Collecting and shooting Milsurps on the cheap

[Aragorn243]

I would like an SVT really bad. But I'm not willing to pay $1000 for something that will most likely plummet in price as soon as we get a president that will lift the import ban. The same thing is going to happen to all these Norincos. Doesn't make sense.

[browningautorifle]

I would like an SVT really bad.

Wish I could just send you one...we got lots...

[Brian Dick]

With the current U.S. Department of State import/export embargo on all things Russian, I wouldn't hold my breath about the ban being lifted regardless of who the President is. I can't even export a Mosin Nagant 91-30 sniper rifle that was imported at least 8-10 years ago and sold by Interordnance in North Carolina. The majority of Russian weapons imported in the past 20 years have come from the Ukraine which makes things even more dicey. I'm an optimist and live in hope too but really fear the good 'ol days of quality, (and some not-so quality milsurp imports), has come and gone. The UN rules on cutting them up instead of offering them up to the legal gun trade has taken a big jump forward too in just the past 5 years. Our taxpayer dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling at work. Very sad.

[enfield303t]

Well if I was starting from scratch I would go the SKS/91-30/SVT line and hunt for good ones. They are decent for what you pay and it doesn't take a lot to make them much better. I think we have 4 SKS models, one being a D and we shoot one in particular which is accurate enough to enjoy especially considering how cheap the ammo is. The one SKS we use on a regular basis has had thousands of rounds thru it, all corrosive and still shoots "pretty darn good".

Are they super accurate no however considering they are really cheap I am not going to complain. My son bought me a decent (not great) 91/30 and also a Timney trigger for it. Let me tell you that gun is accurate beyond belief and a standard clay at 200 is a given shot when my son uses it and probably 70%+ for accuracy in hitting one at 300. Yes the finish is crappy, kicks like a mule but the let off of the Timney makes it a dream to shoot.

I also notice so many speak disparagingly about Norinco products. Yes some are beyond crude and for sure QC is a oxymoron at times however again I have shot a CQ and a M305 and believe me they are capable of making you keep your head down out to some pretty decent range. The CQ is not as good as a DPMS we have however some pretty serious money has been invested into the DPMS and it better be a good gun. At this moment I can buy a CQ for 530.00 Canadian dollars, ($328.00 USD) you can't complain about that.

The M305 can be a decent gun IF you hunt for the best one you can find. Indexing on some must have been checked by Stevie Wonder but that is fixable with effort and a GI part providing you get the gun cheap. A good friend purchased a Springfield M14, holy crap nice gun but for $2,500.00 it better be and IMHO the receiver is not as strong as the Norinco M305. You can get a M305 in Canada for 600.00 ($450.00 USD) and for a couple hundred bucks and a clinic on what to do make it one damn accurate gun.

Will write more, just got a call from a old school buddy I haven't seen in over 50 years..off for coffee!
Back, it was great to see my friend Dave. He was the "Fonz" in school, black combed back hair, white Monarch convertible and personality plus. He is off to see his sister in Vancouver who I dated in high school. I am going to visit him there next week...

Back on subject. As I said the Norc 305 can be built into a very accurate gun with a little work and not a lot of money. A buddy just has two on the way, one a short barrel which I am interested in and a factory camo gun which I think must be the long barrel model. They may never be as accurate as a Springfield however for less than a grand I know it will give my friends $2,500.00 gun one real scare. There is a guy in BC that gives clinics on how to improve your 305, weld the gas block and a few other changes that make it very acceptable.