you are extremely correct. if you want old mausers buy them now. even if it is a little pricey. it will get a lot pricier when that little commie biden is the prez. i bought an old peruvian mauser for $125.00 same rifle just sold for $500.00
The new age of cheap surplus is buying the stuff that nobody else wants or stuff in weird calibers. If you can get used to converting brass, a lot of cool deals can be had.
So true. In the 13 rifles that I have purchased in the last year or so, I've only received one semi-dud. All of the others have had excellent bores for surplus.
I got extremely lucky this year, I friend of mine (who just retired) sold me a M1 Garand for about half what it should cost. Plus he (same friend) sold me a non-matching Russian SKS for a ridiculous low-low price. Both a in great shape. He was thinning out his collection and he just wanted to get rid of them.when he told me the price, I had to ask him twice, because I just couldn’t believe it! And as a cherry on top, I picked a slightly sporterized Kraig carbine for about $400 (plus shipping). It was for sale on my local gun forum. So 2020 collecting-wise has been pretty good! Thank goodness I have a C& R License and COE (needed for my state)
I've gotten really lucky with estate sales, both local and online. More often than not, the surviving family members of a deceased collector aren't interested or just don't want to deal with dad\grandpa's gun collection, so they offload it at estate sale auctions. They tend to be below what gunbroker prices will ask. I'm not at all saying the "Boomer die-off" will supplement the market, but you can catch a deal every now and then if you look beyond gunbroker.
Estate sales/items are great for most collectible things. Just gotta have patience which isnt too common nowadays. I scored a nice 50s Briar pipe with birdseye grain for 30 bucks at one, versus the 80+ price tags you'd see from some (hate to say it) boomer sitting on it.
@@zacharytomes5202 Yep! I picked up a matching Yugo M48A(b) for $371 and a refurb Russian SKS for $575 that way. Patience and sometimes just simple networking is the way to go, especially in this kind of hobby.
A lot of wealth from boomer die off is about to hit the market (not just guns), I foresee a lot of work for lawyers from boomers kids contesting those wills... or lack of them!, buckle up kids it's gonna get bumpy!!
RIGHT ! The good ones dried up many years ago at any price. The '39 to present were spit out too fast and are crap. Sestoryesk was the smallest Russian producer with the least output at around 600,000 in the early 1900's. France was the first manufacturer of the design in 1895 because nobody took interest and those are priceless. The pre 1925 Finnish (Finn made or re-arsenaled) are the best of many countries that jumped on the bandwagon. Mine is a 1907 - unfired and perfect when I got it. Dead-ass accurate if you can measure in Arshins.
Yea, bought my first rifle in 1984. It was a Lee Enfield No. 4 for $39. Nobody wanted these worn-out old bolt action relics of a bygone war. I used it for deer hunting. I sold it a few years later for not much more than I paid for it. I checked online and saw one for sale at $795. Wow.
I picked up a m91/30 Mosin this year for $250, a Mk1 #4 Lee Enfield for $350, a K98 mauser for $500, and a 1942 manufacture Inland m1 carbine for $750. The deals are out there if you take the time to look hard enough
And that also incredibly depends on your location, where I am it is difficult to find most things at any price, most of what you described is what sporterized one's sell for here.
My father bought an M-1 Carbine from mail-order government surplus in the late 50s, I think for $15. The last time I used it was 1985. I still wish he'd bought an M-1 Garand instead. In the 80s, a military collector introduced me to The Shotgun News.
All those romanian toks that were JUST abundant for low to mid $200s are now magically being sold for $375 by the retailers who bought them up. Thats how fast the market can change.
In the early 70’s I was on light duty at the battalion armory at ft Knox. They had easy 100 crates full of ww2 us .45’s, carbines etc and all the 30-06 ammo you could imagine. Just at one battalion. Where did it all go?
Seeing all the ads on your videos never ceases to bring a smile to my face. It's awesome to know that you're getting money (aside from your job and your website obviously)
Unfortunately got into the surplus collecting late, but that's part due to only being 26 and currently working with a lower enlisted paycheck. I do have to say the surplus Beretta 81 that came in this year were a nice deal imo and I love mine. Type 56 SKS was a fun project to go through and deep clean.
I am also 26 and I tried to get into the Airforce after college, rejected on the grounds of being a mental defect, that is what I am still considered according to their official "medical science" because I have a form of extremely high functioning autism, but at least that means I get to collect my Japanese rifles.
@Rancid Pancakes : Sooner or later, they will catch on to that, but even so, for that to work, SOMEONE still has to pay until we boycot the hell out of them to where they decide it is better to live off of the advertising revenue they had, or have nothing.
I think the Turkish M38s are in a weird spot in terms of collecting since not only is the ammunition expensive as you said but because even the ones with older receivers are no longer in the configuration that they were in when used by the Ottomans and instead have little actual interesting service history beyond the internal policing of Turkey. I for one feel so lucky to have gone in with some friends on an order of M1 Garands from the CMP for under 700 dollars back in June. Those rifles are so ridiculously priced outside of the CMP that it actually makes me sick. Seems like the minimum asking price at the gun shops and shows is an insane 1200 dollars.
Yea sad to say it may be really be over or coming to end. It’s very rare now to find any deals on any milsurp firearms. Ammo is getting expensive as well. Sadly it’s over.
Now with armslist dead I've been hitting the gun show circuit lately. I've recently stumbled across a Finnish capture 91/30 with a stock splice and perfect bore for 275 and a Mexican m24 carbine for 400. Found mint m48 for 260 at a local lgs too. It's definitely difficult, but I can still find some good deals. I think a lot of it has to deal with the gun culture here in Wisconsin. Tons of shops and gun shows so you're bound to stumble across something good eventually.
I thought I was done with C&R purchases, but I've found a few. I snagged a Yugo tokarev, it looks new. I also grabbed a Carcano Cavalry carbine for low 200's and it is in really nice condition. I still want a MAS 49/56 which I see are available for now. I didnt get a deal, but I also purchased a Colt M1917 revolver. Its a lot of fun and when you could get .45 ACP.
