Good luck finding the correct ammo for the 6.5mm Carcano. The PPU ammo has the wrong diameter bullet. It is too narrow. As far as the 7.35 it is exstinct.
Best gun I ever bought when I put the money together was about last year when I bought my Tula SKS for a grand. Found it at a gun show and yes it may have been a bit over priced for an SKS but it was damn near mint condition and after shooting it for about a year I honestly do not regret the price at all.
I grabbed a type 99 for $130 from a gun shop in January. It doesn't have a speck of rust on it and it's a mid war Kokura. You read that price right. I shot it last weekend!
First rifle I ever bought was a mosin nagant too. I paid $110 for a M91 with a bayonet, sling, oiler and 440 rounds in a spam can. I still have that rifle
ROFL I paid 29 dollars for mine and all the accessories and got two spam cans for an additional 37.99! At the same time I got a mexican mauser for 17.99. I miss the late 90's. My first surplus rifle my dad gave me when I was 8 in 1993. A Lithgow 1918 SMLE all matching. He paid 88.88 for it. It's not the rarest in my military collection, My Johnson 41' or Reising probably is. But I'd sell them before my SMLE, just because my dad got it for me! in 98' I paid 150 dollars for a BNZ 41' mauser that was my first gun purchase.
Part of it is just the hunt as well. In the past 12 months, I have acquired all of the following for less than 500: Steyr M.95 long rifle in (8x56) French contract Savage 1907 Berthier M.16 Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine (1915 w/ original bayonet latch) Another Steyr M.95 long rifle (8x56) Chinese Type 24 CKS Mauser Enfield No.2 Mk.I (early spur hammer)
Just got my B Grade No.4 Mk1 from RTI. Pretty decent. 379.99 bore in great shape! Like my Steyr M95 bluing was pretty much gone. But everything else was in great condition.
I just recently got into milsurp. I’ve picked up a couple carcano rifles, sks type 56’s, enfield Jungle Carbine. I was in New Orleans a couple weeks ago and if you haven’t been there before you need to go to the ww2 museum it’s amazing
That's a trip I'd like to make. It's a tough time to just be getting started in collecting but it sounds like you are putting together a nice little lineup so far.
I remember Enfield rifles selling for like 50.00 each in the early 90s. Wish, I knew then, what I know now. I did get several Carcanos for under 150, and a Yugo Mauser for 220. I bought my SKS for 45.00 in 93.
Two months ago I would have told you to add the Swiss 96/11 and 1911 to this list since they’re sub $400. Today they’re both closer $600! Totally insane.
Just found your channel and I’m quite enjoying it ! As a WW2 reenactor, I have a few desirable milsurps that I consider myself lucky to own and I’d love nothing more than to obtain a few more but prices are just INSANE ! … your video has given me a little hope that there’s still a few rifles out there that I have a chance of not missing out on. Good stuff, sir !
Just purchased a Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine for $129,( With flip switch bayonet). Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. I also purchased a Numbers Matching 8mm K98K German Mauser, for under $500 ( Love this Rifle! I even named her, my Little "Schatzi" (German for Sweet Heart.).
I recently picked up a Turkish M38 with a Swedish M96 barrel conversion. Absolutely love it. And, i haven't had any issue finding reasonably priced 6.5x55 ammo either. Sellier and Bellot is about a buck a round now, it was higher for awhile there, but its come back down.
@@ReadinessReviews yeah, you can get a SKS for a good price. Mine is a 1952 Tula with a laminate stock so it was more then $500. I got my 1919 Swedish Mauser M96 for $650 CAD. But the average price here for surplus is $1000 CAD. Crazy.
Thankfully the RCMP consider receivers the firearms so I bought a Garand for under $500 and then spent another $1,500 for accessories such as barrels, stocks... *cries*
I bought a Swiss G11 in phenomenal shape the other day from a Cabela’s Gun Library for $499. If you want a quality rifle, it’s hard to beat the Swiss straight pulls!
Great video, bro! If you want the deals they're out there you gotta go and look at the racks. In the past 3 months, here are 2 of the milsurp deals I've found for under $500. Czech Vz-24 8mm mauser with beautiful Rampant Lion and a MAS 49/56 in 7.5 French( not a .308 molested conversion. ) people are trading old mil surp left and right now because sales are slowing down some what. Good luck and the always remember the pleasure is the presuit! So enjoy it.
