Military Surplus Rifles

[texag06]

Hello everyone. Once again, this forum has sparked a new interest. This time it is military surplus rifles (SKS, AK-47, M1, etc.). However, I currently do not know much about these rifles and the history behind them/origins. Does anyone know where I can begin to read about these rifles and become more familiar with the various models and uses of them? I would like to begin purchasing/ collecting them but need to do some research first to be able to distinguish between them and know what they are worth. Thanks in advance.

-Dustin

[jbirds1210]

There are some rude, crude, and ignorant people on the site below, yet they are mixed with a few that actually know what they are talking about. Take it all with a grain of salt and see some great rifle pictures.

http://www.ar15.com

Jason

[ghentry]

Take a look at the following site. It has the information you are looking for. Also most of the guys on the forums are very helpful.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/index.asp

[seadawg221]

Check out http://www.falfiles.com/forums/index.php or http://www.warrifles.com

[texag06]

Thanks guys. I guess I should also mention that I welcome any information any of you are willing to provide also. Like many have said before, I consider this forum by far my favorite place to hang out because of the caliber of people that post here and their opinions/knowledge.

-Dustin

[Venus Pax]

I hope this isn't considered a thread high=jack, but do military surplus stores sell handguns?

[Chris]

first and foremost, get a type 03 FFL C&R license. the cost is $30 for 3 years. you can buy surplus rifles at dealer cost, and have them shipped to your door. you will get the $30 back on your first rifle purchase with the dealer cost savings.

i got my C&R about a year and a half ago. since then, i've accumulated 11 C&R approved rifles. i have a russian M44 carbine on the way to my house now. it was a whopping $50. you can get these surplus rifles for next to nothing, and they are a lot of fun to shoot. the kick is almost like firing a shoulder mounted artillery piece, and you can't two finger the bolt, you've got to muscle it.

while most of them are well used, expect many of them to look pretty rough. if you find a super nice one, you'll pay a premium. i have a K31 that looks like someone used the buttstock as a shovel, but it shoots like nobody's business. if you get lucky on these, there's usually a surprise under the butt plate. the tag identifying the soldier to whom the rifle was issued will still be under there. there are several stories of K31 owners finding and corresponding with the soldiers who were issued them. most of the french rifles are in like new condition and unfired, so those are always good deals.

just be aware of the 1903s prior to 1918. the receivers are prone to exploding. watch for last ditch WWII japanese rifles. these are fine to collect, but are too much of a hazard for the range.

once you get your C&R, send or fax it to SOG, AIM, and Century and they will send out quarterly flyers with their rifles and prices listed. the average price of a C&R surplus rifle is about $100.

if you also get into them, you'll find a lot of rifles not on the C&R list that are fun. i have a romanian AK47 and an FAL made from south african parts. they're great shooters too. you can get the M1 garand from CMP without a C&R license (a definite must have rifle). i would say they also have 1903s, but those are about gone. watch the flyers. they'll tell you when shipments are getting low. i got a springfield 1903A3 right before CMP ran out. now the prices are significantly higher than what i paid. i also managed to get an australian lithgow from the last imported batch. you've got to be quick.

[longtooth]

VP, some do & some don't. The one here does.

[Venus Pax]

Thank you!

[No4Mk1]

Chris covered it pretty well, the C&R is the way to go. Have had mine for going on 4 years now and have never regretted it. There are so many deals on military surplus C&R rifles out there it is silly.

In my opinion the "must have" rifles that are floating around at the moment are the Swiss K31, the Russian Mosin Nagant (any and all varieties), Yugo SKS, Enfield No4Mk1. Each of these can be had for well under $200, and the Russians for MUCH less. You just can't beat the value of these old war-horses.

The subject can be overwhelming, and many folks try to focus on a particular family of firearms. If you have other specific questions ask away!

[KBCraig]

+1 to Chris.

I'm on my second CR-FFL renewal. I focus on WWI-WWII era bolt action rifles, mostly Lee-Enfields. I've got a few strays that "sang to me" when I saw them, plus a couple that I just couldn't pass up for the price (5-fer Turk M38 Mausers).

One thing that must be mentioned: many major shooting distributors give dealer discounts to all FFLs, not just dealers. Graf's, Midway USA, Lee Precisions, Dillon, Brownell's, etc... I know people who don't own a single C&R firearm, but maintain their CR-FFL just for the dealer discounts.

Kevin

[texag06]

Thanks for everything guys. How do I go about getting information on the C&R and FFL licenses?

-Dustin

[BobCat]

http://www.cruffler.com/

EDIT: I don't mean to be short - that is the best web site I've seen for C&R stuff. I'm actually embarrassed that I've failed to apply - it is a very good thing to do, with no apparent downside.

Regards,
Andrew