I got my tokarev this year for 200$ and my mak for 340 (still upset I wasn't into guns when everything was much cheaper) took them both to the range yesterday with my friend who only shoots glocks... he fell in love with the tokarev
Went to a gun show in Myrtle Beach and everything was higher in price (obviously). While the American surplus "historical" firearms were higher in price. Anything that wasn't American, especially Carcanos were still in the 2-300 something price range. Mosins too
That's still insane for an M1. They are $500-800 rifles IMO due to the sheer number of them. BUT, the hype and demand causes them to skyrocket with everything else.
I didn’t get an enbloc clip with my Carcano from the same place you got yours. The gun shows around here are hard to find any deals. Most of the guns are AR15’s. The older guns are priced at the highest going rate on gunbroker. And forget about getting any ammo deals on common calibers. Might be able to get a deal at a smaller gun show. Still the best place to get deals is hang out in bars and take advantage of drunks or look for divorcées or widows that got their partners guns and just wants to get rid of them
@@sergeantmarcusstackerM1903CCI at walmart was selling for more than that before Covid, Winchester M22 was selling for $.10 a round. So I was buying Federal red box for 3.8 Cents. (thoes prices quoted were after tax and the Governors $1 background check fee)
Just got my Calvary Carbine from that place that you mentioned. Ordered it Tuesday afternoon, here Thursday. Even bought some en bloc clips which they had and are in short supply. Price was good, shipping 14 Washingtons. Have to find some ammo which I think will take quite a bit of time with all the demand. Wood looks pretty good. Metal needs cleaning. I cannot figure out how to latch the bayonet in either position. Haven't checked bore. Will do so when I clean it. Seems like a good deal.
Press the button/move the lever, then pull back towards you on the bayonet, it should slide out, then rotate it outwards, and pull it back in to the bracket, it should lock. Reverse to close it.
Bought a pristine swiss k11 long rifle made in 1916 for $500. Obviously because they where never served in wars, but because of the pandemic it was a great deal. I was originally looking for a Turkish Mauser because my great grandfather served in the Ottoman Empire in ww1. Found one but I would have to sell my car for it and I'm only 18.
Been rec shooting/collecting up in Canada for the last 10 years, very proud of my collection & how much I've paid or not even had to have paid for, going to the point where I have a printed list of pretty much every independent store to look at😅 Also at the age where the people who got me into the sport are leaving me in charge of/in my name their firearms when they pass.
They've been creeping up in price, but yes, they are still on the affordable side. Mainly because ammo is a fucking bitch to get for 7.7x58 and 6.5x50.
Only deals I find are trades and sells from friends who have the courtesy of telling what they'd prefer to sell and what they actual sell for. Edit: Oh and I have a source on P08's that didn't fluctuate in price. If everything is over priced, may as well splurge a little more on something cool. On a side note I saw a yugo sks sell for 800. I paid 750 for my cmp garand lol
I've gotten out of buying surplus firearms. Cannot justify it when a brand new Pietta cap and ball revolver is $200-300 or an Uberti cartridge revolver is $400-500. Had the chance to buy an M1 for $1200, but chose a Miroku-Winchester 1873 off the rack instead, mainly because I cast and reload 44-40 already and have no interest in reloading anything but black powder.
I'm almost there. There's a few rifles I still want, like a Lebel, but after that I'm about done. Black powder is too damn fun, and loading up for Trapdoors and the like seems really fun. I've been eyeing a Lemat, something like that is just too damn unique and cool and it's fantastic they make reproductions of them.
@@lunarpking the black powder rabbit hole is dangerous. And your wife/girlfriend will get annoyed with you spending 5 hours boiling hot water after a range day
I like the idea of Milsurps, but after having M1s and 1903-A3s with fully adjustable sights, most or nearly all Milsurps won't cut it with me. I have been spoiled by the M1 and 1903-A3.
I started getting serious on surplus sometime in between "the good old days" and the dried up desert scene of today. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a few good ones before prices became insane. My k31 is still my favorite. Just pulled the trigger on both a m91 cav and a TS. Might be the last cheap good ones for a little while.
Mike, as of today I just purchased my second FSR Swedish Mauser for a very reasonable price. It has the micrometer rear sight and globe front sight in place of the post and tangent. Granted, it is non matching but the bolt matches the receiver. This will be more of a shooter in my opinion, as it appears to have very strong rifling. 6.5x55 is more or less readily available online (compared to 556 or 9mm) through sgammo. The same place I bought it from also had very reasonable prices on K31s as well (not classic firearms)
I got my Yugo KAR98K last month for $490 before Taxes. And last Summer I scored a Intact minus the stock Finnish M91 Mosin Nagant for $100 The Barreled action was a matching Tula barrel and receiver from 1925. Also got a South Korean shortened M1 Bayonet (Shortened US M1 Bayonet) for $36 at the same gun show I got the KAR98K at.
Oof. That's really steep on the Yugo. As I said thousands of times, as long as people keep paying the prices, they'll keep going up at a rapid rate. This is why I don't see a positive future in the hobby.
I think best deal of last year and this was my garand at $1100, way better than the 2k I see up here in the midwest and surpsingly pretty clean carcanos reasonably priced this year
Got mine a few weeks ago in canada for $400 and agreed the surplus has dried up and prices are through the roof. Even compared to 5 year ago most have more than doubled here.
This is why I mostly got into Cold War era though you're mostly only limited to pistols. You can still find good deals on milsurp Combloc pistols and occasionally NATO pistols will turn up, unfortunately most of the really cool stuff like Walther P5s and HK P7s have dried up.
I thought TheKabo49 did a video recently disproving the myth of 91/24 being inaccurate. I recently picked up an M91 cavalry cabine in 8mm Mauser, for cheap!
Koba isn't always correct, neither am I. Most people who have gone out and fired their 91/24s that I know personally said it was terrible accuracy. I trust these people, and the opinions of others online that have had the same results. Maybe he just got lucky with his.
Did the UK ban military surplus imports? I know handguns are banned but I would have thought the rifles would have made their way there even though the market is smaller.
I've got one of those Turkish Mauser rifles that I really enjoy. Great shape and picked it up for 200$. I have horrible experiences with 8mm Mauser ammo though, especially surplus. All hangfires and missfires unless I'm getting the expensive new production stuff.
