have a Mosin, but not a M39 Mosin, you could get one of them ( or more than one) A Mauser would be next in availability, the 24/47's are still around, but prices are going up, but some dealers still have them.

[tjtM38]

As far as I'm concerned, this is all personal preference while certainly considering your budget. However, it should also be based on what you want to collect and what you want to shoot. For me, a "casual collector," I want some vintage WWII-era rifles, so I own two Enfields, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Japanese Arisaka, and several Mosin Nagants. The next thing I am looking for is a WWII-era Mauser, but I fear I have waited too long as the supplies are drying up and the prices are going up. Most of my acquisitions have been in the price range you desire; under 500. I shoot pretty much all of them, but I shoot the Mosin Nagants the most. The really serious collector will acquire a Curio and Relic license (C&R). With such a license, you can buy from many different sources at wholesale prices and build large collections. You just have to decide how far you want to go with this. Do you want to be like JYD with a house (and probably several other buildings) full of milsurps and stuff, or do you want to be like me with just a part of the house full of stuff?

[ffeng31]

Welcome to the world of mil-surp rifles. With a per item budget of $500 you have a whole host of options. There are Mausers from many different countries that are available as well as several different variations of Enfields. Japanese rifles are available as well but the ammo cant be a bit pricey. If you look hard enough you can usually get any of the U.S rifles for around $600. (M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, 1903,1903a3,1917) With $500 in your pocket you can go home with a back seat full of Mosin Nagants. When I first got into this hobby I bought up anything I could and ended up with multiples of several different rifles. This makes for a crowded gun cabinet and a mad wife. I have since tried to limit myself to one or two examples of any given type. How ever you decide to go at it you will likely change course more than once. No matter what you get, always remember that each and every one of these rifles has history , and finding out what that history is can be just as fun and fulfilling as the buying , cleaning, shooting and maintaining . Good luck , you and your wallet will need it.

[hoshow]

If you get your C&R then a whole new world of options will open up

[desdem12]

There are a ton of rifles for that budget. Try my budget out and the hunt is alot tougher. ($123.45)

[SA1911a1]

There are so many ways to collect historic rifles, there just isn't any right or wrong way.

I have chosen to stick with Mosin-Nagant models, forsaking all others. There is a huge variety of known Mosins and probably many unknown ones. It would be hard for me to gather in the necessary information to make smart collecting decisions on a variety of other weapons. It is difficult enough on Mosins alone.

At one time, I had Arisakas and Mausers, SKSs, etc., but traded them, and a lot of modern weapons to improve the quality of my Mosin-Nagant collection.
This one type of weapon will be able to keep me busy chasing the nice ones for the rest of my life. The fun is in the hunt as much as in the capture.

[Junk Yard Dog]

There are a ton of rifles for that budget. Try my budget out and the hunt is alot tougher. ($123.45)

Dug up guns maybe ?

[Longcolt44]

As stated already, there are a lot of firearms in that budget. Be very careful during this particular time as prices have become inflated in all categories. With your budget I would get one of each of the popular makers, (IMHO), Mosin Nagant, Enfield and Mauser, all have different models to collect. If you find something you like and likes you, you can always ask here for opinions.

[Ban-One]

"need to find guns that are under 500 maybe 600"
Like the man said...first start researching into the CMP and what it takes to get an M1 Garand. It isnt that hard to do and this should be your first move...just my opinion. Second, look for a K98K Mauser before they are all gone. I am partial to Mausers and a K98k is the flagship of any gunsafe.

[desdem12]

Dug up guns maybe ?

I was thinking of burying some guns, so maybe if i dug those up i could afford them at least. (and then act surprised)
I am hanging tough on the budget. Things have slowed down some though

[OLD OUTLAW]

The Swede rifles are very accurate. Still some good deals for them well within your budget.

[catcracker]

As far as I'm concerned, this is all personal preference while certainly considering your budget. However, it should also be based on what you want to collect and what you want to shoot. :

You are lucky. That is a pretty healthy budget. One more thing to consider, after you find a few focus areas, are the type, and cost of the ammo. I also have a wide range of interest. But since I have a smaller budget, I try to combine my interests into just a few calibers.
Cat

[Junk Yard Dog]

Dug up guns maybe ?

I was thinking of burying some guns, so maybe if i dug those up i could afford them at least. (and then act surprised)
I am hanging tough on the budget. Things have slowed down some though

I find cool stuff I forgot about in my own closets all the time

[hoshow]

There are a ton of rifles for that budget. Try my budget out and the hunt is alot tougher. ($123.45)

I fel your pain desdem

[hoshow]

Dug up guns maybe ?

I was thinking of burying some guns, so maybe if i dug those up i could afford them at least. (and then act surprised)
I am hanging tough on the budget. Things have slowed down some though

I find cool stuff I forgot about in my own closets all the time

I find stuff I forgot I packed away and it's like christmas . We rotate the kids toys every month or so and everytime we get switch bins the kids think they got new toys

[Junk Yard Dog]

I tend to pacj stuff away in sealed ammo cans, they sit for ten, twenty years and then I look inside and forgot I had that stuff. I once hid a Remington M1903 in the back of a closet for 14 years and forgot it was there. Dry closet, it didn't rust or even get very dusty, found it one day and couldn't immagine how it got there.

[hoshow]

Nothing i find is that cool, but I still get excited when I find a candy bar I was hiding from the kids and forgot about