I bought three Mosin Nagant several years ago probably 10 or 12 and I only paid $35 apiece for them. A 91/30 and then two carbines. They only had three so I bought all three. Two of them I cosmetically restored to look almost brand new on the wooden stock and then paint it all the metal work with Cerakote.
Times have changed . I am sixty eight years old now and can remember Kmart selling milsurps for twenty bucks apiece in the sixty's,. 22 ammo was fifty cents for a box of fifty rounds. I have one milsurp a Swedish Mauser Model 38 bent bolt 6.5 mm. Going to give it to my grandson who will be eighteen in October.
One thing about the Turkish M38 , I've seen a lot of them with terrible bores but they are small ring the same as the Swedish M94,M96,and M38 and I've have rebarreled 2 of my M38 Turks to 6.5x55. Still in full dress military. I call them Tweedes.Great shooters.
Gotta admit... you make a compelling case for the Chinese SKS clone. I have a “patatrooper” model but from what I understand those are basically commercially made guns for the US market... now I’m thinking I might want one with actual military provenance.
We've had a commercially produced one in the family my whole life. Getting an actual military one was very important to me. I truly think we'll see them over 1000 by 2030 if not sooner.
I got a 1915 lee enfield for just under 200 last month sporterized, but another 150 for an ishopore donor and I think it will go well so 350 for a No1 Mk3
My finds since 2021 are as follows; Yugo M24 for $350 in 8MM Czech VZ24 for $400 in 8MM Czech VZ52 with 200 rounds of 7.62x45MM ammo for $400. Additionally I found 10 more boxes of 7.62x45MM for only $5 a box. A steal as these were on strippers in the 15 round boxes. Carcano M38 with folding bayonet in 6.5 Carcano for $500. I also just located a Polish Mauser in 8MM and a Webley Revolver in .38 S&W but am still haggling on price with the owner.
Many years ago I got a case of them for $69.99 a piece plus tax in FL. I kept one and ended up giving it to my brother. I probably shot at least a few thousand rounds through it w/o any issues minus keeping it clean from the cheap Berdan ammo. Seeing them today for $350 make a me wish I had kept a few a extra's for myself. If the SHTF anytime soon you won't do any better than a good supply of mags and ammo for these, two of them if your smart !!!
I had a couple Turkish Mausers as well as the other ones you showed...I think they were as low as $50 in the early 2000s. I highly recommend the Yugo M24/47 those are extremely well made and the first Mauser I ever owned.
Yes, Turkish Mausers were going for $70 and less in the early 2000's. Turkish 8mm was also super cheap. But my favorite Mauser is my Yugo M48. Tight groups. Great all around. Was $300 in nearly unissued shape back 20 yrs ago.
I have a crap ton of multiples of different mauser rifles, I really like the 7mm chambering I have German ones from WW1 and WW2, many nations turkey, China, Poland, Chekz so many and I love them all, the all milled yugo mauser are great quality and a steal for the price I got a load os moisns when the used to less than 50 bucks a piece in a crate. Multiple arisakas in 6.5 and 7.7 Both carcabos Martini Henry, martini Endfeild and quite a few SMLE rifles with a martini Endfeild and SMLE that had bad trought erosion and heads pace converted to 7.62x54R Also a sporterized ariska in 7.7 converted to 7.32x29 I got 5 M39 Finnish rifles when they first came in with barrels from different makers and they are so accurate. A few SKS rifles naked in cosmoline Chinese made but in Albania I think for a long time. Loads of AK builds, saigais and Veor rifles I have converted. Lots of comblock pistols from different natio s with the tok being my favorate. My uncle is a millsurp but and I'm 30 now but I stocked up on 7.62x54 and 25 when it was crazy cheap also 7n6 my uncle has lots and lots of Chinese 7.62x39, 8mm mauser and even .30 06 and. 30 carbine. It's a good hobby and it's gone up in price so much, I really hope it's not practically the end of millsurp in the US. My GF used to hate me for it now she thinks it's an amazing investment when I show her how much I got it for adjusted for inflation and how many years it took to go up in price. Got so many AK kits with barrels when they where 69 bucks or so they are worth a small fortune now.
Good list. I had to cut back with these crazy prices. Nice there are still good deals out there to be had if we try hard enough. Good content as always.