Up here in canada is kinda getting like that but it's weird. I know you said no 91/24s but the one I picked up is basically full of trench art and it cost me litterally 300 dollars. We got carcanos coming in cheap but we also still have cheap sks rifles, both russian and chinese. Last year I picked up a canadian smle with canadian marked bayonet and frog for litterally 500 bucks. About 100 came in as surplus, but people up here dont really know how rare things are since the popularity of shooting and collecting is no where near as strong as it is in the states. But then again it's weird, I've seen mosins being listed for 600 dollars, yet things like berthier rifles being listed for 700 which for a hundred bucks more you get a way rarer rifle than a mosin. Another thing is pistols are about 150% more expensive here than in the states but a mint tt 33 regardless of country or manufacturer costs less than 300. M1 carbines are dirt cheap right now too. The canadian dollar is worth a bit less than the US dollar as well so all those prices are less in US dollars
I will say that while I prefer American gun laws to Canadian gun laws as a whole, I have always been both interested and and jealous in some of the more exotic arms that Canadians get. New Chinese and Russian weapons have been banned in the states for a while, which sucks because if Norinco rifles were still allowed to be imported, decent AK and SKS platform rifles would probably be here for cheap. Czech and Polish weapons seem to be very readily available in Canada, as well. Vz-58 rifles seem to be more plentiful there and I have never seen a BRS-99 for sale in the states.
I picked up an M38 Carcano in 6,5 about 3 weeks ago from my LGS for only $100 while I picked up another gun there. thing was pretty much in perfect condition as far as milsurps go, the bore was good and the bluing was pretty much all there. I definitely missed the original wave of cheap surplus since I turned 18 only a year ago, but deals are still out there, you just gotta look.
Great video Mike, gosh you make me feel old when you say moisn 91/30s being 70 or so. Buying one and picking a spam can of 440 rounds for 75 dollars. I must say the cavalry carcanos can be picked up for 100 dollars at gun shows if you get a dealer that's willing to bargain. Im just glad my surplus rifles were bought before all this craziness
My favorite place was Armslist. Bunch of old men in my area having no clue that the price of their smle and k98 have risen exponentially and they sold their rifles to me for really cheap prices. Now Armslist turned to paid member only, I dont know where to get more to complete my collection
No deals left on surplus. Save yourself 200 or 300 dollars and just buy a brand new savage .308 bolt action rifle. Then realize the 54r and .303 brit are old rounds that need to be laid to rest.
Have you ever shot bolt competitions? I ask because if you had, you would realize what junk Savage rifles are. The rifles we milsurp collectors like and enjoy are built to various military specs and are built to be reliable and durable. They are not deer rifles. And saying those calibers are obsolete says plenty about your knowledge on the subject of cartridges and their capabilities. Now, youngster, back down the hall to the nursery you go. The adults are talking here.
I feel like in my case, i was pretty lucky. I started collecting about 2-3 years ago. Most of my collection I obtained for 150-300 dollars from local gunshows. Most people there are classic Fud lore Boomer types, but you might get someone thats reasonable and willing to negotiate. Now this obviously doesnt apply to any american military rifle because those weapons are absurd in price. But for example I picked up a m38 carcano calvary carbine in 6.5 for 150 bones.
Yeah unfortunately there’s so many factors working against this being a cheap hobby. There’s the fact that supplies run dry, that regulations are getting stricter, that interest in the hobby is always growing, the unscrupulous sellers jacking up prices, and of course the gullible people that then pay those jacked up prices, etc.
Mike, I think an interesting question is what is a “deal” on surplus guns. A brand new Springfield M1A is about $1,700 if you can find one. A Garand in decent shape is arguably just as good, maybe even better. It also has history and is collectible. If you can find one for less than the cost of an M1A, you could make a strong argument it’s a “deal.” Sure, we’d all like it if a Garand was still $75, or whatever people paid in the 70’s. But that’s not happening. Military surplus guns were good deals for a long time because you could get rugged high quality guns for cheaper than a similar consumer model. If a Winchester Model 70 is out of a person’s budget, but he could find a nice Mauser or K31 for half the price, that was a deal.
You're using an extremely specific example to prove your point, and you don't need to do that. I literally said in the video that surplus used to be cheap and affordable to those who couldn't afford more expensive commercial arms, and that's no longer the case in most situations. I'm not saying we should be paying prices from 40 years ago, my point is that the whole point of surplus was to pay less than commercial firearms, and nowadays, commercial firearms are more affordable than most surplus..............................................
Yes, I agree with you on that. When Mosin Nagants got close in price to a Ruger American hunting rifle and the spam cans of cheap ammo were gone, there was no longer much reason to buy one, except to collect history
Just got a carcano 6.5x52 no one has bullets but e bay had clips for them 😃 . I missed out on a police Beretti want to slap my self but I know I am new at surplus stuff . Can't be jumpy but need to be quick
Be patient I came across two mosin 91/30 w/Bayonets in a pawnshop that had been there for awhile for $145 each. One being a tula hex receiver. I looked them over the best I knew too and checked the barrels make shure they weren't shot out. I kept dropping by and offering to buy both for $100 each. One day they sold them to me at that price. Overall though the stock's were not in pristine finish but in sound condition and able to be refinished with scars or left in pitena condition. Probably why no one had bought them yet. Deals are out there just fewer of them. As for Carcano's ammo, good luck, that's scarce stuff. Won't be buying that ammo at any common store.
I remember in the 90s when i was a kid my dad had crate of sks selling them for $90 a peice them a few years later they were $250 then $450 i thought people were just crazy. Then mosens were $70 now people asking $300+ shits crazy
@@MikeB128 m91 carbine. Made in 36. Its got scratches but that ads character in my opinion. I cleaned up the metal and the bore so I can fire it with 100% confidence and the rifling is still good in it which is amazing He threw in like 10 rounds too, im gonna get me an enbloc soon too
I contemplated getting a Chinese Type 54 from Classic but waited to long like usual. As soon as this video dropped they were gone. I’m sure I’ll find a bunch on GunBroker for double pretty soon haha. Not your fault though. They’ve been on the market for more than a month.
I never recommend classic to people. There are better places with more integrity to spend your money on...There are still Type 54s available for $350, you just have to know where to look...
