Most un- or under-appreciated military surplus rifle?
- Thread starter Danus ex
- Start date
- Status
Deer Hunter
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 4,097
Finnish mosins are pretty well appreciated. The actual mosins, however, are not. People rant and rave about their innacuracies, but if you grab an M44, check the bore, and see nice rifling, pick it up and shoot the heck out of it. My M44 will kill milkjugs at 100 yards all day long, and that's just fine for a $70 rifle.
oneshooter
Member
ftierson
Member.
Hey, oneshooter, I'll give you $50 for that Mondragon...
I'll even pay the shipping...
Forrest
I'll even pay the shipping...
Forrest
Yo
Member
Uno Mas MAS
One more vote for the MAS. Good balance. Very good sights for a field rifle. Cool (and effective) rifle grenade attachment. Rugged, forged receivers. Sturdy, inexpensive magazines.
Most famously, a dead simple direct impingement gas system that requires a fraction of the maintanence of an AR15. (Stoner f'd up in having the gas flow INTO the bolt carrier and over the bolt.) I'm not a fan of the 7.5mm ammo, but otherwise the French MAS was a good rifle--in some ways superior to the m14. (I'll still take a FAL over a MAS any day though).
One more vote for the MAS. Good balance. Very good sights for a field rifle. Cool (and effective) rifle grenade attachment. Rugged, forged receivers. Sturdy, inexpensive magazines.
Most famously, a dead simple direct impingement gas system that requires a fraction of the maintanence of an AR15. (Stoner f'd up in having the gas flow INTO the bolt carrier and over the bolt.) I'm not a fan of the 7.5mm ammo, but otherwise the French MAS was a good rifle--in some ways superior to the m14. (I'll still take a FAL over a MAS any day though).
KiltedClaymore
Member
the Hakim man. its an 8mm semi with a 10 round mag! not to mention the ajustablity for the mix questionable ammo! whats NOT to love on these beauties?
oh, and .45guy, wanna give me a carcano and make my year? you seem to have more than your share of them. how much do they run?
oh, and .45guy, wanna give me a carcano and make my year
? you seem to have more than your share of them. how much do they run?Ash
Member
The only problem with the MAS is the ammo. It is not the rifle that is under-appreciated, but the chambering. Were the French more cosmopolitan with their ammo choice and produced the 49/56 in 7.62 NATO or, heck, even 7.62sx54R, then it would be a very popular rifle. Indeed, had it been chambered in the NATO round, it would likely bring $600-$900 each rather than $300-$400 by hopeful collectors. The ammo is the hang-up on it, not the rifle itself.
As to the Hakim, well, I enjoyed mine when I had one. Mine wasn't all that accurate (or, I wasn't all that accurate with it). IN any case, I am much better with my Garand than with a Hakim. That said, had the Hakim been chambered in 30-06, I'd probably still own it.
Ash
As to the Hakim, well, I enjoyed mine when I had one. Mine wasn't all that accurate (or, I wasn't all that accurate with it). IN any case, I am much better with my Garand than with a Hakim. That said, had the Hakim been chambered in 30-06, I'd probably still own it.
Ash
Danus ex
Member
Deer Hunter this is an interesting point. Even though it's probably the most numerous military surplus rifle and it gets a LOT of talk, does the regular old Russian Mosin-Nagant really get much genuine appreciation?
yesit'sloaded
Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,662
What about the SKS? Many consider it the smaller cousin of the AK even though it was invented first. They readily shoot 2MOA or better with hand loads or decent ammo. Most people shoot Wolf with a sloppy receiver cover scope and when it doesn't drive tacks they throw it away to the back of the closet.
Without a Doubt
Without a doubt the MOST under apprecieated military of all time is the
M1917. These rifles are absolutely the pinicle of military bolt rifles. They are made to the same or better quality than the 03's (but I do love my 03's) or Mausers. They are brutally strong and have a silky smooth action. They shoot the venerable and extremely easy to find 30.06. They are superbly accurate. Because they are so under apprecieated they can still be bought for very reasonable money. Here is a few pics of my 2. One is and Eddystone and the other a Remington. They were modified in the later 40's as target rifles. I got them at an estate sale and I paid $190 for each
I would not hesitate to put them up against anybodies iron sighted match rifles.
Without a doubt the MOST under apprecieated military of all time is the
M1917. These rifles are absolutely the pinicle of military bolt rifles. They are made to the same or better quality than the 03's (but I do love my 03's) or Mausers. They are brutally strong and have a silky smooth action. They shoot the venerable and extremely easy to find 30.06. They are superbly accurate. Because they are so under apprecieated they can still be bought for very reasonable money. Here is a few pics of my 2. One is and Eddystone and the other a Remington. They were modified in the later 40's as target rifles. I got them at an estate sale and I paid $190 for each
I would not hesitate to put them up against anybodies iron sighted match rifles.Attachments
Deer Hunter
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 4,097
Danus,
Whenever I see a thread with a guy who wants a cheap hunting rifle to take on his first hunt, my first reccomendation would be a Mosin, and if they don't want one, maybe another military surplus rifle. Why? Well usually the person has experience shooting pistols, maybe an SKS, AR, AK, or other type rifle with iron sights, but never been hunting before. The shots would rarely be past 100 yards. Especially if he's sitting next to a tree and waiting. Why do you need a Savage (with accutrigger!, psh), Tikka, Ruger, with some 10x scope? That's cumbersom and gets in the way. Plus you stick a caliber on the end like .300 WSM, 7mm Mag, etc, the price for getting to know the gun goes up.
