Heading to the range today with what used to be "cheap" guns.

[Miami_JBT]

Doing a little shooting at the local range and I've decided I'm going to take my Tula Arsenal SKS, H&R M1 Garand, and Marlin Glenfield Model 60.



At one point, the SKS Carbines were dirt cheap and couldn't be given away. I remember in the early 90s, walking the aisles of gun shows and seeing SKS Carbines stacked up like cord wood with signs saying "SKS for $99. For an extra $30, you get a case of ammo too." I've had this SKS for a long time and still got Norinco steel case to feed it.
As for the H&R Garand, no one wanted Cold War era Garands. Everyone was after the WWII period production guns with all matching parts. re-arsenaled mix-master M1s were a dime a dozen and collectors would hold up their nose to 'em. No one wanted 'em except for folks just wanting a quality shooter grade rifle. I got this one through the CMP back when Service Grade guns were maybe $400.

The little Marlin, I recall seeing these in Walmart, K-Mart, Sports Authority, and Oshman's. They were hovering between $80 to $100. I had one as a kid and at some point, my father traded it for a Ruger 10/22 and a couple of Butler Creek 25rd mags and a $20.

Now, all these guns are going for top dollar. Soviet SKS Carbines are going between $600-$1,000. M1 Garands are easily between the $1,000-$3,000 depending on condition and originality. Heck, Marlins are going between $300-$500 depending on the model variation.

What's the lesson? With some guns, what you think is today's high price will be tomorrow's steal. It is amazing how values have risen on a number of guns.

 

[Choctaw]

I love the stock on your SKS!

 

[flatsticks]

Some nice guns you have there . congrats on getting them cheap and enjoy your range day !

 

[tarosean]

What's the lesson? With some guns, what you think is today's high price will be tomorrow's steal. It is amazing how values have risen on a number of guns.

While you're feeling nostalgic, pull up an inflation calculator and punch in your info.
A few bucks spread over many decades isnt exactly a good investment.

 

[jmorris]

The little Marlin, I recall seeing these in Walmart, K-Mart, Sports Authority, and Oshman's. They were hovering between $80 to $100.

Yeah, the good old days.



A new camaro was $3300 too, average home cost was $36,000 but median household income was only $11,100, min wage $2... hopefully you haven't just been saving cash, its not worth as much anymore. To me, that is the lesson.

 

[Miami_JBT]

While you're feeling nostalgic, pull up an inflation calculator and punch in your info.
A few bucks spread over many decades isnt exactly a good investment.

Some of my guns have gained tremendous value in the span of one decade. About 10 years ago, the final dump of wheel guns by agencies were happening in FL. I picked up Colt Detective Specials, S&W Model 66s, etc for under $100 a pop.

I recall when a batch of HK P7s came in and were being sold for under $500. Now look at those guns. That was about a decade ago.

And this isn't about investments as a way to make money. This is about how today's prices will eventually be the deals of yesteryear. As a collector, I'm always on the hunt for good deals.

 

[alfsauve]

I bought a Mosin Nagant for $90 not too many years ago. It was so cheap I cut it down to 18" barrel and sporterrize the stock. Even then someone bought it for $300 recently.

The gun store owner told me he'd just sold a whole case to one customer who was going to put a plexiglass top on it and use it as a coffee table with the rifles inside.
Yes I wish I had the Mosin back, and the SKS and the IBM M1 Carbine and the .........

 

[Miami_JBT]

I bought a Mosin Nagant for $90 not too many years ago. It was so cheap I cut it down to 18" barrel and sporterrize the stock. Even then someone bought it for $300 recently.

The gun store owner told me he'd just sold a whole case to one customer who was going to put a plexiglass top on it and use it as a coffee table with the rifles inside.
Yes I wish I had the Mosin back, and the SKS and the IBM M1 Carbine and the .........

I remember those Mosin crates going for like $800, completely full with rifles and accessories and back then I thought that was too expensive.

 

[COLTSFANATIC1]

I regret not buying any of the old mil surplus guns when you could get many of them for $99 a piece. How I'm kicking myself in the butt now!!!!

 

[Lo-Profile]

$99 for a SKS was expensive.
I bought mine for $50 back in the day.
King George the Second and his import ban BS caused most higher gun pricing

 

[Elkins45]

I would really like to see the Marlin 60 make a comeback. I had the Glenfield version until it was stolen. It was a fantastic shooter.

 

[Miami_JBT]

Good day at the range today. My Old Man had a blast with the M1 and SKS.





He said it has been a long while since he's punched paper with a Garand.

 

[Jim Watson]

In The Good Old Days of Iron Curtain surplus, 7.62x39 ammo was so cheap, you could shoot a SKS or AK for less than a .22.