@@MikeB128 oh I know. I’ve had hit or miss experiences but most have thankfully been pretty good. It’s harder and harder to find places with integrity these days. A lot of the local classifieds, estate sales, gun shows, and pawn shops around me suck. RTI is usually somewhat sketchy, GB is ok but expensive, I’ve looked at some other surplus sights but haven’t bought from many other than parts. I know which ones you usually like, I may just have to keep my eyes open and give them a go. I also know a few older people that are starting to be ok with the idea of parting with bits of their massive milsurp collections. My only concern is that older people usually find an astronomical price of one in perfect condition with all of the sought after markings and dates (not like theirs) and they go “I know what I got sonny” and they name some crazy price that it isn’t really worth. I’m hoping to not run into that so much haha
A few years ago I had purchased a Turkish Mauser, but it did not have matching serial numbers. I only payed about eighty dollars. How much do you think it is worth today? Thanks Mike!!!
@@MikeB128 didn't you say couple episodes back that you where in the hospital and had to go into emergency surgery to pop the abcess you had and drain it?
@@buckberthod5007 It's not surgery, they insert a needle in to it and then put the plastic tubing in where the needle was and I still have that in. But I am feeling better every day. Thank you.
I was at the Conway gun show 2 weeks ago and this fella selling surplus rifles had a couple Springfields in great shape for sale at around a thousand. It’s a bit steep for a bolt gun, then I look on the internet for prices and there’s plenty of crackheads selling them for 2 grand and up
Some people on a local website trying to sell Sporterized Springfields for $900 where I live, then it sits for months, "OKAY $850 lowest I can because I know what I got"
@@franknbeanz147 I really hate that crap. Unless you had a very knowledgeable gunsmith do all the work and made it nicer than it was before, you ruined the value champ, this gun is on clearance now imo.
Hey mike, what do you think about the Beretta 85 police trade-ins from a certain DK website. Earlier this year I was able to make off with one of them for around $215 I believe and it has been an absolutely phenomenal gun. I also got one of their Bulgarian Makarovs for around $300. Both were fantastic guns for a great price (at least, a great price for the short time I've been buying surplus firearms) but Idont see them coming back for those coming back any time soon. Do you know anything on the quality of fit and finish between tokarevs or are they all pretty much the same?
I bought 2 Turkish mausers for $50 in the 90s. Good times.
Are there still deals to be had...
Short answer: *NO*
The long answer:
*HELL NO*
you are extremely correct. if you want old mausers buy them now. even if it is a little pricey. it will get a lot pricier when that little commie biden is the prez. i bought an old peruvian mauser for $125.00 same rifle just sold for $500.00
I just bought a tokarev for 180$ from stock and field, going out of business sale.
The new age of cheap surplus is buying the stuff that nobody else wants or stuff in weird calibers. If you can get used to converting brass, a lot of cool deals can be had.
Hopefully one day we can get surplus Russian ak’s 😔
Step one is getting the NFA repealed
You sorta can. Go to Rguns and drop $850 on a kit.
First the Democrats have to stop the "muh russian interference" stuff so that trade relations can be mended and open to currently blocked items.
Step 2, eliminating all the 80 year olds running the country
It’s iraqveteran8888 that’s putting these prices
i will say, that while milsurps are more expensive now. I've found that the quality of the pieces has been higher.
So true. In the 13 rifles that I have purchased in the last year or so, I've only received one semi-dud. All of the others have had excellent bores for surplus.
@@JustaGuy1250
I wouldn't say that, I am about to bubba my Norinco SKS with a Polymer stock and scope
@@vanguardnumber4253 good idea! i wish more people thought like you it’ll make the one i bought that much more expensive :p
I got extremely lucky this year, I friend of mine (who just retired) sold me a M1 Garand for about half what it should cost. Plus he (same friend) sold me a non-matching Russian SKS for a ridiculous low-low price. Both a in great shape. He was thinning out his collection and he just wanted to get rid of them.when he told me the price, I had to ask him twice, because I just couldn’t believe it! And as a cherry on top, I picked a slightly sporterized Kraig carbine for about $400 (plus shipping). It was for sale on my local gun forum. So 2020 collecting-wise has been pretty good! Thank goodness I have a C& R License and COE (needed for my state)
TH-cam killed the milsurp market
I've gotten really lucky with estate sales, both local and online. More often than not, the surviving family members of a deceased collector aren't interested or just don't want to deal with dad\grandpa's gun collection, so they offload it at estate sale auctions. They tend to be below what gunbroker prices will ask. I'm not at all saying the "Boomer die-off" will supplement the market, but you can catch a deal every now and then if you look beyond gunbroker.
Yep. But people don't want to dig deeper than Gunbroker or Armslist.
Estate sales/items are great for most collectible things. Just gotta have patience which isnt too common nowadays. I scored a nice 50s Briar pipe with birdseye grain for 30 bucks at one, versus the 80+ price tags you'd see from some (hate to say it) boomer sitting on it.
@@zacharytomes5202 I've scored Military equipment at estate sales sometimes.
@@zacharytomes5202 Yep! I picked up a matching Yugo M48A(b) for $371 and a refurb Russian SKS for $575 that way. Patience and sometimes just simple networking is the way to go, especially in this kind of hobby.
A lot of wealth from boomer die off is about to hit the market (not just guns), I foresee a lot of work for lawyers from boomers kids contesting those wills... or lack of them!, buckle up kids it's gonna get bumpy!!
I just bought an amazing Turkish Mauser and cleaned it up a bit. I’ve been lucky enough to find a few hundred rounds for it too, thank GOD
don't pay over $200 for a damn mosen to start let em sit
RIGHT ! The good ones dried up many years ago at any price. The '39 to present were spit out too fast and are crap. Sestoryesk was the smallest Russian producer with the least output at around 600,000 in the early 1900's. France was the first manufacturer of the design in 1895 because nobody took interest and those are priceless.
The pre 1925 Finnish (Finn made or re-arsenaled) are the best of many countries that jumped on the bandwagon.
Mine is a 1907 - unfired and perfect when I got it. Dead-ass accurate if you can measure in Arshins.
