Having trouble finding cheap military surplus weapons

[Seth Prather]

Hi, I have been constantly searching, but it seems the days of cheap surplus rifles are over. I've seen threads about 12 years old of people discussing a new gun they got for like 75 bucks online. Now that same gun is 325 bucks, from the same website. The weapons I'm looking for cheap are any of the following: Swiss K31, M98 Mauser, Yugo M48, Nagant 1895 Revolver. So can anyone help me? Thank you.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

Welcome to the forum, cheap is relative. You can find deals but the days of post war prices are far gone. If you don't get into the collecting now, the prices are only going to rise I'm afraid...

[Eaglelord17]

Sorry as mentioned cheap has for the most part moved on. Most the stockpiles that existed have been sold off and what is on the market now is more or less what will ever be on the market.

[Sunray]

Used to be that milsurps were sold by the pound. That's approximately 50 years ago. The days of cheap surplus rifles were over 35 to 40 years ago.
Cheap is definitely relative though. I paid $175Cdn.(lotta money at $6.25 per hour or less.) for my M1 Rifle and my '03A4. Over 40 years ago for the M1, about 35 for the Springfield. To replace 'em would be roughly $1500 to 2 grand for the M1. Not sure I could replace the '03A4 for under 3 grand. Probably not in Canada at all. And I'd have to sell a kidney to do it.
The thing is that there's no place to order any kind of milsurp. The old distributors cannot buy 'em any more. And the Third World Debating Club has ended the international trade in small arms. So what is Stateside, is all that's left. And none of the firearms you want have been made for 70 years or more either. It's become a case of, "If you want to play, you have to pay." Even then the supply is limited.

[enfield303t]

When it comes to price on milsurps he who hesitates is lost.

[BruceHMX]

I started collecting when I threw newspapers for a living at the ripe age of 12. Naturally my Dad had to sign for the ones purchased at a store. But the one's picked up from WW2 vets on the paper route was a normal thing and no big deal. Was in the Army when the big surplus flood came in during the Reagan years. Got my first C&R license and the Sarco $239 Inglis Hi Powers started pouring in. Was on a first name basis with salespeople at Sarco, Century Arms, Samco, Navy Arms, and Interarms. Had a townhouse where the entire first level was like a museum garage was used to clean, inspect and preserve. Then comes things like baby, sickness, retirement then divorce. First collection gets sold with keeping select pieces. At that time I really took notice oh how much these guns are worth. Especially when matching serial numbers, condition, and availability. Started second collection a few years after that and was much harder and pricier to find the things I wanted. Alas that one went by the wayside too for some of the reasons stated above. Now I started a new one 10 years ago and be damned if this one ever gets broken down. But I am much more selective now and have stuck with UK firearms. The items you listed should be fairly easy to find and limit yourself to one really nice item at a time that if in when the need comes to sell you not only get what you paid but a profit. As many above have stated they are not making them anymore.

[Aragorn243]

Swiss K31 $500-$600
M98 Mauser $600 up
Yugo M48 $300-$400
Nagant 1895 Revolver $300

[Frederick303]

I suppose I am out of step with the thoughts of collectors Seth, there is some hope lots actually. I have been collecting since the summer of 1982, going on 35 years. It is not a bad time to start now, though different by far from the two great low cost periods of collecting (1953 to 1968, 1985 to 2005).

1) The numbers of old military collectors is not growing but declining in the US of A. I hear arguments against that all the time, based on myopic vision of linear projection of prior trends. but I have seen prices falling in PA (with the exception of K31 rifles) in the last year. The baby boomers are a larger cohort than the Gen X, and the family background of the generations also favor less collectors. Prices are not going to go up forever, though it is unrealistic to expect the prices to be as low as they were in the pre 2006 era when the stuff was being given away. All of the folks my age (53 to 60) who were big collectors are starting to thin out their collections, not adding (except rare and high priced items to close out a long term collection). That leaves plenty of opportunity for a young chap who has time, knowledge and discipline.

