Favorite Military Surplus Rifle

G

gungho

New member
So I've become completely enamored by military surplus rifles of late.

I don't like Mosin Nagants (mainly the safety), I like the SKS rifles (semi-automatic), I've never fired any Mausers so I don't really have an opinion on them, I love the Lee Enfield (10 round capacity bolt action is pretty much unheard of except for in the Enfield, well not now that Ruger has a new rifle out with those characteristics).

I don't have much experience with US military surplus rifles. At the latest gun show I was at someone had an M1 Carbine for sale for $400. Wishing I'd have jumped on it as I see they're around $600+ looking online. It seemed to have been in good shape.

I'm sure there's others that I'm leaving out and I love to hear everyones thoughts and opinions on their favorite military surplus rifle. :)
 
Interesting link, thanks for sharing. I don't think my local gun range is a member of the CMP so I'm not sure if I am eligible.
 
I like most of them. Gotta love a classic battle-rifle.

Personally, I really like the Mosin's. Nothing screams rugged artillery quite like them, and you can use the muzzle blast for some spot-welding in a pinch. For the dirt cheap cost, they are loads of fun!

Mausers, Springfield 03's, and Garands are others I really like, but don't own :(. I have hopes of getting an M1 Car sometime soon, but I keep pushing it farther down the list. I'd also like to get my hands on a Krag.

Really any of the rifles are great. Always nice to see a little piece of history.
 
I just double checked the websites list of CMP gun ranges and the one I am a member of is on the list.

$500 bucks for a working M1 Garand might be in the works after all... :D

EDIT: My dad has a 30-40 Krag rifle. He likes it except it doesn't feed properly from the magazine so it's pretty much a single shot.
 
I like all of them, but I guess if push came to shove, I'll have to jump on the band wagon and say the M1 Garand.

My CMP (then DCM) Garand is 70 years old, Chamber gages 7, Muzzle gage just short of "2", by all accounts it should be worn out. Here is the target fired prone un-supported. Its' still capable of keeping them in the X-10.

M1%20Target.JPG
 
hands down....

The SKS! I love that rifle. No. 2 is the Mauser, but there's something about the simplicity and reliability of the SKS that I love so much. Ammo cost might have something to do with it. Also, there are not many rifles you can field strip and clean without any extra tools/equipment. Quick loading with a stripper clip and $300 is a nice price for this great firearm too! I have two 56's... and would love to find a cheap yugo.
 
My son and I have a few milsurps including 2 K98's, a Steyr straight pull(Complete with Nazi head stamp on the brass case head), Mosins(91-30, 38 & 44), an M1 Garand, .30 carbine, an M1A, an AK and others I can't remember. Each is unique in the way it looks and shoots. But my favorite is "Luca", my K31....
 
No opinion on Garands but I'd love to own a nice one. Swedish Mausers(Carl Gustaf, Husqvarna) are beautifu and a flat shooting cartridge. The slick, fast bolt action of an Enfield is sweet an you get .311 diameter stopping power. Swiss K31s have sweet slick straight pull actions, are accurate and the surplus GP11 ammo is high quality(match grade?) and you get what most expect from anything Swiss built. Mosins are cool, rugged, and you get lots of bang for your buck.
 
Mosin Nagant's... I have 1929 hex 91/30, 91/59 carbine, and a 1953 Hungarian M-44. Also like the 1903 Springfield. Mine is a Remington.
 
OH NO! My soft spot...old war weapons...I love how the Russians all sat in the trenches carving on their stocks :) Makes them more interesting. SKSs are fun and you can modernize them pretty well if you want. I have some tricked out and some the way they are supposed to be. Garands are just...awesome. Merely being in the presence of one gives me a feeling of Patriotism. As far as shooting, there is nothing more fun to shoot than an M1 Carbine. I don't know what it is about those rifles. I could shoot mine all day except for fear of it breaking my face from all the smiling. Nothing to be proud of now that I've grown up, but I once (0ver 30 years ago) popped a bat out of the air with an M1 Carbine...I think I was 15. My friend kept missing with a 12 gauge so I thought I'd give it a try lol...NOW, I have a greater respect for animals/nature and don't shoot senselessly.
 
Gotta go with the SKS! Had it for almost 15 years and I'll keep her till the day I die... I bought a mosin a couple years back but never got to shoot it,bolt wont close with a round in.... Something bout bolt swappin(dont have a spare) or headspace issues so it sits in the gun cab. Either way its a cool lookin rifle! But hands down I love my SKS!!!
 
No doubt the SKS, AK's, and Mosins are very popular. They are very inexpensive, and therefor naturally well liked. Plus; ammo is relatively cheap, so shooting them is even my fun. I like all 3 of mine.

But there is absolutely no comparison when it comes to military weapons, to my 1955 H&R M1 Garand. Yes, it's a CMP service grade that happen to come in 1 piece shy of being a correct grade. (I swapped out that part - trigger housing). It is too sweet. Not as practical a gun as the AK's or my AR's; or even an SKS; but it is by far the best military surplus gun I've ever shot.
 
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