WWII Era guns
 

http://www.southernohiogun.com/surplus_rifles.html

I've always been interested in purchasing a inexpensive WWII surplus rifle. This site has a decent selection of guns for under $100.

I was wondering if anybody has any experience with purchasing these types of guns. Such as reliability, accuracy, and sight fixtures.

I've got a M44 Mosin Nagant. It shoots the 7.62x54r cartridge and can be found cheap as can the ammunition. I paid like $50 at a local sporting goods store and was able to hand pick my rifle from their supply.

I haven't really shot it past 100 yards but it certainly makes an impression at the range. Loud as all hell and really punishes the shoulder. You might check www.aimsurplus.com for other WWII era rifles.

How's the accuracy @ 100 yards?

A good surplus rifle can't be beat for utility. Be careful with SOG, though...they're somewhat notorious for their "Parts is parts" approach to firearms. Boltguns and pistols from these guys are ok, but I wouldn't touch any of their semi-auto rebuilds ( FAL, CETME, etc ).
The Mosin-Nagants are really nice; I use one as a deer rifle myself. The accuracy from a stock weapon is about 2-2.5MOA; not too bad, and the recoil is easier to deal with than an 8mm Mauser, though not quite as soft as a Garand.

dunedan, if you get some decent match-grade ammo, you'll generally find that your Nagant will do much better than 2 MOA. A lot of the inaccuracy associated with those guns stems from the different ammo available. Face it, the Soviets weren't terribly concerned about tolerances with ammo production, and running ammo designed for one of their gpmgs through a bolt action will give wildly different results than running some match-grade stuff through it.

True, but the silvertip is kinda pricey right now, and I'm on a budget. So, for the moment, I'm stuck with the standard Ball ammo.

I have the M98 Mosin Nagant. Stole it for $65 from a local gun owner. It shoots the 7.62x54r and has the infamous russian (spiked cross pattern)swing bayonet. Sickle and Hammer stamped, one of my favorite pieces. I personaly have had troubles finding good ammo for it. The cheaper stuff shoots like crap, and the expensive stuff is just too expensive for a target rifle.

I also have a Japanese Arasaka Rifle, i dont know what its numbers are. -And it was givin to me. It is stamped 1939 and has a damaged firing pin. Its 'Rising Sun' embelm was never filed off, i hear that is uncommon with the imperial japanese weapons in US cerculation. This piece makes a nice wall hanger.

I have a swedish mauser, bullets are expensive as hell, but shoots like a beauty. this cost me about $150.

I want a K98, too bad they don't have it.

I get fist sized groups with a few flyers at 100 yards with my M44 and surplus "spam can" ball ammo. You can still get German K98's from http://www.gunsnstuffonline.com/

boilerstroup, the thing about the "mum" (short for chrysanthemum, symbol of the monarchy) is that guns that were surrendered at the end of the war had the "mum" ground off, to avoid disgracing the emblem. Japanese guns from WWII with the "mum" intact were vet battlefield pick-ups and bringbacks.

You MUST have the Arisaka checked by a competent gunsmith before firing it. Quality control varied GREATLY throughout the war, with the "last-ditch" guns having little shortcuts taken with them, like substitution of wood for metal parts like the buttplate. And I wouldn't use WWII ammo.....some has a tendency to "fall down go boom".

The Mosin Nagants are pretty cool, and there's a whole subculture of nagant collectors out there. I've got a nifty 1917 dated M-91 (full length) that still has the Romanov double-eagle crest on it, so it was made right at the end. It's pretty spiffy.

My Enfield is the greatest rifle I've ever owned/shot. Never has she let me down, and has the silkiest action :)
Love it to bits.

score!
 

so this was a nice gift, eh? :)

I remember working at a gun show in the early 90's and there were so many great surplus imports at that time. This was around the time when the Russian SKS's first came into the country. I once bought and SKS and an M-1 Garand at the Woolworth store in a local shopping mall! They sold me the ammo to at the same time. It was a strange feeling going through the mall (on the way to the car)with a rifle like that (boxed)and ammo. The country has changed a lot since then. There were so many bargins to be had but sadly now those days are gone. You can still find some good stuff but you have to look a lot harder.

Hmm interesting...i've been looking to purchase a K98 or a mauser...I looked at the one sites restrictions...I wonder how hard it would be to get a FFL in Wisconsin?
?

They have romanian AK's for 330. Is this a good deal?

Solo, if you've got a Big 5 sporting goods or something similar around, you might find what you're looking for there. One of their sources is Century Arms International. They specialize in military surplus imports, the guns I have purchased through them (via big 5) were in excellant shape when I got them, the prices were good, and I didn't have to mess with a FFL or C&R license.

Just me being Mister Semantic again, but the K98 was produced by Mauser. :)

If you want a exceptional rifle I would join the Civilian Marksmanship Program http://www.odcmp.com/


you join an affiliated organization, you send them 500 bucks, and they send you a M1 Garand...


Not to affend anyone here, but the M1 beats the pants off of any of the other WWII rifles... its just no contest.


Its a bit more money, but the cool factor on the M1 is through the roof, theres just something about En Bloc clips that just oozes panache.

oh, and .30-06 ammo (what the Garand fires) is prolly cheaper then the 7.62 x 54 and is certainly cheaper than the 8mm's the mausers hurl at targets...

definately more easily available too...


General George S. Patton called the Garand: "The greatest battle implement ever devised"

something to think about, George was no pushover ;)

You were doing so well until the above statement. .30-06 is much harder to come by and at least 4 times the price of either 7.92 or 7.62x54(r). You can pick up 7.92 (aka 8mm mauser) for $.06 a round in small lots all day long, and if you're willing to go for a palletload, it can be had for $.03 a round. 7.62x54(r) isn't much more. And enbloc clips suck. I've NEVER seen anybody get "M-1 thumb" from a mauser, Nagant, or Enfield.

ok, so mebbe its not cheaper...


but if you go into someplace like Dick's sporting goods or Wal-mart, I HIGHLY doubt they will have 7.62 x 54, mebbe they'll have the 8mm mauser rounds, but I doubt that too... .30-06 is most definately easier to come by than either the 8mm or the 7.62 x 54. Goto your local gun-shops and you'll see what I mean ;)


as for M1 thumb, whelp, who cares? :p

After procrastinating for a month, I am going to go ahead and buy the Mosin Nagant or Enfield (if the price is right) tomorrow.

Any tips on restoring, repairing, and general maintenance on a gun this old? Do I have clean off the storage wax?

yes you have to clean them before operating them, and thats not wax, thats called cosmoline, and its such a pain in the ass to remove that there are websites dedicated to telling you the easier ways to remove it! :p


http://www.aloofhosting.com/enfieldrifles/ti11.htm



good luck man :)