When non german Mausers cost less then mosins you know somethings wrong
Found a m44 at a gun store for 475$
Yea, bought my first rifle in 1984. It was a Lee Enfield No. 4 for $39. Nobody wanted these worn-out old bolt action relics of a bygone war. I used it for deer hunting. I sold it a few years later for not much more than I paid for it. I checked online and saw one for sale at $795. Wow.
Just scored a Yugo M48 Mauser, can't wait to start cleaning it!
I'm happy I picked up my 1903 springfield when I did. I love it to death.
I picked up a m91/30 Mosin this year for $250, a Mk1 #4 Lee Enfield for $350, a K98 mauser for $500, and a 1942 manufacture Inland m1 carbine for $750. The deals are out there if you take the time to look hard enough
No way this isn’t satire
And that also incredibly depends on your location, where I am it is difficult to find most things at any price, most of what you described is what sporterized one's sell for here.
My father bought an M-1 Carbine from mail-order government surplus in the late 50s, I think for $15. The last time I used it was 1985. I still wish he'd bought an M-1 Garand instead. In the 80s, a military collector introduced me to The Shotgun News.
All those romanian toks that were JUST abundant for low to mid $200s are now magically being sold for $375 by the retailers who bought them up. Thats how fast the market can change.
In the early 70’s I was on light duty at the battalion armory at ft Knox. They had easy 100 crates full of ww2 us .45’s, carbines etc and all the 30-06 ammo you could imagine. Just at one battalion. Where did it all go?
CMP probably grabbed it up. If you look at how big the country is, those guns are spread thin around the U.S. now.
I was thinking that if we had that at one battalion imagine the military’s total holdings at that time.
I picked up cz-52 and just love it !
Seeing all the ads on your videos never ceases to bring a smile to my face. It's awesome to know that you're getting money (aside from your job and your website obviously)
Unfortunately got into the surplus collecting late, but that's part due to only being 26 and currently working with a lower enlisted paycheck. I do have to say the surplus Beretta 81 that came in this year were a nice deal imo and I love mine. Type 56 SKS was a fun project to go through and deep clean.
I am also 26 and I tried to get into the Airforce after college, rejected on the grounds of being a mental defect, that is what I am still considered according to their official "medical science" because I have a form of extremely high functioning autism, but at least that means I get to collect my Japanese rifles.
i just bought a beretta m1951 for a couple hundred
Hope you are feeling better.
Every day is a little better. Thanks!
Unfortunately armslist is toast
It's frustrating, I've got tons of good deals on there
Why?
@@ted3681 no more free accounts. Go to it and try to msg somebody about something
@Rancid Pancakes : Sooner or later, they will catch on to that, but even so, for that to work, SOMEONE still has to pay until we boycot the hell out of them to where they decide it is better to live off of the advertising revenue they had, or have nothing.
my BFF gave me a really nice Carcano. cant find ammo, really want to run some rounds through it.
I think the Turkish M38s are in a weird spot in terms of collecting since not only is the ammunition expensive as you said but because even the ones with older receivers are no longer in the configuration that they were in when used by the Ottomans and instead have little actual interesting service history beyond the internal policing of Turkey.
I for one feel so lucky to have gone in with some friends on an order of M1 Garands from the CMP for under 700 dollars back in June. Those rifles are so ridiculously priced outside of the CMP that it actually makes me sick. Seems like the minimum asking price at the gun shops and shows is an insane 1200 dollars.
Yea sad to say it may be really be over or coming to end. It’s very rare now to find any deals on any milsurp firearms. Ammo is getting expensive as well. Sadly it’s over.
Now with armslist dead I've been hitting the gun show circuit lately. I've recently stumbled across a Finnish capture 91/30 with a stock splice and perfect bore for 275 and a Mexican m24 carbine for 400. Found mint m48 for 260 at a local lgs too. It's definitely difficult, but I can still find some good deals. I think a lot of it has to deal with the gun culture here in Wisconsin. Tons of shops and gun shows so you're bound to stumble across something good eventually.
I think people should also factor into the cost and availability of ammos for surplus firearms
Enjoy watching the content you put out. Thanks!
I thought I was done with C&R purchases, but I've found a few. I snagged a Yugo tokarev, it looks new. I also grabbed a Carcano Cavalry carbine for low 200's and it is in really nice condition. I still want a MAS 49/56 which I see are available for now. I didnt get a deal, but I also purchased a Colt M1917 revolver. Its a lot of fun and when you could get .45 ACP.
I got my tokarev this year for 200$ and my mak for 340 (still upset I wasn't into guns when everything was much cheaper) took them both to the range yesterday with my friend who only shoots glocks... he fell in love with the tokarev
Turkey makes some very fine firearms now and in the past
Went to a gun show in Myrtle Beach and everything was higher in price (obviously). While the American surplus "historical" firearms were higher in price. Anything that wasn't American, especially Carcanos were still in the 2-300 something price range. Mosins too
I doubt anything German was.
I actually found a whole cache of surplus guns in a small gunshop on Saturday. 6 M1 Garands. All below $1,500.
That's still insane for an M1. They are $500-800 rifles IMO due to the sheer number of them. BUT, the hype and demand causes them to skyrocket with everything else.
$1500 for all six?
@@misterj2875 no. Each.
@@misterj2875 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA.... Yeah, fuck no. Lucky to find any garand for sale under 800 dollars.
I didn’t get an enbloc clip with my Carcano from the same place you got yours. The gun shows around here are hard to find any deals. Most of the guns are AR15’s. The older guns are priced at the highest going rate on gunbroker. And forget about getting any ammo deals on common calibers. Might be able to get a deal at a smaller gun show. Still the best place to get deals is hang out in bars and take advantage of drunks or look for divorcées or widows that got their partners guns and just wants to get rid of them
There’s a special place in Hell for those who sell 550 rounds of .22LR for $75
There's an even more special place for the retards who pay that.
@@sergeantmarcusstackerM1903CCI at walmart was selling for more than that before Covid, Winchester M22 was selling for $.10 a round. So I was buying Federal red box for 3.8 Cents. (thoes prices quoted were after tax and the Governors $1 background check fee)
Canik pistols come from Turkey and they are FANTASTIC and inexpensive for what you get.
