Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.
I’m what economic experts would call ‘a cheap bastard’. I’ve got no problem paying the big bucks for something if I think it’s worth it. At the same time, though, if I can save a few bucks and not compromise my goals too badly I’ll do just that. Which brings us to today’s topic- the cheap surplus gun market.
Theres actually a pretty good amount of decent surplus firearms on the market these days. Some are better choices for folks of our mind than others. Of course, these are just my opinions and your mileage may vary.
The most common and cheapest rifle on the market these days are the Mosin Nagant rifles from the old Soviet/Russian/Communist arsenals. The two most common are the flagpole-like 91/30 and the compact and brutal M44 carbines. Both are chambered in the 7.62×54R cartridge…ballistically somewhere between a .308 and a .30-06. The guns are simple, utilitarian bolt guns of varying degrees of quality in terms of finish. The 91/30 rifles go back a ways and are usually huge long affairs with enormous bayonets to turn the rifle into a 6’ pigsticker. Prices have been running all over the place as supply dwindles but expect somewhere between $100-175. If you see one for more than $200 be sure to ask how many hookers come with it.
The M44 was a slightly ‘modernized’ version of the 91/30. Instead of being a flagpole, it’s a carbine. The bayonet was replaced with a side folding cruciform-style bayonet…much like an SKS. The carbine is short and ideal for use as a truck gun or leaving at a hunting cabin or other location. It can be a little…stiff…to shoot with that smaller size and steel buttplate. Forced to choose between the 91 and the 44, I’d go with the handier, newer M44. They’ve started to become a bit difficult to find but you can still get them at reasonable prices.
The guns have typical Communist ergonomics – the safety is a device better off being ignored. (You don’t point a loaded gun at anything you weren’t planning on shooting, do you?) It’s a pull-and-turn style like what you would find on an Arisaka. Difficult and awkward to use. On the infrequent times Ive carried a Nagant I have let the firing pin down and carried the gun with the safety off. When I was ready to shoot I simply grabbed the cocking piece and re-cocked the gun. A faster and less awkward move than manipulating the cocking piece to use it as a safety.
I normally do not like buying guns in ‘oddball’ calibers for stockpiling because the ammunition can be a trick to get. Currently 7.62×54R is one of the cheaper surplus cartridges to buy. You can still get spam cans of it at very reasonable prices. One rifle and two cans of ammo tucked away in safe, secure location could come in handy sometime and still not put you out a whole lot of money. Bullet diameter is, nominally, the same as a 7.7 or .303 ….. .311”~. Lee makes an inexpensive set of dies and there is reloadable brass out there if you feel the need to reload. For someone who wants to drop the minimum amount of money but have a decent rifle and a pile of ammo to squirrel away, these are one of the better choices.
For a bit more money you can pick up some of the Yugoslavian Mausers that are on the market. I’ve got a dealer catalog here that shows them around $275 … for that money you could buy a more ‘mainstream’ gun like a Remington 770 or other ‘bargain’ bolt gun. However, one appeal of the Mauser is that its an excellent platform to customize and 8mm ammo is quite cheap these days. My catalog says it can be had for twentyone cents a round.
Next up are the SMLEs that are on the market. Again, about twice the price of a Mosin Nagant, they clock in at around $230 dealer. Robust and with a 10-round capacity theyre a solid performer. Again, youre locked into slightly oddball ammo with the .303 cartridge. Nice guns, and quality is generally pretty good. A lot of them are still bumping around the hills in Afghanistan so thier durability and ruggedness isn’t really an issue.
If youre like me you probably would rather have something that shares ammo commonality with your other guns. Mausers in .308 do turn up infrequently but they cost almost as much as a commercial gun. My absolute favorite of the .308 Mausers is the Israeli version. I’ve had them in the past and they were great guns. Although some people swear its perfectly safe I generally avoid .308 Mausers built on anything other than the 98 action. Swede Mausers in 6.5 used to be common as grass but those days are long gone…they were excellent guns in a good caliber though. The 96 in 6.5 is about the only non-98 Mauser I’d mess with, but, again, that’s just my personal tastes.
Theres a .308 version of the SMLE out there as well, and they still turn up with good frequency. In addition to being made in .308 the 10-rd magazine was replaced with one that held 12 rounds of .308. Either the Mauser or the Enfield would be an excellent choice in .308 for an ‘extra’ rifle to keep around. I prefer the Mauser but wouldn’t feel bad if all I had available to me was the Enfield.
What about the Swiss K-31 rifles that were on the market? Amazing guns. Magnificent craftsmanship, excellent attention to detail, awesome metalwork. They all seem to shoot better than most people can hold a rifle. When they first came into the country they could be had for about a hundred bucks. Prices have climbed a good bit but even then theyre an excellent value for the remarkable quality you get. The only drawback is that the ammo is a bit hard to get…harder than 8mm and .303. Being Swiss, they didn’t really export many of these things to other countries so there weren’t a whole lot of people cranking out 7.5 ammo. Hornady offers ammo and brass but its in the special order realm and it isn’t cheap and availability is spotty. The surplus 7.5 that you do come across is almost always Swiss manufacture so you know its good, but it is often out of stock or backordered. A great gun hampered by ammunition logistics.
One in a while a MAS 49 or 49/56 comes up. Again, a great gun (despite being French) but ammo is ridiculous to find. Some guns have been converted to .308 but results have been mixed. Fascinating gun for a hobbyist but not worth sinking money into if youre looking for something to lay back in quantity.
That’s really about it for the ‘cheap’ surplus rifles. What about the Garand? The Tokarev rifle? The Nazi K98? The FN-49? Those may indeed be surplus guns but they aren’t cheap.
Not worried about ammo availability or plan on stockpiling a large quantity of matching ammo? Get a stack of M44 Nagants or some 91/30’s. Don’t mind paying a bit more? Get the Mausers in 8mm and a couple cases of ammo. Want to keep caliber commonality with your HK,M1A, FAL or AR10? Get an Enfield or Mauser in .308.
Right now, though, the best value out there is the Mosin Nagant and the cheap ammo that matches it. Like everything else, it’s day will fade and we’ll wonder why we didn’t buy a garage full of them when we had the chance, ‘back when they were cheap’.
