Starting out my MilSurp collection

[MAPMFF.]

Hello,
I just came over from the other thread where I introduced myself, live metro-Boston love history and enjoy collecting historical weapons, got these three all within the past month, Nice little dent in my Wishlist to get things going.
The idea is to get the main battle weapons of the big major players in WW2 first (US, Britain, Russian, Germany, Japan)
So far..

US Springfield M1 Garand, got it through a guy in my reenacting group, acording to the serial number its either a Dec '42 or Jan '43, and has a '51 barrel

 

[MAPMFF.]

Enfield, No. 1 Mk 3 SMLE.
Lithgow Manufacture 1945, all matching numbers, picked it up at Marlboro, absolutely love it and will be purchasing the correct sling

 

[MAPMFF.]

and the latest snagged this today from the Collectors Gallery in Stoneham, Nagant 91/30, stamped 1935, for $139 came with a complete set of tools, oil can, ammo pouch and bayonet, looking forward to getting it out on the range.

 

[Marcus5aurelius]

Very nice collection and welcome to NES. We've actually already met (I'm 95% sure). We were the guys at the Braintree range when you brought down your enfield right after picking it up. We talked about reloading a little bit. NES is a great site as I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, and if you have any questions just shoot me a PM. Thanks

 

[SKS Ray]

absolutely love it and will be purchasing the correct sling

Thats what I like to hear.

E Bay is still one of the best bets for original slings cheap, then its Gunboards and Gunbroker.

IMO a surplus rifle isn't complete unless it has an original sling.

 

[45collector]

Welcome to the forum!

Very nice starting point. Will you be getting into milsurp pistols as well?

 

[USMA-82]

IMO a surplus rifle isn't complete unless it has an original sling.

... and the correct bayonet.

Nice start!

*

 

[majspud]

Ah, the joy of "correctness;" it lasts a lifetime.

Looks like next up is your German, probably a K98....My specialty.

I would suggest, that if you can afford it, that you start at the level of a bolt mismatch bring-back. That is a non-import rifle brought back by a returning veteran from WWII. The GI's were required to turn in the rifle's bolt upon boarding their return ship, and were given another bolt when they disembarked in the US, so the bolt does not match the rifle but does match itself. These will be the most complete and in better than average condition. Lower $ would be a Russian capture/rework, totally mismatched parts, about $350.

There were nine manufacturers of the K98 during WWII; Mauser-Obendorf, J.P. Sauer, Gustloffwerke, Borsigwalde, Lubecker, Steyr, Erma, Brunn, and Bystrica. Only Obendorf produced K98s every year from 1934-1945, with the others producing for a few years, some more, some less and thus rarer. Quality about the same, but the most consistent would be the original producer, Mauser at Obendorf, factory codes S/42G (1935), S/42 (1936), 42 (1938), byf (1941), and svw (1945). Two basic styles, pre- and early war walnut stocks with flat butt plates (to 1940), and mid to late war (1941 on) laminated stocks with cupped butt plates and sight hoods. A bolt MM will run from $500-800, all matching $800+. Rarities, Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine stocks, original slings, more.

MS

 

[MAPMFF.]

Very nice collection and welcome to NES. We've actually already met (I'm 95% sure). We were the guys at the Braintree range when you brought down your enfield right after picking it up. We talked about reloading a little bit. NES is a great site as I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, and if you have any questions just shoot me a PM. Thanks

Hey yes that was us, I was there with my buddy Doug (the tall lanky one lol) I actually sent in my application to join Braintree myself so i'll definitely be around, no point in having a nice collection and no where to shoot it, thanks!

... and the correct bayonet.

Nice start!

*

You know it! Ive got the M1 bayonet for the Garand, the 91/30 came w/ one and I'm on the hunt for an M1917 for the Enfield.


45Collector,
Eventually maybe, when I first got into collecting and shooting I though all I wanted would be handguns and couldn't be bother with rifles, however some of the older revolvers and 1911's do catch me eye


I'm startin' to like this place already!

 

[MAPMFF.]

Majspud,
Forgot ya in my last post, yes a K98 is most likely going to be my next purchase, I'm glad its your specialty and hopefully you wouldn't mind in the future if I pm'd with some questions. I am about to enter my clinical rotations in order to become a paramedic so I wont be able to crank out as much over time at work, as I have been lately so the 98's gonna probably have to wait a month or two untill I can get some extra funds up to purchase it, but I appreciate your post w/ all that excellent info!

 

[SKS Ray]

Finding a good deal on a non import marked German K98 usually happens when you stumble upon one for sale when you're not looking for one. Other than that you can expect to pay what Tim said.

As far as Mauser types go, I'd say the best deal these days is still the Yugo types like the 24/47, M48, or the Czech VZ24s. These won't be around forever and when they start drying up you can bet prices will go up. Right now you can usually find either of the models mentioned for $200 to $250 and thats with sling & bayonet.