Just got my Calvary Carbine from that place that you mentioned. Ordered it Tuesday afternoon, here Thursday. Even bought some en bloc clips which they had and are in short supply. Price was good, shipping 14 Washingtons. Have to find some ammo which I think will take quite a bit of time with all the demand. Wood looks pretty good. Metal needs cleaning. I cannot figure out how to latch the bayonet in either position. Haven't checked bore. Will do so when I clean it. Seems like a good deal.
Press the button/move the lever, then pull back towards you on the bayonet, it should slide out, then rotate it outwards, and pull it back in to the bracket, it should lock. Reverse to close it.
Bought a pristine swiss k11 long rifle made in 1916 for $500. Obviously because they where never served in wars, but because of the pandemic it was a great deal. I was originally looking for a Turkish Mauser because my great grandfather served in the Ottoman Empire in ww1. Found one but I would have to sell my car for it and I'm only 18.
Been rec shooting/collecting up in Canada for the last 10 years, very proud of my collection & how much I've paid or not even had to have paid for, going to the point where I have a printed list of pretty much every independent store to look at😅 Also at the age where the people who got me into the sport are leaving me in charge of/in my name their firearms when they pass.
Type 99 Arisaka's go for about $200 for what I've seen. I got mine for $203
They've been creeping up in price, but yes, they are still on the affordable side. Mainly because ammo is a fucking bitch to get for 7.7x58 and 6.5x50.
@@MikeB128 yeah, that's your only down side is you'll be paying $1.50 - $2 per round, and not everyone has the ability to make their own ammo
Only deals I find are trades and sells from friends who have the courtesy of telling what they'd prefer to sell and what they actual sell for.
Edit: Oh and I have a source on P08's that didn't fluctuate in price. If everything is over priced, may as well splurge a little more on something cool.
On a side note I saw a yugo sks sell for 800. I paid 750 for my cmp garand lol
I got a krag for $150 off some oddball auction site, i nearly crapped myself lol
I've gotten out of buying surplus firearms. Cannot justify it when a brand new Pietta cap and ball revolver is $200-300 or an Uberti cartridge revolver is $400-500. Had the chance to buy an M1 for $1200, but chose a Miroku-Winchester 1873 off the rack instead, mainly because I cast and reload 44-40 already and have no interest in reloading anything but black powder.
I'm almost there. There's a few rifles I still want, like a Lebel, but after that I'm about done. Black powder is too damn fun, and loading up for Trapdoors and the like seems really fun. I've been eyeing a Lemat, something like that is just too damn unique and cool and it's fantastic they make reproductions of them.
@@lunarpking the black powder rabbit hole is dangerous. And your wife/girlfriend will get annoyed with you spending 5 hours boiling hot water after a range day
I like the idea of Milsurps, but after having M1s and 1903-A3s with fully adjustable sights, most or nearly all Milsurps won't cut it with me. I have been spoiled by the M1 and 1903-A3.
I started getting serious on surplus sometime in between "the good old days" and the dried up desert scene of today. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten a few good ones before prices became insane. My k31 is still my favorite. Just pulled the trigger on both a m91 cav and a TS. Might be the last cheap good ones for a little while.
Mike, as of today I just purchased my second FSR Swedish Mauser for a very reasonable price. It has the micrometer rear sight and globe front sight in place of the post and tangent. Granted, it is non matching but the bolt matches the receiver. This will be more of a shooter in my opinion, as it appears to have very strong rifling. 6.5x55 is more or less readily available online (compared to 556 or 9mm) through sgammo. The same place I bought it from also had very reasonable prices on K31s as well (not classic firearms)
You all really need to go to some rural gun stores. I pulled a Gewehr 98 for 500$, and a Belgian 89/36 with K98 bayonet for 500$ aswell.
I got my Yugo KAR98K last month for $490 before Taxes. And last Summer I scored a Intact minus the stock Finnish M91 Mosin Nagant for $100 The Barreled action was a matching Tula barrel and receiver from 1925. Also got a South Korean shortened M1 Bayonet (Shortened US M1 Bayonet) for $36 at the same gun show I got the KAR98K at.
Oof. That's really steep on the Yugo. As I said thousands of times, as long as people keep paying the prices, they'll keep going up at a rapid rate. This is why I don't see a positive future in the hobby.
This one surplus shop I live close to has a 1903A3 for sale for $500, looked pretty nice and I was debating on getting it.
I think best deal of last year and this was my garand at $1100, way better than the 2k I see up here in the midwest and surpsingly pretty clean carcanos reasonably priced this year
Got mine a few weeks ago in canada for $400 and agreed the surplus has dried up and prices are through the roof. Even compared to 5 year ago most have more than doubled here.
I got an M88A for 150 yesterday. They had a Bulgarian makarov for 200 too. I already have a nice one though but the price was right.
This is why I mostly got into Cold War era though you're mostly only limited to pistols. You can still find good deals on milsurp Combloc pistols and occasionally NATO pistols will turn up, unfortunately most of the really cool stuff like Walther P5s and HK P7s have dried up.
Picked up 2 carcanos from palmetto state armory for cheap. They have 2 variants for 239
Great video Mike. I appreciate you devoting some time to the early milsurp collector
I thought TheKabo49 did a video recently disproving the myth of 91/24 being inaccurate. I recently picked up an M91 cavalry cabine in 8mm Mauser, for cheap!
Koba isn't always correct, neither am I. Most people who have gone out and fired their 91/24s that I know personally said it was terrible accuracy. I trust these people, and the opinions of others online that have had the same results. Maybe he just got lucky with his.
@@MikeB128 I remember he got those results with proper sized bullets, not commercially available under sized PPU ammo most Cacano owners shoot.
I bought a Spanish Mauser for about the same price tag as a Turkish Mauser; 8mm ammo is definitely getting up there in price though.
This video effects me (English) in no way but it’s interesting none the less, keep up the good content Mike!
Did the UK ban military surplus imports? I know handguns are banned but I would have thought the rifles would have made their way there even though the market is smaller.
i sold a german 98k about 10 years ago. after trying to acquire another german one, i regret selling it. these things are really expensive
Yep. Even the butchered sporterized rifles are going for stupid prices.
