Gun purchases thread.

[Nyles]

Believe it or not M39s are $900 rifles here and I've been seeing M27 army rifles for $1200 so if I see a $700 M28 I'm laughing all the way to my line of credit.

[Jcordell]

Originally Posted by Nyles

Believe it or not M39s are $900 rifles here and I've been seeing M27 army rifles for $1200 so if I see a $700 M28 I'm laughing all the way to my line of credit.

Lee-Enfields have climbed dramatically down here in the states over the past twenty years. I've come across a few recently that are priced between $300-$400. I can remember when you could pick up a Mk III* for $100.00 and that was back in 99!

[Nyles]

Good luck finding one for under $700 here if it isn't sporterised here. Sort of makes sense though, Canucks are naturally going to want Enfields more than Yanks!

[Jcordell]

Now Milspec Mausers are getting some high prices. 1903 Springfields, 1917 Enfields , M1 Garands and M1 carbines are ridiculously high.

[Nyles]

I actually just had a long discussion on another forum about how milsurp prices have gone nuts - not only has the more desirable stuff (US, UK, German, K31s and non-M91 Finns here) just about doubled in price over a few years, the less desirable stuff (French, Italian, Austrian, other countries) has just about disappeared from the market. You can still get Russian and Chinese SKSs and refurbished M91/30s and SVT-40s relatively cheaply here but I hardly ever see anything that tempts me anymore. No matter how nice it is I just don't need to spend $1000 on a SMLE when I already have several.

Honestly money's been a little tight over the last year but even if it wasn't the decline of the milsurp market has me getting away from buying guns with any frequency. I got into scale modelling earlier this year and honestly it's just a better return on investment for my leisure money these days. $50 buys me a model tank and paints that'll keep me busy for a week vs a box of ammo that'll last 20 minutes at the range.

[Excalibur]

I really wish Garands are not stupid expensive. If they were M1 Carbine level of price, I'd buy one. Cheapest Garand I've ever seen was $1000. Cheapest M1 Carbine I've ever seen was 400

[Nyles]

I bought my Garand for $400 I think in 2002 and at the time thought that was a crazy price. Now they're going over $2000 up here for originals and ever ones built from parts kits are over $1500. Largely because they're exempt from capacity limits up here but I will never be able to wrap my head around that kind of money for a put-together. Original M1 carbines are one of the few milsurps here where I think the prices aren't totally stupid and that's just because you can only shoot them on a range up here.

[Jcordell]

Originally Posted by Nyles

I actually just had a long discussion on another forum about how milsurp prices have gone nuts - not only has the more desirable stuff (US, UK, German, K31s and non-M91 Finns here) just about doubled in price over a few years, the less desirable stuff (French, Italian, Austrian, other countries) has just about disappeared from the market. You can still get Russian and Chinese SKSs and refurbished M91/30s and SVT-40s relatively cheaply here but I hardly ever see anything that tempts me anymore. No matter how nice it is I just don't need to spend $1000 on a SMLE when I already have several.

As you know I'm a revolver nut. Seven/six years ago the second hand market was awash in nice used revolvers. I think the economy had a lot to do with it. I especially found 38 Special revolvers to be in excellent shape and reasonably priced. But in the past few years the economy has improved and there seems to be an ever growing interest in revolvers. It's my opinion that it's a combination of the attention that revolvers are receiving on the Internet (from guys like me), the popularity of historical crime dramas such as "Boardwalk Empire" and "Peaky Blinders" and the effect of laws in states like New York which makes it (relatively) easier to own revolvers. I'm still buying revolvers, but I've slowed down and they're harder to find. I'm also spending more of my "disposable" funds on books and movies. Similar situation to yours. I spend $50 on a great book like "U.S. Handguns of World War II" by Charles Pate and it is with me for years. I spend $50.00 on ammo and it's gone in twenty minutes as well - if not sooner.

[Nyles]

Originally Posted by Jcordell

As you know I'm a revolver nut. Seven/six years ago the second hand market was awash in nice used revolvers. I think the economy had a lot to do with it. I especially found 38 Special revolvers to be in excellent shape and reasonably priced. But in the past few years the economy has improved and there seems to be an ever growing interest in revolvers. It's my opinion that it's a combination of the attention that revolvers are receiving on the Internet (from guys like me), the popularity of historical crime dramas such as "Boardwalk Empire" and "Peaky Blinders" and the effect of laws in states like New York which makes it (relatively) easier to own revolvers. I'm still buying revolvers, but I've slowed down and they're harder to find. I'm also spending more of my "disposable" funds on books and movies. Similar situation to yours. I spend $50 on a great book like "U.S. Handguns of World War II" by Charles Pate and it is with me for years. I spend $50.00 on ammo and it's gone in twenty minutes as well - if not sooner.

I've been out of the industry for a few years now but 3 years ago at least I found old .38s were definitely not getting any love - I'd hardly ever even sell the ammo and when I did it was usually to guys with .357s. They're just not that common up here thanks to our weird barrel length laws but they do seem to be selling for a little bit more when I see them - although still way less than I'd think the quality should command. Honestly stuff like Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders was what got me into them, except I was a little ahead of the curve so it was the 90s Untouchables series and Millers Crossing.

In other news my M28 showed up in the mail yesterday and is in pretty nice shape. The real interesting thing is because the Civil Guard used issue numbers as well as serial numbers, I was able to trace that it was issued in Viipuri district, which was where the Soviet invasion in 1939 was centered. So this rifle was almost certainly on the Mannerheim Line! If you've ever seen Talvisota, and if you haven't you should, that was the battle.