New to Military Surplus

[cavehuman19]

Hi all! Just started getting into military surplus. I've been doing lots of research online about the popular guns. Just love to learn more whenever I can. What's some of everyone's favorite rifles? From what I've seen so far I like the enfield.

[entropy]

My favorite rifle? It varies. Sometimes an M107A1, sometimes a Holland & Holland .600 Nitro Express double, sometimes a Ballard .32-40 barreled by H.M. Pope, sometimes an M21, Sometimes a an Anschutz 1413, Sometimes an M1 Garand, sometimes one of my Mosin Nagants.

OK,so I haven't shot an M107A1 or an H&H .660 Nitro, but the others I have.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Welcome to the life of martial arms collecting, otherwise known as milsurp collecting. M1 Garand, it's GI Joes rifle and a weapon I am very familiar with. M39 Mosin, US M1903, US M1873, 1898 Mauser, and so on .

[Cj556]

Welcome. Enfields are neat and provide enough variations to collect. If you can pick up Ian Skennertons Lee Enfield book it will give you much of the info needed and will save you money in the long run. I myself focus on a variety of milsurps and it varies by the day what my favorite rifle is.

[Longcolt44]

There are many different surplus rifle books that can help and what to look for when you find one. They run from $20.00 to $75.00 each.
ENFIELD, ..........The Broad Arrow by Ian Skennerton.
ARISAKA............Military Rifles of Japan by F. RED l. Honeycutt and F. Patt Anthony.
MAUSER............Mauser Military Rifles of the World by Robert W. D. Ball
RUSSIAN MOSIN NAGANTS.....The Mosin Nagant Rifle by Terrence W. Lapin
FINNISH MOSIN NAGANTS...Rifles of the White Death by Doug Bowser

These should get you started. They can be found on Amazon, eBay, local libraries.

If you get stuck you can always post a thread on the proper forum and ask away, it's kinda kike what we like to do

[Rowdy1]

I just starting collecting at the beginning of the year. I now have Mauser's, Mosin's, Enfield's, Arisaka's, Garand's and Scmidt-Rubin. They are all fun to shoot, interesting to learn the history of and it would be hard to pick a favorite. The good news is there are great how to videos on YouTube and many place to buy replacement parts. You can spend a lot or a little on each one depending on matching serial numbers and accesories. Have fun and just enjoy each for it's own features. Before you buy check online to see what prices that you should be paying. Some people think they have gold. Also check you're local pawn shops and sporting good store. Some have great prices on mil-surprise guns. Another thing to do it get a FFL-03 license from the ATF. Cost $30 for three years. It's a Curio & Relic C&R license. Many of these guns fall into that catagory and can be then shipped directly to you. No FFL dealer and the forms are online with instructions.

[qz2026]

That's a loaded question We all tend to fall into niches and you will too. The key is not what WE like but what models will speak to you. For most of us, we like them all but, yes, we all fall into specific categories that we like the best. This is the fun of collecting these historical weapons. There is no right or wrong milsurp to own. I tend to like the carbines, especially the uncommon Mosin varieties but you wouldn't really know this if you viewed my collection - well maybe you would...

One thing you should do is to visit this forum regularly and take in the historical wiki's available here. Also, keep up with both the Mosin and Collectible forums. Get to know who the experts are here and feel free to PM them with questions about specific rifles you are considering buying before you pull the trigger on them. If they can't answer your questions, they will point you to a member who can. These rifles are getting fairly expensive now so knowledge of what you are buying is more important than ever.

Welcome to the insanity

[Cj556]

To add to the reading list:

M1 Garand by Bruce Canfield
Mauser Rifles by Ludwig Olson
War Baby series by Larry Ruth (M1 Carbine)
Backbone of the Wehrmact by Richard Law (K98)
1903 Springfield Rifles by William Brophy

[BenedictGomez]

The word, "favorite" will probably change the responses depending on what we're specifically talking about.

If by "favorite" we mean the 1 milsup that if we could only have one, and need to use it for modern usage (hunting, target shooting, defense, etc..)?

I'd go M1.

[entropy]

After you finish Lapin's book, for advanced study " Drei linien: Die Gwehre Mosin Nagant", by Karl Heinz Wrobel. It is in German, however.

[dou44]

garand ,k98 .and mosin nagants are my picks

[locomotiveguy]

An old gun crone advised "only accurate firearms are interesting". I base what I keep, milsurp and commercial, on just that. If it shoots well I start reloading for it. If not its trade goods. I am also always looking for something undervalued. My budget now requires to sell before I buy.

[RazorBurn]

My favorite milsurp hands down is the Garand. I love all of my milsurps: Garands, Enfields, M1 Carbine, 03A3s, Mausers, Arisakas, and Mosins; but my Garands get the most attention from me at the range.

[capt14k]

My favorites are the Finnish Mosins all of them especially the M/28-30, British and Canadian Enfields No1s and No4s, American Garands, Swiss K31, French MAS (all of them), FN-49 any, Belgium, Czech and German Mausers and Belgium, Czech, and German Contract Mausers

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[B24]

Anything G.I.Joe toted, only problem is most of those have become expensive. Mosins (partial to the Finns)
Russian SKSs. My favorite would be the one I'm shooting at the time.

[awalker1829]

My favorites are my French rifles chambered for the 8mm by 50R Lebel cartridge. I currently have a Model 1886 M93 and an M16 carbine.

Every military surplus firearm has a story attached to it. The 1886 saw definite service in the Great War and based on the fact the receiver has three serial numbers stamped into it, it appears that the receiver was salvaged twice during the war. The first two serial numbers are lined out and the third one is force matched to the postwar barrel (dated 1920) and the stock. The bolt serial number is also mismatched-common given the necessities of the time. The receiver was originally produced at the Tulle arsenal and the postwar barrel was also manufactured at Tulle. The rifle would also have been assembled from parts salvaged from the battles at the front at Tulle. From what information I have seen, production of new firearms at the Tulle arsenal ceased sometime around 1915. Other arsenals continued to manufacture new firearms but Tulle received salvaged materials from the front and only reconditioned parts and arms. It's quite possible that Tulle shipped reconditioned parts to the other arsenals for use as well. The attrition rate for men and materials in the Great War was atrocious-the French arsenals could not manufacture small arms at a rate sufficient to keep up with losses at the front. That's why they were so dependent on salvaging any parts they could.

[Longcolt44]

All the above firearms are excellent military surplus, (milsurps), to collect and enjoy. They all have their own story be it in war or never fired. One thing to remember is to care for it as you would a cousin or grandfather from years ago. Keep the sandpaper and polyurethane for the gun cabinet, the way a milsurp left the last arsenal or battlefield is the way it should remain in its life with you.

[cavehuman19]

Awesome! Thanks for all the advice, I'll have to look into getting some literature sometime soon. I'll definitely have to post once I get my first milsurp gun.