I offer a simple solution: Grab a mosin. Pick one that you like. You can find them with great bores. Ammo is cheap and plentiful, even when you exclude surplus. Plus the round hits hard, like a 30-06. For 70 dollars, you can't really go wrong.
there are some guys who'll tout that their M38 shoots 12 MOA at 25 yards, good for them. They have a bad gun/they are flinching/they arn't used to the sights. I can shoot 1 gallon jugs at 100 yards all day long wtih my M44, and I know a 200 grain softpoint will do a number on any white tail I'll ever see.
Plus the bayonet is great to have when you need to prop your gun up. Simply extend the bayonet, and place firmly into the earth.
Whenever I see a thread with a guy who wants a cheap hunting rifle to take on his first hunt, my first reccomendation would be a Mosin, and if they don't want one, maybe another military surplus rifle. Why? Well usually the person has experience shooting pistols, maybe an SKS, AR, AK, or other type rifle with iron sights, but never been hunting before. The shots would rarely be past 100 yards. Especially if he's sitting next to a tree and waiting. Why do you need a Savage (with accutrigger!, psh), Tikka, Ruger, with some 10x scope? That's cumbersom and gets in the way. Plus you stick a caliber on the end like .300 WSM, 7mm Mag, etc, the price for getting to know the gun goes up.
I offer a simple solution: Grab a mosin. Pick one that you like. You can find them with great bores. Ammo is cheap and plentiful, even when you exclude surplus. Plus the round hits hard, like a 30-06. For 70 dollars, you can't really go wrong.
there are some guys who'll tout that their M38 shoots 12 MOA at 25 yards, good for them. They have a bad gun/they are flinching/they arn't used to the sights. I can shoot 1 gallon jugs at 100 yards all day long wtih my M44, and I know a 200 grain softpoint will do a number on any white tail I'll ever see.
Plus the bayonet is great to have when you need to prop your gun up. Simply extend the bayonet, and place firmly into the earth.
I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing, so I don't know about SMLE hype. I just know that, of the milsurps I own, it's my favorite. Just holding it and cycling the action gives me a good feeling that's utterly lacking in many other guns. Not all others, of course.
I'm not sure there is an underappreciated rifle. If the caliber is a PITA to find, or to find dies and supplies for, then that's a real downside. It's not imaginary.
Milsurps seem to sell quite well. I'm not sure that any are really underappreciated, for what they are.
I'm not sure there is an underappreciated rifle. If the caliber is a PITA to find, or to find dies and supplies for, then that's a real downside. It's not imaginary.
Milsurps seem to sell quite well. I'm not sure that any are really underappreciated, for what they are.
Deer Hunter
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 4,097
No problem lencac. I've stabbed a few rabid dishwashers and used it to toast bread over a fire, but the best use I've seen is for holding the rifle anywhere you need.
Glockdaddy
Member
Gentlemen.....this thread is great!
I am not sure why, but I have enjoyed this thread more than just about any I have read inrecent months. Probably because it shows lots of different opinions, all very valid. Great photos.....good insight....and a true spirit of "fellowship" for lack of a better term...
It is great to read a thread that is void of flaming, slamming, arguing, etc.
Thanks to all of you for sharing and making this so informative.
I have recently been bitten by the milsurp bug and am insanely in love with the Swedish Mausers.....but now you guys have given me lots of other guns to consider.......
I am not sure why, but I have enjoyed this thread more than just about any I have read inrecent months. Probably because it shows lots of different opinions, all very valid. Great photos.....good insight....and a true spirit of "fellowship" for lack of a better term...
It is great to read a thread that is void of flaming, slamming, arguing, etc.
Thanks to all of you for sharing and making this so informative.
I have recently been bitten by the milsurp bug and am insanely in love with the Swedish Mausers.....but now you guys have given me lots of other guns to consider.......
I agree with the most under rated being the carcano's and the MAS 36. I have one of each, and though i have not shot my Carcano yet, the MAS 36 is a goo shooter. Prvi Partizan makes new loads for the 7.5 French as well.
Most over rated one, the SVT-40 takes the cake in my book. It might have just been the one i had, but i could not get it to shoot well with iron sights. I am still in the hunt for another one, mearly to complete my Russian collection.
Most over rated one, the SVT-40 takes the cake in my book. It might have just been the one i had, but i could not get it to shoot well with iron sights. I am still in the hunt for another one, mearly to complete my Russian collection.
MilsurpShooter
Member
Yugoslavian M48 and the Mosin Nagant
- Status
