shops to go to for mil surps?

[shadyduk1979]

I've been bouncing around LGS in middle Tennessee and haven't seen a single milsurp in any of them. Are there any that cater to that sort of thing or should I just order online?

Edited May 17, 2022 by shadyduk1979
spelling

[DO-TN]

I sure haven't seen one in a long time. That market has mostly dried up. Not even really seeing milsurps in any quantity at gunshows any longer. The days of barrels full of mosins, stack of sks's, wall of improted AK's, mausers, springfields are long gone I am afraid. The prices on them these days kinda killed it. All you are left with is guys parting out thier collections at double what a new production, better performing gun goes for. Those of us who really appriciate the smell, look and feel of old wood and cosmoline but not of deep pockets are a thing of the past.

Edited May 17, 2022 by DO-TN

[shadyduk1979]

That's disappointing but not surprising. I've been out of the game for years but then I saw the influx of Carcanos and said hey I need one of those. 240 bucks? Sold

[Mason dr]

Gunbroker is your only option at this point.  And networking.  

[monkeylizard]

Goodlettsville Gun Shop sometimes has some milsurps on hand. It's not highly unusual to see a Mosin, M1903, Enfield, etc in the rack there. It's certainly not a steady supply, but if you let them know what you're looking for I'm sure they'd contact you if they get one in on trade.

Franklin Gun Shop always had several, but they're closed. I'm not sure exactly what's happening there but I think it may be permanently closed. If you don't like the prices on Gunbroker, you'd REALLY have not liked the prices at FGS anyway so it's probably moot.

Edited May 17, 2022 by monkeylizard

[molov]

Finding milsurp in stores is pretty rare as everyone else has pointed out and most prices are out of control. If you have specific requests then post it on the firearms classified in this forum as a wanted firearm. 

You could also try checking out your local pawn shops. I've noticed a lot of people will pawn grandpa's gun over trading it at a LGS.

Otherwise, gunbroker/armslist is my last line.

I did go to that Gun Show out in Lebanon last month - what milsurp was there was way over priced. Good luck!

[Moped]

Milsurps have even dried up online.  None of regular sources line Classic Firearms, etc has much milsurp stock anymore, other than some Toks and Carcanos. i still see some European Police trade-in pistols from time to time, though.

[No_0ne]

WWII ended 77 years ago.  Many of the milsurps we came to accept as "normally" priced came from that era, or before, and were declared surplus either shortly after that conflict or in the next few decades that followed.  The flood of older, Comm-bloc weapons entered the markets during the 90's after the fall of the communist regimes in Russia and eastern Europe.  The stockpiles of those weapons have either been depleted by now, or are held in countries from which future importation is forbidden by our laws, or theirs, and in some cases by hostile relations between our country and others.  We will never see masses of cheap, easily available milsurp weapons again, as the period after WWII saw most countries adopt automatic or select fire rifles and carbines, none of which are legal to import or possess.  That's not likely to change under any future conditions.  If you want to play the milsurp game, you have to pay current pricing and use all avenues to locate whatever you want, pickings in local gun stores and pawn shops will be slim compared to even the limited availability online.  Those who spend their time complaining about prices and the inconvenience of not being able to walk into a gun show and pick through barrels of milsurps, all the while waxing poetic about the "good old days" will be left empty handed ...

Edited May 18, 2022 by No_0ne

[Gurn]

Not a shop but I go here https://www.tmcaonline.org/

twice a year and usually go home with something cool. Talk to lots of interesting people and just have an overall good time. 
For lunch some buddies and I go to a local Indian buffet. Good times...... 

[shadyduk1979]

Well that's neat

[DO-TN]

8 hours ago, shadyduk1979 said:

Well that's neat

Well, it was "build your owns" but now the gooberment is messing that up. 

[shadyduk1979]

That's the only thing they Excell at.

[CMDRStormBorn]

The state of things just really breaks my heart.  These were my favorite kinds of stores since I was a young child in the seventies.  To this day, cosmoline is still an aphrodisiac to me.  I own hundreds of modern tacticals but most of the best actions (the real heart of any firearm) were developed 70-130 years ago.  Sure, we’ve got lighter materials and accessory mounts but nothing really compares to milsurp for the sheer ruggedness and brilliant simplicity of design.  Look at FN: we’ve gone from FAL- one of the greatest ‘tank-like’ heavy long range hitters to modern FN: the ps90 has 3 different sears-all made of plastic & FN by design expects you to replace them regularly.  Yay space age materials…. Not. Rant over- passing the soap box….

[Chucktshoes]

On 5/17/2022 at 7:02 PM, No_0ne said:

WWII ended 77 years ago.  Many of the milsurps we came to accept as "normally" priced came from that era, or before, and were declared surplus either shortly after that conflict or in the next few decades that followed.  The flood of older, Comm-bloc weapons entered the markets during the 90's after the fall of the communist regimes in Russia and eastern Europe.  The stockpiles of those weapons have either been depleted by now, or are held in countries from which future importation is forbidden by our laws, or theirs, and in some cases by hostile relations between our country and others.  We will never see masses of cheap, easily available milsurp weapons again, as the period after WWII saw most countries adopt automatic or select fire rifles and carbines, none of which are legal to import or possess.  That's not likely to change under any future conditions.  If you want to play the milsurp game, you have to pay current pricing and use all avenues to locate whatever you want, pickings in local gun stores and pawn shops will be slim compared to even the limited availability online.  Those who spend their time complaining about prices and the inconvenience of not being able to walk into a gun show and pick through barrels of milsurps, all the while waxing poetic about the "good old days" will be left empty handed ...

This. All of this. In spades.
 

The age of cheap milsurps is over. If you see one for anything in the area of what you think is affordable, buy it immediately. The prices only move in one direction from here on. 

[Grayfox54]

Back in 2017 my best friend passed away. I sold his collection for his wife. He was a big Mil-surp collector. Had about a hundred of 'em. I sold them off at 3-4 times what he paid for them. And I had 'em priced cheap for a quick sale. 

The days of cheap mil-surps are long gone. Never to return. 

[LSMurphy]

You'll have to trade/buy from individuals now. 

I've got a couple of Mosin Nagants in excellent condition with a significant amount of ammo that I'd consider trading.

Trade will have to be of substance, I'm not giving these away. 

 

[DO-TN]

Maybe convince the mods to create a specific milsurp guns and gear FS/FT sub forum?

[TSG]

As someone who checks the regular firearm classified subforum multiple times a day hoping for a deal on milsurps, I'd be all for that.

I'm slowly building a collection, but it's taken a lot of fine-tooth-combing at gun shows, pawn shops, this forum, and elsewhere online to get even my small collection together without completely destroying my wallet.

[monkeylizard]

8 hours ago, TSG said:

without completely destroying my wallet.

If you want milsurps now, you're going to have to get lucky, or get over this hurdle.

I snagged a few of mine before the market went nuts, but unfortunately after the good old days of barrels full of them at shops and shows. I sucked it up paid what I had to for my more recent acquisitions.

Edited February 27, 2023 by monkeylizard

[Guest]

Dave's Gun & Pawn in Crossville has a few. Not a rack full, but a few.

[DC551]

SARCO Inc usually has a few and their inventory fluctuates. They have some Brazilian Mausers in now as well as some Makarovs and Lugers. They get some US milsurp in now and then  - get on their mailing lists and you'll get a weekly update from them.