It’s absolutely not common now but in the part year or 2 I’ve scored a Husqvarna m38 for $260 at auction, 96/11 competition built Swiss $435, k31 competition built with furter micrometer sight $420, k05/11 $395, Vetterli m1881 $250, and the biggie French 1935a nazi marked $160. Absolutely worked my ocd to death but it’s happened again and again. I’d recommend know what you want and be patient! Loving the content btw and thanks for sharing!
I realized bass bro sells milsurp from time, and I thought it was because no one noticed, but I checked the price and apparently it’s because they charge almost 1,000 for most of them
RN in Massachusetts the mosins are going for 650-690$ range except I believe Chinese versions. I picked mine up for 640$ when I went specifically for a sks but those over here RN are over 1000$ unless there beat to hell. Love the videos I watch them especially before making purchases. I'm gonna order a sks off one of those websites you mentioned i have a local gun shop willing to take the transfers.
Great review Dane! I need to send you Pics, of Dads , 7.7 Arisaka, and, my 1964, SKS. SKS was A Birthday gift, from my wife, back in 1980's ! Mauser, any, one heck of A solid rifle! Very accurate. I figured price would be higher now. SMLE Enfield, .303 caliber, regardless of make, excellent rifle. Again, thought would be higher now? Carcano, usually, 6.5 MM, again, excellent bolt action rifle, stripper clips, are, were A witch to find. If I had bought, back in the 1980's, for that price then, I would be rich now. I had , FFL, back then. Tokarev, Makarov, cheap pistols. Both caliber ammo, posed A problem then, I assume worse now. Moisin's, were dirt cheap, agreed. Very accurate. 7.62X .54 , one heck of A cartridge. Glad, second I mentioned, turned up # 1 !!!! Mine is, blade style bayonet, and, Potbelly stock. I have researched, arsenal marks, on, Arisaka, and, SKS. Solid information. If I need help on other rifles, pistols, Etc. , I know who to ask! Peace, John.
I scored a Hungarian m95 carbine for less than 400 this year. Another expensive to feed gun. In that auction, every one of the M95 carbines went for less than 500. I think they had like 6 of them. I won the last one of them at the lowest price of the bunch. I'd say condition is vg or better.
Vz 24s are a fun little carbine regularly found sub 500. Ik the Yugoslavia m24/47 basically was a stand in. Either way great guns that for the most part had some service in wwii ( mostly rear echelon units).
The Vz.24 could have certainly made the list. I've been seeing them for just over 500 most of the time recently but they can certainly be found under 500 as well.
I have 2 Chinese SKS rifles, one is a Norinco import with the spike bayonet and a Sino Soviet model with the blade bayonet both in cherry condition and yes paid less than $500 each.
💯% agree on the SKS. Altho, a #'s matching, non-bubba'd, nice furniture, no rust or pitting w/correct bayonet (spike or blade, depending on YOM) commercial Chinese will be well north of 500. Add 150 for a /26\. Tula's, in the same condition, are fetching 900+. Izveshk's, especially a '54 in nice condition - don't even ask. Yugo's are climbing too. The remainder of the variants ala Albanian, Romanian - that aren't hammered - even 400 might be a stretch in 2022-23.
Good recommendations! I will put the Post war Belgian FN mausers into the list. Most of them are in great conditions, super cheap, made quality are as good as Czech and German mausers, most of them shoot 3006 where you can find everywhere. I just got a Colombian contract FN carbine for 450 AUD, that’s less than $400 USD. Love this little rifle.
I have a Yugoslav M48. I had it Rechamburger In 308. I kept the mauser specs on the barrel that way I can put the furniture back on to keep The more traditional look
I started buying milsurps twenty years ago so I did buy a ton of stuff for cheap and made great investments but only wish I would have gotten even more. But I do still own or have owned most things. The state of the milsurp market today is very tough for people trying to get into it and when cool guns aren't $100 with dirt cheap ammo it does kind of sap the fun out of what milsurps were about so I feel for you guys. If I were starting out now buying my first guns I don't know if I would even try collecting milsurps
The comment about the Swedish mauser never seeing combat isn’t completely true alot of Swedish volunteers fight in the Winter War in Finland and they also sent quite a few to finland you can find M96 Swedish mausers with SA stamps
last time i was in Canadian tire, the price of a "Mosin" was $549.99. 1500 rounds $350. always wanted one, but at that price............... "Savage Arms" make's some nice new rifles.
