what the best milsurp rifle

There is still quite a bit of surplus 7.62x54R and 8mm around. We seem to be on the tail end of .303 and 7.5x55, and forget about 7.92x56R - there are are probably more rifles left in that caliber than there are rounds for it. I can't speak for 6.5mm or 7mm, or anything Carcano or Arisaka, but I suspect it's all dried up, too
 
TX Hunter:

Is the 7.62x39 still considered mostly a surplus round, with so much produced in good old Russia?
I don't mean to be picky, just curious about peoples' views. Maybe it is, if so much corrosive Yugo ammo is years old.

Shooting the SKS and Mini 30 never gets old.

Other than MN 7.62x54R ammo, 8mm Mauser seems the way to go, and really nice Yugos are readily available. The surplus 8mm is a lot cheaper than .308.
 
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I'm guessing this is subjective to the people who like what over what, so I will just list my favorites as the Best Of Mil Surp in no particular order other than I like em. My 2 favorites on the list are Number 1 and 13 that are in my collection. Unless noted in brackets most of them reside in my collection squirreled away until I finish my contract.

My favorites:

1)The extremely under appreciated VZ 52 SHE
[Preferred rifle of Castro and the Cuban revolution. It has been supposed that if the Czech's hadn't rearmed with the 52 SHE, then Israel wouldn't have had many guns since they sold off quite a few Mausers to the Israels during their war of independence. It was also used in Grenada which is where my rifle came from. Caliber is the Oh so popular 7.62X45mm. Yep mine has been converted to fire X39 somehow. There is no bushing insert BTW for conversion, I think it was milled. It was done before my time, No its not a 57 conversion that was unmarked.]

2) K31

3) Yugo Mauser in 8mm

4) Mosin, any.

5) Makarov

6) Swedish Mauser

7) M1 garand[someday after all others are acquired on the list]

8)Hakim rifle in 8mm OR rashid in 7.62X39[Let me know if one if for sale in your collection!!!!!!)(Prefer Hakim]

9) FN-49 any caliber [see above statement]

10)Tokarav pistol TT-33 [picking up in May-June time-frame]

11) SKS

12) VZ 58 rifle [See 8 and 9 in brackets]

13) No4 Mk2 Enfield

14) PPSH [Anyone making semi auto versions?]

15) SVT 38 OR SVT 40 [PLEASE let me know if you have a good shooter for sale]

Truth be told they are just about all of em are pretty cool

When I get back stateside I'm going on a Mil-surp binge...

-Bill
 
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Though I am just getting into the MilSurp thing I did my research and bought what I believe to be at least one of the top five MilSurps. That being a BSA built No. 4 Mk. 1.

SDC11633.jpg


I have put about 16 rounds through it already and am impressed with the practical accuracy of the aperture sights.

I would like a Jungle carbine in the future and maybe even a Lee Speed Sporter.

I think the next best options are once again, personal preference. Springfield 1903s, Swedish Mausers, Argentine Mausers, Spanish Mausers, other Lee Enfields.

I also personally like 7x57 VZ-24s.
 
If thats the case It would have to be anything chambered for 7.62x39 Its the most commonly available Surplus Round going, next to the 7.62x51 Nato(308) and the 5.56MM (223)
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As one of the other posters pointed out, 7.62x39 surplus ammo is coming from the former Iron Curtain countries. Eventually, it will dry up, like all other surplus ammo.

American manufacturers have loaded 8mm Mauser for years and, while it may not be a cheap surplus round, it will be available. Some American manufacturers have finally gotten on the bandwagon and have started loading 7.62x39 as well, so that will more than likely be available for a while, too.

Most of your milsurp calibres will still be available as sporting rounds, but as cheap surplus, not so much.
 
gryvel:

It might not appear to be a cheap surplus round, but 8mm surplus ammo from former Yugoslavia is mostly listed at .25/round.

I ordered some from Ammoman four weeks ago, and their price for 900 rds. including shipping, just dropped from $229 to $200! :)

What would cause such a drop, other than the economy?
 
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Interesting how things change over the years

When I was a kid, we "collected" milsurp rifles, by the barrel full! The "best " ones were the ones easiest to turn from heavy, clunky, ugly GI war clubs into sleek, svelte sporters, in more effective and efficient calibers.

Today, we have collectors/shooters who are much more interested in those rifles in original condition than they are in the sporterised ones. And, we have two basic types of milsurp "collectors". Those who want the rifles for their historical place as firearms of a particular period, and those who want them as cheap shooters.

