Cheap guns are expensive. (Whine)

UffDa

UffDa

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There is a tread in W&C titled "Mosin Nagant, what is the big deal?" It was closed because it may have started to become political. (Maybe not.) Anyway, let's try it over here.

The think to keep in mind when you reminisce about the milsurp rifle and ammo the you bought in 1990 is that a dollar don't go as far as it did 26 years ago. According to an inflation calculator, a 1990 dollar would be worth $1.85 today. On top of that, the cost of shipping stuff like ammo has gone up a bunch. Consider also how much more you are making now then you did in 1990.

I'm old enough to remember when a Winchester 94 cost less than $85 and a Model 70 was $87.50. I couldn't afford either back then.

I did buy a 03-A3, a M1 Carbine and a 1911A1 from the DCM* for about $20 each. They had M1 Garands for $98, but I didn't have $98.



*The DCM is now the CMP.
 
I bought a Mosin in '98 for $60. There were crate after crate of them at the gun shows, packed in cosmoline. The price is four times that now (at least). I don't think it's just inflation at work. At all.
 
AntDog said:
I bought a Mosin in '98 for $60. There were crate after crate of them at the gun shows, packed in cosmoline. The price is four times that now (at least). I don't think it's just inflation at work. At all.
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It's not just inflation. Eventually, it becomes supply and demand. I have had a number of mint Mosin-Nagants over the years. Try to find one now. I bought some very nice Finnish rifles in the late '90s for $100 or less. When they were first imported some of the dealers were selling what they called 3fers. 3 rifles for $99 plus S&H. If you can find a nice one now, expect to pay around $400.
 
I have a nagant that I bought in the 90's. I'd have a very difficult time convincing myself to pay $400 for one. That's getting into pretty nice used hunting rifle kind of money.
 
How much are Mosin's up to now? Two years ago the local Cabelas had racks of them for about $99 a piece, some in decent shape I just have no use for one. They'd been the same price for as long as I'd been looking, I just assumed they still were.

Now try to find an SKS for anything reasonable from even a few years ago and count yourself lucky if you can.

It might help to keep in mind that there are a lot more people taking up shooting these days than before, cheap j-frames and glock 19s are now a thing of the past around here.
 
I have a Remington made M1891 Mosin Nagant. Nice curiosity. Bought it for ~$100 20 years ago (equivalent to about $160 today). Mosin Nagants are still inexpensive rifles today.
 
During the late 1960s in Canada, sporterized Lee-Enfields were $20 over the counter at Sears! Full woodies were difficult to find but when you did they were even less expensive; $10-15. I gathered up a bunch of these (full wood SMLEs and no. 4s) at the time and decided to move them all along two years ago. Anything priced at $250 disappeared within hours and some of my $10-25 prizes from the 70s went for $500. I view all this as supply and demand; you couldn't give these away 50 years ago whereas today generation X'ers with thick wallets and a modicum of nostalgia are clamouring for one.
Surplus and still packed in grease WWI Swedish 6.5 model 96 Mausers arrived over here in the mid to late 80s and were selling for $60-100 each. I don't know what these are worth now but they were tack drivers.
 
I get a list of milsurp guns for sale from a dealer in FL. He has an unissued Enfield No.4 Mk.2 for $925. He will get it. I bought 2 of them around 2000, I think, for $150 each.

PF322252-1.jpg


How about a FINN Model 39 Mosin-Nagant for $525? CAI sold them 3 for $99 when they were first imported. Nice ones went for less than $150 each.

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300Six said:
During the late 1960s in Canada, sporterized Lee-Enfields were $20 over the counter at Sears! Full woodies were difficult to find but when you did they were even less expensive; $10-15. I gathered up a bunch of these (full wood SMLEs and no. 4s) at the time and decided to move them all along two years ago. Anything priced at $250 disappeared within hours and some of my $10-25 prizes from the 70s went for $500. I view all this as supply and demand; you couldn't give these away 50 years ago whereas today generation X'ers with thick wallets and a modicum of nostalgia are clamouring for one.
Surplus and still packed in grease WWI Swedish 6.5 model 96 Mausers arrived over here in the mid to late 80s and were selling for $60-100 each. I don't know what these are worth now but they were tack drivers.
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This No1 MkIII* SMLE went for $90 in the in the late-90s . Still in my collection.

