There are many things a person can collect that are fairly affordable and will increase in value over time. However the last thing many people think that they could collect for a minimal investment would be authentic World War II military surplus rifles. Many of these rifles are still in excellent condition even after having been through decades of war. They can be often be purchased cheaply and the cheapest of these rifles can even be purchased for as little as $79.00 These rifles will always increase in value as long as they are taken care of so they are an excellent investment.

This is a list of 3 of those classic rifles that tend to be very popular in no particular order. Just because these rifles are affordable does not mean they are inferior, it usually just means that there was a large production of these rifles and there's still active trading of them amongst collectors and enthusiasts. There are really just too many good military surplus rifles out there that are affordable so I am regulating this article to 3 very popular ones.

Buying these rifles does not always mean they have to be stuffed away in a closet to gather dust. Many of these guns are still in use today as target and hunting rifles and as well as being used for sport shooting. Just be sure to have any old rifle checked by a gunsmith before firing it as to make sure its in safe condition. Keep in mind that that are many different models and variations of these rifles in circulation and in collections. This article in not going to go in depth to the degree of noting all of the models. This article is just to provide basic information on these rifles as well as their affordability.

The Mosin Nagant is a internal magazine fed bolt action military rifle first produced by the Soviet Union. It fires a 7.62x54mmR cartridge and the various models weigh between 7.5 and 9 pounds. Around 37,000,000 of these rifles were produced between the years of 1891 to 1965 in various arsenals in Eastern Bloc nations. It's final design was a compromise of two ideas from both Sergei Ivanovich Mosin and Leon Nagant.

The Mosin Nagant family of rifles has seen extended use in wars since the late 1800's. The rifle was also the standard issue weapon of Soviet troops during World War II and saw extensive use throughout many of its conflicts. It was adapted as a sniper rifle in 1932 and issued to Soviet snipers. It was also the primary sniper rifle of the infamous Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev. His experiences sniping during WWII were recently chronicled in the movie Enemy at the Gates.

These rifles vary in price based on condition and rarity of the model, however practically all of them are extremely affordable. They can be purchased online at gun auction sites and at most local gun stores in the price range of $79.00 to $175.00. The most popular versions tend to be the shortned M44 Carbine and the Mosin 91/30. If a Mosin Nagant rifle is priced higher than this it is usually because its condition is excellent or it has something that peaks interest to collectors. Ammunition for the Mosin Nagant family of rifles is also extremely affordable and can be purchased in bulk from many sources.

The Kar98k is a internal magazine fed bolt action military rifle first produced by Germany in 1935. It fires a 7.92x57mm IS cartridge and the rifle weighs 8.2 to 9 pounds in its variations. Over 14,500,000 of these rifles were produced between 1935 and 1945 to support the Nazi Germany war effort. It is in the Mauser family of rifles started by Paul Mauser in the 1890's.

The Kar98k was the standard infantry rifle of the Nazi Germany army but it has also seen extended use throughout the world in many conflicts. Ironically it was even used in the formation of the state of Israel by the Haganah which is now the modern day Israeli Defense Force. The rifle still tends to be used in many 3rd world countries and has seen use as recently as the Yugoslav and Iraq war.

The prices of K98k tend to be slightly higher than that of the Mosin Nagant family of rifles. A lot of this has to do with the collectibility of Nazi German items as well its reputation as a quality rifle. The condition of the rifle affects the price considerably as well as many other factors including rarity, collectibility, and insignias. However you can purchase a good quality Kar98k for around the price range of $250.00 to $350.00. To many this may seem like a large amount of money but consider what you are getting for your dollar. A rifle that was used extensively throughout WWII and wars afterwards for such a small price is an excellent deal. Some of these rifles have been re-chambered to fire more modern ammunition as well.

The Swiss K31 is a magazine fed bolt action military rifle produced in Switzerland. It fires a 7.5x55mm Swiss cartridge and weighs around 8.8 pounds. Around 580,000 of these rifles were produced and they were in service from 1933 to 1958 by the Swiss Defense Force. It was designed by Waffenfabrik Bern and first produced in 1931.

The Swiss K31 was never widely used in World War II as Switzerland was for the most part a neutral country. The rifles however are highly regarded as being extremely accurate and of high quality. Many of the surplus K31's you can purchase today actually have a slip in the butt stock which can be used to trace it back to the soldier it was originally issued too. Most of the K31's are in very good condition but often have minimal wooden stock damage. Many believe this is due to having been placed in the snow during training exercises.

The K31 is a rifle that is slowly increasing in demand and popularity. The price has recently risen sharply because of their reputation for accuracy and their prior affordability .They can still be purchased fairly cheaply though from various gun sources throughout the Internet. The prices on these rifles vary with condition but usually run from the $200.00 to the $325.00 range. It really is an affordable price for such an accurate weapon. The only down fall to these rifles is that ammunition for them tends to be expensive, so most enthusiasts tend to reload their own to save money and to ensure better accuracy.

A large part of military surplus ammunition on the market is corrosive. This ammunition was designed to have a very high shelf life and the priming compounds in the cartridge will pit and rust your rifle if it is not cleaned properly after firing. Firing military surplus ammo can be much more affordable and does not pose a risk if you thoroughly clean your rifle after firing it.

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Mosin Nagant Information Wikipedia

Mauser Karabiner 98k Information Wikipedia

Swiss K31 Information Wikipedia

 

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J&G Sales-They offer some very affordable Mosin Nagants from a low of $79.00. They also deal in surplus ammunition.

Samco Global Arms-They have a good inventory of many military surplus rifles. Kar98k's and Swiss K31's can be purchased here for as little as $200.00 each. They also deal in surplus ammunition.

Empire Arms-They sell affordable Military surplus rifles in very good quality. They have a nice grading system for their rifles as well as individual pictures for each one. I highly reccomend this site although the design of the webpages is not of the highest quality. Their prices tend to be higher but the quality of the rifles are much better than you will find elsewhere.

Gunbroker.com-Online Gun Auction Website