Milsurp rifle trends at southern gun shows.

[Ignition Override]

Having been unable to attend any in the Memphis area for months, what changes are evident with classics such as Yugo/Czech/German 'RC' Mausers, Enfield #4/#5s etc, even the various SKS types?

Has the wider availability of surplus 8mm ammo (now also old .303) or any other factor changed anything for these, compared to one year ago?

Despite planning to buy a first Garand at the CMP this summer, hope to find another nice LE #4/5 or original Mauser, listed above.
My second (nice) LE #5 only listed for $350 at the show last September, around 1300 on Saturday, which really surprised me.

 

[UpandAtIt]

The gun shows near me has exploded in NUTSY prices, they are wanting $200 for 91/30'sMosin Nagants with round rec, Finnish M39's in so-so condition they are wanting $350 to $400 for.

VZ24 and M48s are about the same as they were last year. One new thing was a gun smith who extends the Mauser type rilfes magazine well to 10 and 20 rounds, it is a perm change. I think well worth the $75 he charges to do the work. He had samples there and if the actuals were as good, very well done. He is out of a place called Lodi Ohio.

What did surprise me is the reduction in prices of M1 Carbines and M1 Garands from a year ago where people were wanting $1200 for beat up Garands, they are now in the $600 to $800 ranges.

AK47 / SKS type rifles have risen considerably, almost laughable.

Decent ammunition has risen at least 100% and some even 250%. I actually laughed at the .22lr prices, totally out of line as far as I am concerned. Lots of really good deals on 2 - 3 year old (NOS) reloading equipment and accessories but the components were fairly high. Powder and primers were totally off the charts high.

None of the winchester, remington and other new bolt actions were NOT selling at all. Dealers were damn near begging and offering all kinds of extras.

There was a guy there with a whole table of SVT40's, the russian semi-auto rifle in 7.62x54r. He was wanting $800 each but I am sure he could have been talked down a little. He also had FN49's and Egyptian Hakims but they both seemed kind of high to me.

 

[Ignition Override]

Very interesting, and you must be in a large town or near a major city where the recession is not so bad? The sellers you described seem to live in a world of self-delusion, believing that the ObamaPanic never cooled off, or they believe that lots of gun show visitors are very naive.

If anybody wanted that much in Memphis for a very common MN91/30 in typically banged-up shape, it would never sell.
And this goes for a worn SKS. You seldom see decent examples, unless a very over-priced Polish MN 44 (not really for sale) or maybe two nice Russian SKS, again and again....

Our nice Yugo Mausers are at decent prices and the marked-up Garands from the CMP don't appear to sell.

Most adults can recognize vague, meaningless b.s. in some gun show sellers' responses to questions about why certain prices are jacked up.