Having trouble finding cheap military surplus weapons

[Frederick303]

Seth,

$180 today is the equivalent of $129 in 2001. That is less than the first K31 batch wholesale price that came in around that time. True the price quickly dipped to around 89.99 dollars wholesale, but prior Swiss arms and ammunition were rare and costly. The only source of ammunition was Norma at around a buck a round. The rifles were not cheap either, pre 2000. For example I paid 200 in 1998 for a K11, which is the equivalent of $303 today and was a good deal at the time, prior to the mass importation of K31 rifles. It was bought so my father's Swiss M1914 knife bayonet would have a rifle to fit it, he paid $1.35 for it at a surplus store around 1965.

If you are looking to find rifles at the same price as when they were mass imported, well sorry that will not occur. I felt the same way you did in 1982, when I had to pay 75 dollars for rifles that had sold for $15 to $25 just 15 years before in 1967 and hearing what were old timers to me talk about the good old days when they mailed them to your house, no questions asked. Looking at the old American rifleman that were about, the Carcanos at $12.95 made my 35 to 57 dollar deals seem highway robbery. In 1983 I was outraged that a miss-match K98K was 90 to 100 dollars, (Springfield M1903s at around 105) but eventually I yielded to buy a matching DOU 1944 for 125 in 1989. At the time it seemed like just a fair deal. But here I am 35 years later with a collection far better than I ever expected to have, on paper at least worth 5 times what I paid for it.

There are still deals out there and there will be more in the years to come, if for no other reason then demographics. Not to mention anything new made is cheaper in real terms than in my day. For example my first AR15SP1, used cost me 400 in 1984, which is the equivalent of 950 today, when a nice AR15 can be had for around 400 or less today. If this administration continues, at some point the floodgates will open for one more surplus period, as the last major obsolete arm lots from Korea, Thailand, Burma, Turkey, Algeria, Cuba, Russia, Vietnam and India flow into the US. Lesser condition for sure, but you may well live to see it. As a young chap in 1981/2 I had no expectation surplus arms would ever be importable again, and yet thy were only 3 years later.

Finally there are deals right now, but not in the popular guns. For example Spanish civil war arms are still cheap, easy to research with some at 250 and under. Mosin 91 and 91/30 rifles can still be found in the 250 range if you network. Save your money, research and read , make your list and happy hunting. believe it or not, but the hunt is more than half the fun, and worn treasures that it takes work to acquire have far more value during your lifetime than purchases made on the whim of the moment when your wallet is flush. My first real firearm purchase, a M93 Turk Mauser purchased for 70 dollars from Springfield Sporters in September 1982 is still in my possession, valued and in a place if honor; despite the fact the bore is well worn and the bolt a mismatch. That rifle is wrapped up with many family memories, is subjectively worth more than the most complete K31 collection possible today.

BruceMHX,

I agree, the top notch items will always bring a premium, but the lesser items that the vast majority of us collect and shoot will not appreciate at anywhere near the last 12 years, and in fact will likely drop in constant dollar terms, for reasons spoken of prior. but the rare items will likely rise in real dollar terms.