Milsurp Quest

Real Mosin Nagant snipers in decent condition are long dollars and lots of fakes out there. Running around $800 on Gunbroker.
Ditto for the No. 5 Lee-Enfield. Suspect there are fewer real No. 5's Stateside too. They run about $800ish too.
"...Lee Enfield SMLE "T sniper"..." No such thing. A 'T' is NOT an SMLE. It's a No. 4 Mk I*.
E-Bay is an evil anti-firearm ownership empire that finances the people who want to take your firearms away from you.
 
Mosin Nagant Sniper:
Unlike many I've always liked the lines of the MN, and the snipers are just cool. This one partially comes from my love of gaming where I'll grab a Mosin as soon as possible, the relatively cheap ammo just adds to it.
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You can get a regular Mosin, then either buy a bent bolt or have the bolt modified. Then have a reproduction scope put on to it. This would be cheaper.

The relatively cheap ammo is sweet. I don't currently have a Mosin but thought about buying a crate or two of ammo.
 
Ah, such a list and missing most of the true beauties. You need:

(a) Swedish Mauser, 1896 & variations, 6.5x55. Super accurate right off the production line.
(b) A Garand, .30-06. A must have for plinking, especially zombies.
(c) Any flavor of German or Yugo K-98 Mauser, 8x57 or Argentine 7.65. A "true" Mauser is a requirement.

No MilSurp Collection can be true if it doesn't start here.....
 
I appreciate all the feedback, as for all the other Milsurp suggestions don't worry they're all on the list. I'd love a Garand and my new LGS of choice has a couple lovely shooters on the racks.

As for the replica scope suggestion for the Mosin, does it require any permanent modification? I mean if I'm just popping a scope on I'd love to be able to have the scope sometimes then just irons other times.

A Dragunov is also high on the list, but I put it under 'Modern' guns myself despite the designbbeing several times my age :D

Strange that the Jungle Carbine is rare, I see them all the time around her between $350-500.
 
As for the replica scope suggestion for the Mosin, does it require any permanent modification? I mean if I'm just popping a scope on I'd love to be able to have the scope sometimes then just irons other times.
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This is a problem easily solved.

Just buy two Mosin Nagant's :D

That way you have one with scope, one without. At current prices how could you go wrong?
 
Since you've "come into the money" (your words), buying a 91/30 Mosin-Nagant and then outfitting it with a repro mount and scope is well, as far from being a "collectible" milsurp as you can get.

Although recently sold out, genuine snipers (refurbed after WWII, then arsenal stored) were available in the $600-$700 range until just a few months ago. While a bit pricier than that now on the secondary market- at least it would be a true collectible, rather than a repro with little actual value. Make sure you do your due diligence- a lot of fakes, and misrepresentations (both intentional, and just ignorance) out there...

The PU optic sits far above the bore- it does not need to be removed to shoot with the irons. In fact, it's more difficult to shoot with the optic because the stock comb drops off sharply (as one would expect to be able to get low enough to the bore to shoot with the iron sights)- and it takes a "chin" weld (no cheek weld here...) to be able to get your line of sight high enough to use the scope.
 
Swiss Products makes a no modify scope mount that clamps onto the receiver of the K-31. Extremely stable and is offset a bit to the right, but it doesn't affect cheek weld much.

It's about $90 IIRC, also get the Aluminium one, not the Steel. Unless you absolutely positively want to pay for a steel one, it's just as stable as the Aluminium one.
 
I agree with getting two mosin's, one for tinkering and a nice Finn for collectible. the price of ammo is just short of stunning, and you going to want one that's a shooter(scoped, bedded, cut/crowned...whatever) and one that's a collectible. still cheaper than a true "sniper", by half
 
Regarding the Jungle Carbine...

You say you see them all the time. At one time they were hot on the collectible lists, and some nefarious folks tried to fake them from regular Enfields, others bought "regular" Enfields and converted them into "replica" Jungle Carbines. Be sure of what you are looking at.

First, the barrel band should be at 8" instead of the usual 10+. Most importantly, pull the hand guard and look at the receiver. There should be lightening grooves machined into the edges of the receiver. The standard Enfield does not have these, the receiver is round with a flat top. Chances are if you pop the hand guard and see the grooves to the left and right of the flat top of the receiver, its genuine. As always YMMV

By the way, you'd THINK the rubber butt pad would help with recoil, wouldn't you? If you shoot it standing the first time, be sure you don't anyone, pet or people, right behind you when you pull the trigger. You might step on them.

OH - by the way, I failed to mention that collecting milsurps is ADDICTIVE - OP your list won't end with what you put in the starting post in this thread!
 
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I'll second (or is it third or fourth or...by now) the K31. Just got one about a month ago and plan to use it for CMP Vintage Military matches. Had it to the range a couple times and it lives up to its reputation and the surplus GP11 ammo is unbelievable, and fairly inexpensive. Empty PPU brass costs more than a loaded round (I'm learning how to reload Berdan-primed brass - it's not hard at all).

My milsurps: K31, M1 Garand, M1903A3, M-N M39, M-N 91/30. I shoot nothing but iron sights on these out to 200-300 yards.

  • LOVE the Garand(s). These were my first milsurps. Nothing compares.
  • The K31 lives up to its reputation.
  • So does the 1903A3. Didn't think I could find an affordable one but CMP released some last summer.
  • M39 is from gunsnammo.com. Prices continue to rise on those. It was going to be my Vintage Military goto rifle until the K31 showed up.
  • 91/30. Why not? Got it over a year ago but haven't shot it enough to judge it yet. So far, it's a keeper.
 
I went through my milsurp period and enjoyed that time immensely.
The K31 is a must.
WW2 mauser is a must.
Mosin: skip the sniper and get an M38 or M44.
Jungle carbine. eh... I think that a full-size Enfield would be more fun to shoot.
Arisaka. Type 38 carbines are a hoot to shoot. You will have more difficulty finding commercial 6.5 Japanese ammo than 7.7 ammunition. Neither falls off trees.
semi-autos:
SKS: nice, solid, fun choice. Ammo is cheep, they're rugged and mine was pretty accurate.
Hakim: just another excuse to double up on the 8mm Mauser ammo you were buying for the bolt action above.

Happy collecting and shooting.
 
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