Well I got a Lithgow SMLE for 250 dollars and it was sporterized. It had a poor bore but nothing wrong with it. Picked it up about 3 1/2 months ago at a gunshow. It is getting rebored.
I was able to get a Sino-Soviet SKS in excellent condition, although I did pay $600, it was well-worth it. Milled receiver chrome lined barrel. Ten round internal magazine. Shoots like a dream. I do remember the days when there were so many SKSs out there, they were going anywhere from $49 to $69, although they usually were still soaked in cosmoline. Many were later Chinese models with stamped receivers, though. But regardless, there were plenty around. I prefer the SKS to the AK47, much more accurate. Very reliable and enjoyable to shoot. Very good list, I also have an Interarms sporterized German WWII Mauser K98, and while I know there are purists out there and I feel you, I have to say that this one is an amazing shooter and an absolutely gorgeous rifle with a Monte Carlo stock with a beautiful finish. And it is probably the most accurate rifle I've ever shot. Got it for $300 several years ago. And I also have a Vietnam Era M1 carbine that is another beautiful rifle and shoots very well, and at $425, in such great condition, it was a bargain, I haven't seen even a beat to hell M1 for less than $800 lately, usually closer to a grand for any M1, no matter the condition. And last, one of my favorite handguns, a late war German produced CZ 27, with wrap-around wooden grips. With 3 original magazines, I paid $425 for this one, too. Just a nice, reliable pistol, not fancy, no frills, but well-made and quite accurate for a pistol with fixed sites. You probably can't touch one today for less than $800, and original mags are usually around $70, if you're lucky. Those are my favorites, even though prices have shot up on them, no pun intended.
My parents moved into their original home in the mid 50s, an old farmhouse built in the late 1880s, and in the basement rafters my dad found a WWII Arisoka, not sure of the model, but it was in very nice condition. When I was a teenager, though, he sold it or traded it, unfortunately. He actually never shot it, even though he did have a gunsmith check it out and got a clean bill of health. I was pretty bummed out when he got rid of it. No chrysanthemum on the receiver, it had been ground off.
@@ReadinessReviews Try looking for a P38 or P1. Those are the ones I'm looking to buy soon. Milsurp with easy to find ammo. Or a Star B. Some were used by the germans on WW2. But it's going to be over 500. Super B are 9mm too, under 500, but I don't remember if it's C&R.
Might check out Argentinian or Brazilian 7mm Mausers as well. If you look really hard you might even find a Brazilian Mauser chambered in .30-06 but those tend to be over $500, unfortunately.
the only surplus rifles i own is a model 1935 peruvian mauser in 30.06 i paid $125.00 for it in 1980. it has its original mauser bolt. the only thing i did was to refinish the stock.
Mosins these days are very hard to find under $500. Just walked into a store and saw Tula guns for $1000+, in quite average shape. Didnt' check the bore. On Gunbroker they regularly price above $500.
My favorite surplus gun has to be my Remington rand 1911 . I got it for 900 . I’m surprised you haven’t added the cmp on your list because their m1s racks are 600
Really cool channel. I like the informative, straightforward approach. You earned yourself another sub! I am just getting into milsurp and actually just purchased a Carcano cavalry model today. Fingers crossed that it's in good condition as listed. I think my next purchase will be a type 56 SKS. And then I'll probably drop the big bucks on a Garand.
I have every surplus firearm you presented but the Spanish Mauser. But in my collection I have 2 Mexican Mauser’s that can fill in. I was lucky enough to obtain a good quantity of 7 mm Mauser ammo a few years ago along with a good amount of 7.35 Carcano. It seems for every surplus gun I have I stocked up on the ammo that goes with them along with the bayonets and accessories.
May the 4th be with you bro. On the polar opposite of budget friendly, if money wasn’t an issue but you could only pick one which would you pick and why? MP40 M3A1 (grease gun) Sten Thompson 1928A1
Had to rep a Star Wars shirt for the 4th! That's a difficult choice but I think it would have to be the MP40. Seems to have nice build quality and the 9mm chambering is a big bonus. I'd happily take any of the 4 though lol.
