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  1. #1
    Legacy Member I.H.1989's Avatar
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    What should be my next WWII era firearm?

    I've been slowly working on my WWII firearms collection. Right now, I own a firearm from most of the major powers of WWII.

    USAicon - M1 Carbine, M1911
    UKicon - Lee-Enfield, Browning Hi-Power
    USSR - Mosin-Nagant
    Germanyicon - K98, P38

    The only one that I don't have is Japan, so I have been looking around to see if there are any that are available in my area. I was lucky to find a gunshop that has a few for sale, but I am unsure if i want to get an Arisakaicon, or if i should go for an M1 Garand, or is there anyhing else that I should go after instead?

    Any thought from anyone out there?
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    Last edited by I.H.1989; 03-23-2017 at 05:03 PM.

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    You need to make that decision for yourself. You are missing a lot of nations rifles. Japan, France, China and Italy being the major powers. Finlandicon, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Canadaicon, Australiaicon, Swedenicon, Norwayicon, Denmarkicon. Bulgaria being among the minor powers. Granted some of them remained neutral throughout the war but the Swissicon K31 is an absolute must in my opinion.

    Japaneseicon and Italianicon rifles are still bargains despite some serious movement on the Japanese end. Poland is already expensive, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands almost impossible to get, China is cheap but try finding a decent one. Canada and Australia often get lumped in with the UKicon and they did you a lot of the same equipment. France and Finland are reasonable but moving up. Switzerland's days of cheap K31's are unfortunately over. They jumped to $600-$700 it seems but you still might find a bargain or two to be had in the $400 range if you are persistent and lucky.

    If you want a true basic WWII collection you have to include the Frenchicon, Japanese and Italian weapons as a must. I'd also push China pretty hard too because their war actually started in 1937, they fought just as hard as everyone else and are just largely forgotten by us here in the west.

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    Legacy Member I.H.1989's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aragorn243 View Post
    You need to make that decision for yourself. You are missing a lot of nations rifles. Japan, France, China and Italy being the major powers. Finlandicon, Poland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Canadaicon, Australiaicon, Swedenicon, Norwayicon, Denmarkicon. Bulgaria being among the minor powers. Granted some of them remained neutral throughout the war but the Swissicon K31 is an absolute must in my opinion.

    Japaneseicon and Italianicon rifles are still bargains despite some serious movement on the Japanese end. Poland is already expensive, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands almost impossible to get, China is cheap but try finding a decent one. Canada and Australia often get lumped in with the UKicon and they did you a lot of the same equipment. France and Finland are reasonable but moving up. Switzerland's days of cheap K31's are unfortunately over. They jumped to $600-$700 it seems but you still might find a bargain or two to be had in the $400 range if you are persistent and lucky.

    If you want a true basic WWII collection you have to include the Frenchicon, Japanese and Italian weapons as a must. I'd also push China pretty hard too because their war actually started in 1937, they fought just as hard as everyone else and are just largely forgotten by us here in the west.
    I was focusing on the big five for the moment, but I am also open to other nations as well. I will keep in mind the French and Italians since I will probably go for them next.

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    An Arisakaicon will be far cheaper than an M1icon rifle...but you'll need them both eventually.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member HOOKED ON HISTORY's Avatar
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    I am guessing Aragorn either has you very excited to know what you are missing or perhaps ready to throw in the towel. His list reminds me of some holes in my collection and is a very sound advice. I think an M-1 Garandicon might be a good 1st on the list as CMPicon is running low and prices seem to be headed up. I have to go with Aragorn on a K-31 (big five or no) you will not regret picking one up. GP-11 ammo is still out there and they are a mechanical work of art and very accurate.

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    Legacy Member Ronbo6's Avatar
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    If you are interested in some great-shooters as well, down the line, you just MIGHT want to look at the Finn-modified Mosin Nagants. Those Finn armorers really knew what they were doing.

    The Finns also are historically significant in that they basically fought TWO wars with the Sovieticon Union (or one war with a 'time out') during the WWII timeframe.

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    Legacy Member I.H.1989's Avatar
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    I was curious about M1icon Garands. I've seen a couple by CAI, and I wanted to know if anyone here has had any experience with those firearms. Are they good, bad, somewhere in between?

    EDIT:

    Nevermind. Found out about how they have a bad reputation.
    Last edited by I.H.1989; 03-23-2017 at 10:01 PM.

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    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    I was just saying to my wife on Saturday at the Maryland show that I was very glad to have started when I did. Realizing that I even started a bit late. I don't envy anyone coming into this today and just starting out unless you have a money cow in the backyard.

    The Garandicon is a gamble. CMPicon is running out but the previous administration is gone and there are thousands of them in South Korea that they had been holding up for years. Probably not real high on the new administrations list but we can hope. I expect some importer will bring it to their attention at some point.

    Rifles I see the most of at shows are Garands and Arisakas. Everyone has them, $1000 for the Garands, $300 for the Arisakas. Nagants still around but not everywhere, $250 now, hard to believe. Carcanos next, $250 range. No4 Enfields, next, $300-$400. Very hard to find are any Frenchicon with Berthiers being the most common now. Can almost forget the Lebels. MAS occasionally and still reasonable.

    Best bet for bargains are private sales if you have any way to watch for them. Have to be fast with military items though, if bargain priced, they will go the first day the ad is up.

    ---------- Post added at 10:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------

    If it is imported by CAI, it's fine. If it was made by CAI, that's the problem area. They did both. They made their own receivers and these are the ones to avoid. You need to ensure it has a USGI receiver, and make sure it wasn't rewelded together after a demill. There are searchable sites that can explain what to look for better than I can.

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    Legacy Member Eaglelord17's Avatar
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    Italyicon and Japan were both major powers in WWII, and both would be relatively easy to represent.

    A Arisakaicon Type 38 or 99 would be a good representation for the Japanese until you expand out, or if you go with Italy the M38 Carcano would be a good candidate for representing them (though any Carcano from the M91s to the M41s would be equally as good a representative).

    A Steyr M95/30 would also be a good option as it represents both Hungaryicon and Bulgaria, both fairly large players in WWII who mostly get forgotten about.

    You could also expand the Sovieticon side of things a fair bit as there is many models of Mosin Nagants as well as the SVT-40s, TT-33s and Nagant Revolvers. As far as I am aware these are still relatively cheap and common (for the moment).

    What I do with collecting is I create a general list of what I am looking for, and if one off that list appears at a reasonable price point I buy it. Trying to get one specific rifle can often lead to you overpaying as you just want that specific item and can get tired of waiting.

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    Contributing Member Aragorn243's Avatar
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    SVT-40's are around $1200-$1400 in the US, another prior administration problem I'm hoping gets corrected. Import restriction.

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