Most important of all you do know you need an SKS right?

 

[majspud]

Majspud,
Forgot ya in my last post, yes a K98 is most likely going to be my next purchase, I'm glad its your specialty and hopefully you wouldn't mind in the future if I pm'd with some questions. I am about to enter my clinical rotations in order to become a paramedic so I wont be able to crank out as much over time at work, as I have been lately so the 98's gonna probably have to wait a month or two untill I can get some extra funds up to purchase it, but I appreciate your post w/ all that excellent info!

MAEMT86,

PMs fine, glad to give you the wisdom of my experience. I have 5 K98's, 1-Gew98, and a Commission 88; also a, '03 Springfield which is a Mauser copy anyway. I do not recommend a Mitchell Mauser, if you've heard of them. Nothing wrong with the rifle save it is a rearsenaled RC Mauser marketed as an original. It is actually a nice rifle and a good shooter, but their advertising claims offend many on this list and other forums. Their "premium" grade costs as much as an original bolt MM. I admit to having one; had I known the facts, I would have MUCH preferred an original bolt MM.

MS

 

[50 BMG]

Welcome to the addicted....I mean collectors group. Don't forget the Mosin Nagant 91. Not as easy to find as a 91/30. Then of course there are the Finns.....ahh collecting......

 

[USMA-82]

You know it! Ive got the M1 bayonet for the Garand, the 91/30 came w/ one and I'm on the hunt for an M1917 for the Enfield.

There's a bunch of them out there - just need to look in the right places:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...nkw=enfield+bayonet&_sacat=See-All-Categories

http://www.ebayonet.com/bayonetsg.htm

http://www.bayonetconnection.com/in...ath=68&zenid=8e231e356960c091c6d53f0fa98de59e

http://www.gundersonmilitaria.com/world.html

As noted previously, ebay will be your best bet, and probably the cheapest as well.

Good Luck!

*

 

[MAPMFF.]

so fellahs,
Took the 91/30 out for the first time today shoots pretty darn good, was gettin' most of it on target where I wanted it.

Anyways after putting a good 30 or so rounds down range there was some stuff bubbling/boiling out of the space between the top and bottom of the front handguard, any ideas? cosmoline that i need to go in and clean out? I had cleaned up the entire weapon but didnt take of the front handguards

 

[50 BMG]

so fellahs,
Took the 91/30 out for the first time today shoots pretty darn good, was gettin' most of it on target where I wanted it.

Anyways after putting a good 30 or so rounds down range there was some stuff bubbling/boiling out of the space between the top and bottom of the front handguard, any ideas? cosmoline that i need to go in and clean out? I had cleaned up the entire weapon but didnt take of the front handguards

Yep its cosmoline...The barrel and hand guard was probably coated. Ahh the sweet smell of cosmoline

 

[martin08]

so fellahs,

Anyways after putting a good 30 or so rounds down range there was some stuff bubbling/boiling out of the space between the top and bottom of the front handguard,

Yeah! I like this kind of discovery. It means that the gun is being used and not just a showpiece.

Disassemble and take a hair dryer to the rest. No guarantee that you'll get all of it though. One warm day you'll store it in your trunk and come back to a Mosin sized cosmoline outline on your carpet.

 

[mac1911]

shoot it, clean it, shoot it,clean it.........................

 

[MAPMFF.]

thanks for the quick replies guys, reminded me of some boiling sap when you throw a fresh log on the fire, I was like "oh well look at that my hands brown, oh my guns boiling"

While I've got ya, I was using Brown Bear ammo, what do you guys that shoot the Nagant's prefer to put down the tube? Anything that's readily available that wont break the bank?

 

[martin08]

Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Wolf, S&B.... all good plinking stuff.

Some of the cheaper stuff - Bulgarian, Czech surplus and such - can be corrosive, even if it says it's not. No prob if you clean with hot water/light amonia right after use.

 

[amb]

Southern Ohio Gun is also sometimes good for bayonets; they had scads of various British ones over the summer but they seem to have come and gone for the moment.

As for ammo, I'm all in favor of the older surplus stuff; cleaning up after a corrosive primer just isn't that big a deal, and most of it shoots very well. (And, [STRIKE]I'm[/STRIKE] it's cheap.)

 

[BoltActionHero]

BEAUTIFUL 1 Mk 3!!! I love those! I have a Lithgow Enfield dated 1918. The last time I went to a range, there was a square foot metal plate about 250 yards out. I tried time and time again to hit it with the other two rifles with no luck. Finally I just decided, "F it." and picked up the Enfield. First shot and you could hear the loud ping from all across the range.

 

[vellnueve]

It might not be cosmoline. It could be the shellac melting off (normal)