@7:22 Quite clear, so you mean something with DK, firearms, surplus in the URL, right? ;)
I just picked up a Romanian Tokarev today, total price with shipping and background check fee was less than $300. Planning to shoot it tomorrow
Good luck finding ammo for it :(
I've got one of those Turkish Mauser rifles that I really enjoy. Great shape and picked it up for 200$. I have horrible experiences with 8mm Mauser ammo though, especially surplus. All hangfires and missfires unless I'm getting the expensive new production stuff.
Ppu 8mm is pretty good and relatively cheap online but I don't think they make it all the time
Timing is everything
Up here in canada is kinda getting like that but it's weird. I know you said no 91/24s but the one I picked up is basically full of trench art and it cost me litterally 300 dollars. We got carcanos coming in cheap but we also still have cheap sks rifles, both russian and chinese. Last year I picked up a canadian smle with canadian marked bayonet and frog for litterally 500 bucks. About 100 came in as surplus, but people up here dont really know how rare things are since the popularity of shooting and collecting is no where near as strong as it is in the states. But then again it's weird, I've seen mosins being listed for 600 dollars, yet things like berthier rifles being listed for 700 which for a hundred bucks more you get a way rarer rifle than a mosin. Another thing is pistols are about 150% more expensive here than in the states but a mint tt 33 regardless of country or manufacturer costs less than 300. M1 carbines are dirt cheap right now too. The canadian dollar is worth a bit less than the US dollar as well so all those prices are less in US dollars
I will say that while I prefer American gun laws to Canadian gun laws as a whole, I have always been both interested and and jealous in some of the more exotic arms that Canadians get. New Chinese and Russian weapons have been banned in the states for a while, which sucks because if Norinco rifles were still allowed to be imported, decent AK and SKS platform rifles would probably be here for cheap.
Czech and Polish weapons seem to be very readily available in Canada, as well. Vz-58 rifles seem to be more plentiful there and I have never seen a BRS-99 for sale in the states.
I picked up an M38 Carcano in 6,5 about 3 weeks ago from my LGS for only $100 while I picked up another gun there. thing was pretty much in perfect condition as far as milsurps go, the bore was good and the bluing was pretty much all there. I definitely missed the original wave of cheap surplus since I turned 18 only a year ago, but deals are still out there, you just gotta look.
Indeed.
What does LGS mean if you don't mind me asking?
Kenan Kabbani local gun store
Great video Mike, gosh you make me feel old when you say moisn 91/30s being 70 or so. Buying one and picking a spam can of 440 rounds for 75 dollars. I must say the cavalry carcanos can be picked up for 100 dollars at gun shows if you get a dealer that's willing to bargain. Im just glad my surplus rifles were bought before all this craziness
Gun shows suck. Ever since the internet got popular, I haven't seen any deals, and don't waste money going to them.
My favorite place was Armslist. Bunch of old men in my area having no clue that the price of their smle and k98 have risen exponentially and they sold their rifles to me for really cheap prices. Now Armslist turned to paid member only, I dont know where to get more to complete my collection
It's paid only now? That explains why any good deal is done. I got my Luger for 500 last year off Armslist.
@@lunarpking you have to be paid member to save listing to favorite, post listing, and reply to listing. Milsurp sellers locally disappeared overnight
No deals left on surplus. Save yourself 200 or 300 dollars and just buy a brand new savage .308 bolt action rifle. Then realize the 54r and .303 brit are old rounds that need to be laid to rest.
Have you ever shot bolt competitions? I ask because if you had, you would realize what junk Savage rifles are. The rifles we milsurp collectors like and enjoy are built to various military specs and are built to be reliable and durable. They are not deer rifles. And saying those calibers are obsolete says plenty about your knowledge on the subject of cartridges and their capabilities. Now, youngster, back down the hall to the nursery you go. The adults are talking here.
You look good mike look way healthier then in previous videos
Turkish Mausers were around $275 in early spring, now they’re around $400, at least that’s what I saw.
You're not looking in the right places then....
I picked up a Type 99 Arisaka in original configuration (Nagoya Arsenal, series 7) for 100$
I feel like in my case, i was pretty lucky. I started collecting about 2-3 years ago. Most of my collection I obtained for 150-300 dollars from local gunshows. Most people there are classic Fud lore Boomer types, but you might get someone thats reasonable and willing to negotiate. Now this obviously doesnt apply to any american military rifle because those weapons are absurd in price. But for example I picked up a m38 carcano calvary carbine in 6.5 for 150 bones.
Yeah unfortunately there’s so many factors working against this being a cheap hobby. There’s the fact that supplies run dry, that regulations are getting stricter, that interest in the hobby is always growing, the unscrupulous sellers jacking up prices, and of course the gullible people that then pay those jacked up prices, etc.
Mike, I think an interesting question is what is a “deal” on surplus guns. A brand new Springfield M1A is about $1,700 if you can find one. A Garand in decent shape is arguably just as good, maybe even better. It also has history and is collectible. If you can find one for less than the cost of an M1A, you could make a strong argument it’s a “deal.” Sure, we’d all like it if a Garand was still $75, or whatever people paid in the 70’s. But that’s not happening.
Military surplus guns were good deals for a long time because you could get rugged high quality guns for cheaper than a similar consumer model. If a Winchester Model 70 is out of a person’s budget, but he could find a nice Mauser or K31 for half the price, that was a deal.
You're using an extremely specific example to prove your point, and you don't need to do that. I literally said in the video that surplus used to be cheap and affordable to those who couldn't afford more expensive commercial arms, and that's no longer the case in most situations. I'm not saying we should be paying prices from 40 years ago, my point is that the whole point of surplus was to pay less than commercial firearms, and nowadays, commercial firearms are more affordable than most surplus..............................................
Yes, I agree with you on that. When Mosin Nagants got close in price to a Ruger American hunting rifle and the spam cans of cheap ammo were gone, there was no longer much reason to buy one, except to collect history
I've seen M1 Carbines at a gunshow last month for under $800.