No1MkIII%2520LE.JPG


About the same time I bought this Swede M1896 for $115. Also still in my collection.

Swede%25201896.JPG


I have a thing for turn of the century-WW1 era turnbolts.
 
Just getting into guns recently and it appears from a number of things that I have seen and read that I kind of missed the boat with regards to getting the better quality items for less. Either they are no longer being made because real wood and metal is just too expensive or these type of guns are going to cost 1k or more. Personally after purchasing a few plinkers I've resolved to pay more and possibly get less. But in my book less is more when it comes to owning better quality items.
 
I got my Mosin about 6 years ago at a local shop, I believe $122 with taxes for the rifle and another $80 for a 440 round tin. My friend who collects them keeps asking if I want to sell, not sure why they have been appreciating in cost. Solid cheap rifle, all I needed.
 
crom said:
I got my Mosin about 6 years ago at a local shop, I believe $122 with taxes for the rifle and another $80 for a 440 round tin. My friend who collects them keeps asking if I want to sell, not sure why they have been appreciating in cost. Solid cheap rifle, all I needed.
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They are appreciating for a couple of reasons. The number of rifles available is decreasing. In some cases, such as the Swedish Mausers and Finn Mosin-Nagants, there never were that many made. Even though there were about 17 plus million Mosin-Nagants made, many were lost during several wars. The same goes for German and other country's Mauser 98s.

Out of curiosity, I checked some of the surplus dealers. J&G, AIM and Classic. Mosin-Nagants of various types run from about $250 to $350 and most, if not all are Russian refurbs. Eventually, these will be gone and unless some huge hidden stockpile is found, prices will only continue to climb.

That's life. No point in moaning about it.
 
Remington M1891 Mosin Nagant (made on contract for the white Russians) and a M1898 Gewehr Mauser. Both still in my collection.

Nagant.JPG

Gewehr%25201898.JPG
 
UffDa said:
They are appreciating for a couple of reasons. The number of rifles available is decreasing. In some cases, such as the Swedish Mausers and Finn Mosin-Nagants, there never were that many made. Even though there were about 17 plus million Mosin-Nagants made, many were lost during several wars. The same goes for German and other country's Mauser 98s.

Out of curiosity, I checked some of the surplus dealers. J&G, AIM and Classic. Mosin-Nagants of various types run from about $250 to $350 and most, if not all are Russian refurbs. Eventually, these will be gone and unless some huge hidden stockpile is found, prices will only continue to climb.

That's life. No point in moaning about it.
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Not moaning here. Never wanted a Mosin rifle at any price. Could have purchased all I wanted for about $100 each at retail stores. I'd rather have the $100. Let them go up in value, I couldn't care less and when they hit $500 for the common ones, I still won't care.

The one I do moan about are the Russian SKS's when they are first available. They ran about $80-$125 at the beginning. AK's were priced a bit higher.
 
22-rimfire said:
Not moaning here. Never wanted a Mosin rifle at any price. Could have purchased all I wanted for about $100 each at retail stores. I'd rather have the $100. Let them go up in value, I couldn't care less and when they hit $500 for the common ones, I still won't care.

The one I do moan about are the Russian SKS's when they are first available. They ran about $80-$125 at the beginning. AK's were priced a bit higher.
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Went to a gun show with dad and the brothers a few years back. Guy had a box of SKS rifles all packed up in the crate with the wax paper and cosmoline. 8 of 'em.

Guy wanted $100 a pop. We sat and debated whether to throw in together and take the box home. We opted not to.

At the time, I figured these rifles would always be no more than a Benjamin apiece... so I figured "next time".

Hindsight = 20/20, but damn... sometimes it slaps hard.
 
Swing by cabelas the other day. $220 for a mosin and $450 for a really beat up SMLE. Wtf. They also had an arisaka for 495, tag said "unknown" in every field and the furniture was seriously wrecked.


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EricV said:
Swing by cabelas the other day. $220 for a mosin and $450 for a really beat up SMLE. Wtf. They also had an arisaka for 495, tag said "unknown" in every field and the furniture was seriously wrecked.
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FYI, rifle furniture ain't the stock but the accoutrements attached to the stock. Swivels, butt plate, etc. It's a Brit term many Americans use improperly instead of just saying "stock".
 
Most manufactures sell stock sets as "furniture" particularly if its a multi-piece stock. While that may have been the case originally the term has evolved, like many other older firearm terms.
 
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