Well, wake up and smell the cosmoline, that cheap ammo won't be around forever, or even, much longer. We are at the end of the era. Even the Russian rounds will eventually be gone, at least as far as cheap, case lots are concerned. The .303 and 8mm stuff is nearly gone, and most of what remains is the "crap" ammo that nobody would buy before. Also, besides dwindling stocks, the current political climate abroad (thanks so much, UN) means that a lot of what is still left will not be sold (facilitating "arms trafficing), but will be destroyed, instead. SO, get you some dies, and a supply of good brass, if you want to keep on shooting these old veterans, at a reasonable cost!

I have a number of milsurps, and do enjoy shooting them, but I don't bother with surplus ammo. Sure, its cheap, but its often dirty, accuracy is spotty, its nearly all corrosive (except for US stuff, and some of that is), and except for US stuff(again) the cases are useless after firing!

I Reload for .30-06, .308, .303, 8mm, 7.7mm, 6.5mm, 7.62x54R, and a couple dozen civilian calibers as well. Bredan brass is a waste to me, as the low price simply doesn't balance against the utility of being able to reload the cases, for me. And then there is the whole pain of corrosive primers, and cleaning. But, if it works for you, enjoy. You don't have me competing against you for the last cases of 8mm or whatever from third world countries.

My collection includes M1, M1A (not really a milsurp, but as close to an M14 as I can get) FAL (again, as close as I can get), Moisin Nagant 91/30, M38, SMLEs (3 and 4, and one of the .308s), T99 Arisakas, Kar 98s, Vz 24, Swede M 96, Tokarev SVT 40 (one nobody mentioned before, but maybe one of the best, for a civilian to own), Springfields, 1917Enfield, and a few others I can't recall right now. The best? Real hard to define. All depends on your critieria.

Choose one to have to fight with? I'd pick my M1A. But thats just me.;)
 
When I was a kid, we "collected" milsurp rifles, by the barrel full! The "best " ones were the ones easiest to turn from heavy, clunky, ugly GI war clubs into sleek, svelte sporters, in more effective and efficient calibers.

Today, we have collectors/shooters who are much more interested in those rifles in original condition than they are in the sporterised ones. And, we have two basic types of milsurp "collectors". Those who want the rifles for their historical place as firearms of a particular period, and those who want them as cheap shooters.

Well, wake up and smell the cosmoline, that cheap ammo won't be around forever, or even, much longer. We are at the end of the era. Even the Russian rounds will eventually be gone, at least as far as cheap, case lots are concerned. The .303 and 8mm stuff is nearly gone, and most of what remains is the "crap" ammo that nobody would buy before. Also, besides dwindling stocks, the current political climate abroad (thanks so much, UN) means that a lot of what is still left will not be sold (facilitating "arms trafficing), but will be destroyed, instead. SO, get you some dies, and a supply of good brass, if you want to keep on shooting these old veterans, at a reasonable cost!
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+1

'Good' mil-surp ammo is a thing of the past with one exception. You can still get GP11 for the Swiss K-31. This is match grade ammo. I have not been able to find reliable 8mm ammo so I need to start a new reload caliber. .303 has not been available for some time as an affordable ammo.

It may not be long before there are no more imported surplus fire arms. I'm sure that's on the agenda in DC.
 
I think General George Patton put it best:

"In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised"
- General George S. Patton, Jr.
 
I'd bet he was sort of obligated to say that. Certainly wouldn't have done much for morale if he said the same of something like the StG-44.
 
I'd bet he was sort of obligated to say that. Certainly wouldn't have done much for morale if he said the same of something like the StG-44.
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And since he died in 1945, his opinion is pretty much frozen at that point in time.
 
Best milsurp?

Boy, your gonna get a lot of opinions on that one.

The Swiss K-31 is one of the most accurate weapons to come out of the WWII era. If the K-31 was built today....you could not afford one. Mosins, any 91/59 you can find...a great carbine, and, very accurate as well. Also, a nice clean 1939 Tula 91/30. It's accurate and will reach out a bit further than the 91/59. Of course, all the above, IMHO....
 
I'm kinda partial to the Swedish Mausers. I have an M96 and an M38. Sweet shooting guns over a hundred years old. I do however have a Finnish Mosin-Nagant that out shoots both of them.:cool:
 
A friend who has tried out most of his milsurp collection told me this week that his K-31's groups were the best he's ever had, and helped to compensate for his skill level, which is actually pretty good.

He used Swiss ammo straight from the boxes of "Patronen".

44AMP: Could some of the UN's idiotic agendas be reversed in the future (by a GOP President or Congress) if they achieve more of what they want?
Maybe Russian, Serbia and several others can remain steadfast....
 
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