Just got a carcano 6.5x52 no one has bullets but e bay had clips for them 😃 . I missed out on a police Beretti want to slap my self but I know I am new at surplus stuff . Can't be jumpy but need to be quick
6.5 Bullets are everywhere. Cases, and now primers, that is another story.
Damn, I turned 18 during the pandemic and am now looking to get a gun, sucks for me ig, I literally just wanted a mosin
hurry buy a carcano man there cheap, I just bought mine lol.
Be patient I came across two mosin 91/30 w/Bayonets in a pawnshop that had been there for awhile for $145 each. One being a tula hex receiver. I looked them over the best I knew too and checked the barrels make shure they weren't shot out. I kept dropping by and offering to buy both for $100 each. One day they sold them to me at that price. Overall though the stock's were not in pristine finish but in sound condition and able to be refinished with scars or left in pitena condition. Probably why no one had bought them yet. Deals are out there just fewer of them.
As for Carcano's ammo, good luck, that's scarce stuff. Won't be buying that ammo at any common store.
hey..Turkey builds some bad ass stuff brothers...lol
I remember in the 90s when i was a kid my dad had crate of sks selling them for $90 a peice them a few years later they were $250 then $450 i thought people were just crazy. Then mosens were $70 now people asking $300+ shits crazy
Limited supply, elevated demand. Simple capitalist economics.
I laughed so hard @4:03. You're really adorable!
Yeah okay
Hope you’re doing well Mike
I found a guy selling a Gewer 98 from 1917 for $300. It's not numbers matching. Should I jump on it?
Go check out my video about asking questions like this......
I actually just bought a carcano yesterday, it was 300 but my friend that owns the gun store sold it to me for 280
Which model?
@@MikeB128 m91 carbine. Made in 36. Its got scratches but that ads character in my opinion. I cleaned up the metal and the bore so I can fire it with 100% confidence and the rifling is still good in it which is amazing
He threw in like 10 rounds too, im gonna get me an enbloc soon too
What kind of shirt is that? Love the olive drab and tilted pockets.
Vietnam era shirt / jacket
Local shop has a mint yugo M48 for $800. Should have bought one when they were $300 in a box.
Jeeesus. Yeah.
Hmm where can you get carcano ammo?
found a place that had some enblocs cheapish at numrich gunpartscorp
Is it just me or do tokerev grips look like Zingers
Holy shit you just made my day 😂😂😂
6.5 X .52 currently selling $4.00 per round....cheap gun expensive ammo
Yah I’d you’re collecting military surplus you’re going to want to get into reloading
I contemplated getting a Chinese Type 54 from Classic but waited to long like usual. As soon as this video dropped they were gone. I’m sure I’ll find a bunch on GunBroker for double pretty soon haha. Not your fault though. They’ve been on the market for more than a month.
I never recommend classic to people. There are better places with more integrity to spend your money on...There are still Type 54s available for $350, you just have to know where to look...
@@MikeB128 oh I know. I’ve had hit or miss experiences but most have thankfully been pretty good. It’s harder and harder to find places with integrity these days. A lot of the local classifieds, estate sales, gun shows, and pawn shops around me suck. RTI is usually somewhat sketchy, GB is ok but expensive, I’ve looked at some other surplus sights but haven’t bought from many other than parts. I know which ones you usually like, I may just have to keep my eyes open and give them a go. I also know a few older people that are starting to be ok with the idea of parting with bits of their massive milsurp collections. My only concern is that older people usually find an astronomical price of one in perfect condition with all of the sought after markings and dates (not like theirs) and they go “I know what I got sonny” and they name some crazy price that it isn’t really worth. I’m hoping to not run into that so much haha
You should make a video of how to fix the surplus market if possible
People need to stop paying stupid prices for them. I've made these videos, it's not going to change anything. The market is toast because of this.
@@MikeB128 thanks for the reply didn’t know if the theory on how to help and try to get prices back to “normal”
A few years ago I had purchased a Turkish Mauser, but it did not have matching serial numbers. I only payed about eighty dollars. How much do you think it is worth today? Thanks Mike!!!
Do research. Don't rely on others to do work for you that you can do yourself.
What is dk?
Really wish I knew what site to search for these at
The site is called 20 years of working hard and trading smart... Probably more time than you currently have on this planet...
Have the steyr m95s gone up in price to the point they’re not worth it?
Bought a carcano carbine. Just waiting to find ammo for it ri shoot.
How's the bores/barrels on the carcanos?
As I said, they're great.
Is it a good idea to pick up a nagant before even they rise in price
If you pay the stupid prices, the prices will continue to rise. I'll just say that.
Do you have a store in Wisconsin?
No
How are you feeling Mike after your surgery?
Didn't have surgery.......
@@MikeB128 didn't you say couple episodes back that you where in the hospital and had to go into emergency surgery to pop the abcess you had and drain it?
@@buckberthod5007 It's not surgery, they insert a needle in to it and then put the plastic tubing in where the needle was and I still have that in. But I am feeling better every day. Thank you.
I think a good way to get a deal on milsurp is going to pawn shops. I found a Jericho 941fs for $450 bucks a couple weeks ago here in Texas.
I was at the Conway gun show 2 weeks ago and this fella selling surplus rifles had a couple Springfields in great shape for sale at around a thousand. It’s a bit steep for a bolt gun, then I look on the internet for prices and there’s plenty of crackheads selling them for 2 grand and up
That's what I meant by "It's mostly over".
Conway SC?
@@Functionalfitness4360 nah, Arkansas
Some people on a local website trying to sell Sporterized Springfields for $900 where I live, then it sits for months, "OKAY $850 lowest I can because I know what I got"
@@franknbeanz147 I really hate that crap. Unless you had a very knowledgeable gunsmith do all the work and made it nicer than it was before, you ruined the value champ, this gun is on clearance now imo.
Hey mike, what do you think about the Beretta 85 police trade-ins from a certain DK website. Earlier this year I was able to make off with one of them for around $215 I believe and it has been an absolutely phenomenal gun. I also got one of their Bulgarian Makarovs for around $300. Both were fantastic guns for a great price (at least, a great price for the short time I've been buying surplus firearms) but Idont see them coming back for those coming back any time soon. Do you know anything on the quality of fit and finish between tokarevs or are they all pretty much the same?
You don't need my validation on your purchases. If you like them, so be it.