Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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I just saw an email advertising a Mosin M38 for $450. I recently looked up WASR10 prices - $700. I can get a cheapo AR for $400 and a decent M&P15 or Ruger AR556 for about $500. Cheapest blemished US made AK I can find is $499.

Never thought I would see this day. Glad I bought Mosins and AKs back in the day and waited to buy ARs.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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It's all artificial price increases due to import bans from Russia. I think the typical Mosin would drop back to $150-200 if they lifted that. Russian surplus ammo dried up for the same reason. Prices for rifles and ammo would go back down if they allowed Russian and Chinese imports. The Chinese would make repros of any guns or ammo past or present if it sold.

I've never been a fan of the shorter Mosins and so I don't understand how chopping the barrel down made them more appealing. I have a small stack of wooden ammo crates full of the old surplus ammo purchased back when you could get 7.62x25 for about the cost of .22 and 7.62x54r for 17-20 cents a round. My father in law bought a Chinese SKS with a crate of 7.62x39 for $200 years ago and I've picked up SKSs with problems for half way decent prices and fixed them myself.

That said, AR prices have crashed due to so much competition. They're cheaper then decent new bolt action rifles in some cases.

I've don't need an AR in 5.56 but I've considered getting something in .308 before the next round of ban talk drives the prices up. I've considered selling Mosins and ammo but they'll probably keep appreciating so I may just buy the AR-10 or a lower end AR15 or two (M&P15/AR556) and keep everything. Then nice thing about the low end ARs is you can replace almost anything on it if there's a problem. That's harder to do on a low end AK.
Brian

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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I bought my first SKS for $99 after the first AWB was passed (but not implemented). $99 was seen as pricey back in 1993. It was a panic buy. :)

Just saw the ATI Omni Maxx for $379 complete. Absolutely bizarre. Maybe I am just old, but never thought I'd see ARs cheaper than AKs.

Wish I had bought more Saiga AKs a few years ago.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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I bought a Mosin last year for $125. The bolt wouldn't close right and a piece of the stock broke off. I fixed both and it's not too bad. Nothing special, but a $125 rifle. I did similar recently with a modified SKS recently. The guy couldn't get any of the different aftermarket scope solutions to work and it wasn't very accurate anyway, so he wanted an AR-15. I picked it up, sold all the taticool parts and accessories, put the wood back on (luckily he had kept that), and I'm in it for around $250; if I don't bother finding a bayonet for it. The accuracy had dropped off because the aftermarket stock was loose and allowed the gun to move up and down.

Deals are out there if you live in the right area. We don't quite have the population so they are infrequent.

It's interesting to see a number of ads and store shelves with beat up SKSs at higher prices then new S&W or Ruger ARs.
Brian

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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K9s wrote: Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:57 am I just saw an email advertising a Mosin M38 for $450. I recently looked up WASR10 prices - $700. I can get a cheapo AR for $400 and a decent M&P15 or Ruger AR556 for about $500. Cheapest blemished US made AK I can find is $499.

Never thought I would see this day. Glad I bought Mosins and AKs back in the day and waited to buy ARs.
I believe that the M38 Mosins along with the M91/59's have always been a little more expensive than the 91/30's and M44's

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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inomaha wrote: Thu Sep 20, 2018 5:16 pm People may look back on these threads and marvel at the fact people could buy semi automatic rifles let alone AR15s with standard 30 round magazines.
I don't think so. By that time, these 2D forum posts will have gone the way of BBS or MySpace. The idea that ARs or all semi-autos will be banned in my lifetime seems farfetched. Of course, I live in the deep south.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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The fun of Mosins is trying to find the odd ones, like one built on a Sestroryetsk receiver that went to Finland via Germany,Austria,and Turkey. The best one I heard of was a PU sniper battlefield pick-up which ended up in the collection of a recently deceased former officer in the Abwehr. His heirs sold it back to Russia for a very large, undisclosed sum; 7 figures from what I understand.
Cynistoicureanism: The world view best expressed by "I can't trust 'em any farther then I can throw 'em, There's nothing I can do about it anyway, So let's have a drink".

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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I love me some Mosins. If I had known they would dry up, I might have bought more to pass on as heirlooms.

Maybe my ARs will become priceless antiques some day? LOL

Any guesses what will replace the AR as the next gotta-have-it rifle for the tacticool crowd?
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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K9s wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:15 am I love me some Mosins. If I had known they would dry up, I might have bought more to pass on as heirlooms.

Maybe my ARs will become priceless antiques some day? LOL

Any guesses what will replace the AR as the next gotta-have-it rifle for the tacticool crowd?
Browning Automatic Rifle
1B197B2C-B791-48DC-BBEB-2084F6A9BA7C.jpeg
My uncle carried one during his service (the tall guy always got the BAR).
Image
Image

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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HuckleberryFun wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:33 pm
K9s wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:15 am I love me some Mosins. If I had known they would dry up, I might have bought more to pass on as heirlooms.