 

[22250Rem]

IIRC these pics were on this web site a few years back in a different thread, but they were still here on the computer. . Brand new $100. Norinco, fresh out of the crate at a gun show back in '92. In 1995 I got an arsenal rebuilt Russian SKS right from the crate, with the laminated stock for about 225 bucks, it was a little bit extra for the laminated stock model. .. Still unfired to this day. Will be interesting what this could bring as I continue to slowly downsize. Fast forward to 2013 when I picked up a used Chinese model at a gun show. .. I recall that $450. was a decent price in this part of the country at that time and it was just before NY state passed the infamous "Safe Act" in the middle of the night, which I feared would send firearms prices sky high, although SKS's wound up as still legal. This one is my shooter when it comes to SKS's., ( known as my "beater SKS"), Really don't know what these are worth in 2024, but I know they have gone up considerably. The auction house I deal with gets a 20% commission so even after that I'm sure I could still come out ahead, but it couldn't be called a great investment. Got a lot of enjoyment from both the Chinese models and they have been good, trouble free shooters. The Russian's never been fired but I bet it would also be a good shooter. These things used to be good bargains.

 

[reddog81]

Some of my guns have gained tremendous value in the span of one decade. About 10 years ago, the final dump of wheel guns by agencies were happening in FL. I picked up Colt Detective Specials, S&W Model 66s, etc for under $100 a pop.

About a decade ago i was at a small town FFL going out of business auction with 25 model 19’s and 66’s. I picked up a nice model 66 for $500 which was a good price. A number of them went for closer to $600. $100 would have been way below market prices or they were trash guns.

 

[tarosean]

I recall when a batch of HK P7s came in and were being sold for under $500. Now look at those guns. That was about a decade ago.

You are still talking pennies vs. time.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Missed days indeed

 

[Ignition Override]

OP: Nice mix of rifles.

That SKS’ stained Arctic Birch (wood) is my very favorite type of wood- Anywhere. Even doors on old churches or palaces in Europe (ie Blenheim: Churchill) don't often have that glowing mix of dark, rich color.

Maybe you know that the first series of SKS had springs on the firing pin; no chance of a dangerous slam-fire if dirt or cosmoline blocked a firing pin channel.

A buddy who retired from the Navy Rifle Team told me that only a tiny amount of Garands had true “ matching numbers”.

Practically every Garand had mixed components due to the vast rearsenaling.
Prospective buyers sometimes lie and tell sellers that mixed serial numbers lower the value of a specific M-1 rifle.
Don’t get “gipped”.

 

[OS/N]

Yea a Winchester or Marlin 30-30 new was a 100$ used was 50$. Worn out M1 carbines were 75.

If I'd bought one of either every payday I'd be in pretty good shape today. Most owned a shotgun, 22 rifle, and one handgun but if you were really into it maybe some type of varmint rifle, a 30-30 lever gun with iron sights, or a 30-06 bolt gun with a sling and scope.

Until deer came back in the 70s not many folk wanted or had a centerfire rifle. Not many people bought a gun just to shoot paper targets with.

 

[GBExpat]

By Spring'04 I thought that I had completed my Garand purchases from the CMP ... then the $295 Greek Garands were announced. <sigh>

After reading some interesting reports from "early adopters" I ordered one. $295 + shipping ($10? I forget) and the one I received matched Service Grade standards.

I tried my luck 9 more times. Scored each time. The only real Issues (I do not consider some metal-finish wear to be an Issue) with any of these rifles were easily correctable, almost all related to the wood.

I have no doubt that this was the reason that the CMP announced the creation of the new mid-range "Field" Grade in late '04/early '05. My last group was delivered in May'05, IIRC.

Here is a quick pic of some of those $295 "Greek" M1s at the conclusion of a "multi" work session.

 

[3sport]

I enjoyed the thread. Thanks, OP. It brought back a nice memory.

My main hobby in my 20s (1980s) was the beginning of my firearms collecting. I had not quite become a reloader yet, so firearms collecting and shooting was my passion. My reloading passion happened in the mid to late 1990s.

My father saw a newspaper ad in the late 1980s for a department store in his town (Boscov's) for this 303 British. If I recall, a low price then even for the late 1980s. Around $40. That's just over $100 today with inflation.



I remember he was so excited to give it to me. If any of you know or knew Boscov's, finding a firearm for sale there would be like finding firearms at Macy's today. A different time in America. This turned out to be the last gift my father ever gave me. He passed in the early 1990s.

 

[JDeere]

While you're feeling nostalgic, pull up an inflation calculator and punch in your info.
A few bucks spread over many decades isnt exactly a good investment.

Depends on how you look at it. I bought a bunch of the Garands back in the day from DCM/CMP. Shot the heck out of them for a good while and enjoyed every minute doing so. I recently thinned my herd over the last couple of years. Milsurps are hot right now and they sold well for way more than I figured. Inflation yes, the fun I had shooting them over the years priceless...

OP enjoy the heck out of them while you can...

 

[jmorris]

I regret not buying any of the old mil surplus guns when you could get many of them for $99 a piece. How I'm kicking myself in the butt now!!!!

Yeah, buying a truck load of these when they were $150 would have been a good idea.

 

[pharmer]

I sold the last of these during the '94-'04 AWB for $500. The FFL dropped it on his table for $600 and it was gone before I walked away. Joe

 

[HiVilio]

It really goes to show that sometimes the best investments are the ones we least expect. Who knows, maybe one of those "cheap" guns you're shooting today will be tomorrow's rare collectible!

Speaking of the SKS, it was one of the first rifles to be designed with a chrome-lined barrel. This feature not only increased heat and wear tolerance but also helped resist corrosion without impacting precision. It's interesting to think that such a practical design feature contributed to the SKS's longevity and current collector's value.