2) If you are young you are likely used to being able to find what you want now. That is an attitude of the internet generation. Those of us who grew up in the pre-internet era were used to waiting years to find a item we want at a price we could justify. Literally. an example:

In the fall of 1986 I saw a HK91 and heavy barrel Israeli FAL that I wanted to buy at a local show. $750 each. Had no money. By the time I had money in 1989, the first mass shooting raised prices to around 1,500 to 2,000 each. No buy. The panic dissipated. Found the HK 91 in 1991, for 900. Bought it. I had to wait until 2007 until I found a nice heavy barrel Israeli 1985 build, which ended up costing me $1,050.

Now in 1991, $ 932 was the equivalent of 750 in 1986. In 2007 $ 1,418 was the equivalent of 750 in 1986. So in both cases I actually got the guns cheaper, though it took me 5 years in one case and 21 years in the other.

There are lots of deals out there , if you take the time to look and have knowledge. I have been out of actively collecting for a while, but the last deal I got was a C block miss match GI bring back AC45 P38 for 500 dollars out the door 2 weeks ago. Rare piece, everyone is known to be GI bring back, assembled form parts at the factory between 9 April 1945 and 1 July 1945. Cheap price at a store because all the guys that looked at it had no idea what it was and it was a miss match. They passed, I pounced. I could name more such deals in the last 6 years, such as a Hungarian K98 and Polish rebuild Gew 98, both for 250 each. Priced attractively because folks did not read enough to know the less common variations and not knowing what they looked at passed.

A key is be educated. Read as much as you can. Figure out the prices, know a deal when you see one. Know the variations. Build up a list of items you are interested in and the price you will pay. Go to shows where stuff will be found and look. Old guys are too tired to get there early, be sure you do.

So you have to be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort to find attractively priced items. You must have sufficient knowledge to know a good deal from a dud, cash on hand to buy when needed, and sufficient discipline not to let a pocket of cash dissipate during the long wait on junk.

The method to find good prices milsurps is to go to small gun shows/swap meets. Shows that cater to individuals dumping their unwanted items, not dealers. These are typically 1 day shows. The guys want to sell and a 1895 Nagant they bough in 2001 for 79 dollars, well they may be very pleased to get 160 in 2017 rather than take it home. So you are paying more, but 79 in 2001 is around 110 today by the standard inflation model. Not a bad deal.

Lastly join any local collecting organizations in your area. Get to know the collectors. You will get deals that way, I have sent many a deal to young chaps that I knew of that I had no interest in. if I sell an item, I can give a young guy a good price that leaves us both happy and avoids a lot of work for me, and being older, well I am far too busy to spend the time to get the most out of my items when I cull them.

So with time, research and luck you can still build a fine collection, but it will require discipline, maturity and the ability to defer gratification and build a cash pot.

---------- Post added at 03:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------

Oh, by the way what do you consider a cheap K31? I ask as I am in a club and deals come my way all the time in K31, JG11 and more commonly, K11 rifles.

If you have a C&R they can be sent directly too you.

[Aragorn243]

I also live in PA and where I live, there are almost no milsurps to be found, interest is sky high and prices are also sky high and rising. Only declines I've notices are AR's and AK's coming down from the Obamascare insanity. Following Gunbroker, I see this trend continuing nationwide so interest is not in decline, it's the exact opposite.

[antiqucycle]

My suggestion is to keep 6 "benjamins" tucked away in the deepest part of your wallet. Where to look? Smaller gun shows and pay attention to whoever wanders in with a single gun.
Do be willing to travel 100 miles to shows. Hit garage sales, house and farm auctions. Flea markets. i have had good luck at gatherings of "coon hunters" or hunting clubs.
Its a matter of being in the right place at the right time, doesn't hurt to have a bore light with you or a Harbor freight free flash light,