Maybe my ARs will become priceless antiques some day? LOL

Any guesses what will replace the AR as the next gotta-have-it rifle for the tacticool crowd?
Browning Automatic Rifle
1B197B2C-B791-48DC-BBEB-2084F6A9BA7C.jpeg

My uncle carried one during his service (the tall guy always got the BAR).
no, that doesn't work. The OP was complaining about the Russian garbage rod becoming expensive; American surplus is already high priced and getting worse and that BAR is already in the "only rich guys" range.
Cynistoicureanism: The world view best expressed by "I can't trust 'em any farther then I can throw 'em, There's nothing I can do about it anyway, So let's have a drink".

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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JColville wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 2:27 pm
HuckleberryFun wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:33 pm
K9s wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:15 am I love me some Mosins. If I had known they would dry up, I might have bought more to pass on as heirlooms.

Maybe my ARs will become priceless antiques some day? LOL

Any guesses what will replace the AR as the next gotta-have-it rifle for the tacticool crowd?
Browning Automatic Rifle
1B197B2C-B791-48DC-BBEB-2084F6A9BA7C.jpeg

My uncle carried one during his service (the tall guy always got the BAR).
no, that doesn't work. The OP was complaining about the Russian garbage rod becoming expensive; American surplus is already high priced and getting worse and that BAR is already in the "only rich guys" range.
True. Even Garands through the CMP are at the limit at $700 range. Almost two cheaper AR:s.
Image
Image

"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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eelj wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:07 am My guess is that the old world bolt action rifles would cost about a grand or better if reproduced today.
The Swiss K31 definitely and they are just about there on the secondary surplus market.
Cynistoicureanism: The world view best expressed by "I can't trust 'em any farther then I can throw 'em, There's nothing I can do about it anyway, So let's have a drink".

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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Sometimes I wish they had gun forums in the 1970s & 80s so we could look back at what collectors said & wrote back then. It is hard to get an historical perspective.

I wonder if caseless ammunition will become the next big thing (once they work out the kinks)? They have been working on it for decades. Of course, it makes less sense for civilian semi-auto rifles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_G11
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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JColville wrote: Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:47 am AIM currently has some for c. $300 complete with ammo pouch and bayonet. expect them to go fast https://aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?gro ... 1-17983189
Those are reasonable prices. I suspect people complained about Mosins at $100 and thought they should cost $50. I agree that producing a bolt action today if done with quality in mind it would not be cheap and would probably cost $1K. I'd include a Mosin in that. Take that bolt apart and you'll get an idea of the work involved. Craft in a good wood stock with a hand finish. 1k minimum.
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Image

"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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I saw those AIM Mosins on sale. I hate to sound spoiled, but I bought two $100 M91/30 Mosins years ago and they arrived in cosmoline packaged from Molot in perfect condition. I wonder if these are the same thing? If so, they are well worth the price.

The days of the $99 Mosins are long gone, I fear. I had hoped the silver lining of Republicans in charge would be restarting SKS, AK, and Mosin imports from Russia. I also had hoped for suppressors to be off the NFA list. A short-lived supply of cheap Russian relics would have been really nice. The Republicans didn't do a damn thing regarding firearms when they had all the control.
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Re: Mosin costs more than an AR15?

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K9s wrote: Sat Sep 29, 2018 9:59 am I saw those AIM Mosins on sale. I hate to sound spoiled, but I bought two $100 M91/30 Mosins years ago and they arrived in cosmoline packaged from Molot in perfect condition. I wonder if these are the same thing? If so, they are well worth the price.

The days of the $99 Mosins are long gone, I fear. I had hoped the silver lining of Republicans in charge would be restarting SKS, AK, and Mosin imports from Russia. I also had hoped for suppressors to be off the NFA list. A short-lived supply of cheap Russian relics would have been really nice. The Republicans didn't do a damn thing regarding firearms when they had all the control.
I bought a Finn Capture for $100, and it wasn't even that long ago (maybe 6 years). Sub-$100 Nagants where a very regular thing in this decade. I wish I would have picked up a bunch of the $79 by the crate 91/30s.

I have had quite a few, including M44s (love the fireball), Remington, and SA stamped stuff. I enjoy shooting them, but for me, the thing that killed collecting them was the cost of ammo quadrupling. I can now shoot .308 for the same price, why would I spend it on an (arguably) inferior round out of a surplus rifle?

Off the rack .308s can be had that shoot sub-MOA for the same price as a Nagant now? THis is why they're no longer a deal in my eyes.

You can pick up a Mossberg Patriot or comparable for $300 with a (cheap) scope. The ammo costs are the same (for cheap .308 vs. arguably decent 7.62x54r).

As for the import ban: I agree, Trump should have used his Russian criminal ties to get some more cheap Nagants... but Trump doens't do anything for anyone other than Trump, let's be honest.

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