Surplus Firearm Market Update (GUNSHOWS DEAD?) ☠️ Milsurp Report - Gun Collecting Experience 2024
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- I was shocked when I came across this M44 Mosin at the gunshow! For the most part, gun show deals are dead these days, but you can still stumble upon a fantastic milsurp find here and there. This Russian M44 Mosin-Nagant Carbine is one of the best condition military surplus firearms I've scored in a long time. Despite the ridiculous gun prices we're dealing with in 2024, I feel like I got a darn good deal and, at the same time, managed to fill a glaring hole in my collection. I suppose, sometimes, shows are still worth the price of entry.
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Want prices to go down? Don't pay them! Paying these prices will only cause them to get worse!
Lots of old timers are starting to unload their accumulations. But that usually equates to a lot of high prices until time takes more of a toll on the willingness to hold out.
The amount of glass cases with good items but absolutely ridiculous prices but that's all they are they just sit there on display because nobody will buy them
Did you also walk out with some jam? Knife, honey, new gutters, scented candle, beef jerkey, solar panels, turquoise Indian jewelry, performance engine oil or a new purse for the Missus?
Don’t forget the finest chinesium stun guns.
"Shows" are all gun shows are now a days. Totally insane pricing.
Try Gun Auctions People have lost there minds.
@clintonlayne9253 Yep, pretty sure people post guns they don't really want to sell. They just post it for a price that they figure they could part with it if someone is willing to pay that much.
Saw someone trying to sell a .308 Ishapore Enfield for $1100 and right next to it was a sport prized 1903 for $900. I laughed my ass off
I saw that exact rifle at that show and passed on it. I have a Chinese, polish and a Russian 1944 m44 carbine. I was gonna use it for the stock but figured I'd let someone who didn't have one get a good deal. Glad it went to a good home. Yeah the massive table with surplus stuff that guy does alot of commission stuff. Which is why his prices are all over the place. At the last atlanta show I picked up a type 38 with an sks barrel off him for 600 even which from what I've seen those go for is a decent buy considering the rarity. The boomers in the corner aren't worth even looking at with their 1000 dollar yugo m48
surprised he never responded to this comment
a few years back I had a m48 shipped to a pawn. The day I went to do paperwork I saw a polish m44 on the wall for 350. At first I did not really want it but the shop owner insisted that I was making a mistake and to take it home with me. I handed him the cash and upon inspection the gun was absolutely mint. Currently it is one of my favorite shooters and now they are floating around the 650 mark.
I am still kicking myself for not buying ~10 years ago a crate of five Mosin Nagants for ~$80/rifle.
same, im kicking myself for being too young to 😂
The amount of shaving done to your bolt is pretty wild. Forced matched is normal for Mosins, but finding them with the original bolt is a nice plus. The serial numbers match because they are forced matched. This is very common to see on Soviet refurbs. The bluing is a heavy dip bluing the Soviets did before long storage. Original Mosin bluing isn't nearly this dark.
6:22 You can't see the pitting in your bore? It's clear as day that this there's pitting in the lands of the barrel. There's a reason this carbine was $300.
2:41 for those who need it shown on the bolt.
I have gotten some pretty amazing deals on milsurps because they were sporterized. Actually, literally today, I am picking up a sporter 1903 I got for 200 bucks.
90% of the deals at gun shows are complete rip-offs, however, recently I picked up a Hugo capture k98k for $550
They make slip-on recoil pads. They work great AND they are not permanent.
I have a Limb saver slip on pad on my K-31 Swiss . It helps a lot
My heart hurts for what has happened to Milsurps, when i was in highschool and college Mosins were $80 and an SKS was maybe 250-300 max....
The merch at gun shows tends to be overpriced but the people watching remains top notch. And now and then you find a gem.
I don’t know if you read comments but please take my advice here. I go all across the southern United States to gun shows. Even went north to the show of shows in Kentucky. Many shows including that one have been a bust. The only show that has been huge and always presents deals is the Wanenmacher's Tulsa Gun Show. The next one is early April. It’s the largest gunshow in the United States. There are so many tables you can’t look at them all in one day. It’s a 11 acre building of over 4k tables. If you have a bud who has a table you can get in a day early. I so happen to have a table and will be at the show selling many Chinese captured Arisakas. But please give the Tulsa show a shot. It is so massive you could make some videos while there. Worth the look.
I live in Tulsa and am a collector of Arisakas. How can we get in contact before/during the show? I have a Manchukuo Type 38 Korea bring back I will be bringing. 1 of 71 in the USA.
I have a friend who has attended the Tulsa show several times. He swears by it.
That show was full of fuds and insane high prices no not true one bit
@@EliteManMonkey The best thing Wanenmacher's has to offer is the sheer amount of people there. You dont buy from the tables, you find the deals with the people walking around trying to sell stuff.
I live close to Tulsa and go to the Wanamaker every show if possible. You can definitely still find good deals at the Wanamaker, especially with non-vendors. The next show is coming up this November.
That's a great deal! Out West, all the gun shows I go to hardly have any surplus, and what they do have are crazy expensive.
That being said, I saw an m48 yugo Mauser at my last show for $250 hiding in a back corner. I didn't buy it since 8mm Mausers have gotten a little boring for me, but I hope another collector found it after I left
I did the same to my Chinese type 53, not to lengthen the pull but to save my shoulder a beating. Put the plate back on when I sold it though.
Congrates! 300 USD for a M44 in such a good condition is nearly impossible these days. As you mentioned, the 91/30 are now going over 800 now. Nice pick and never let the chance get away.
I have pretty much given up on local gun shows for surplus firearms, prices are mind numbingly high! On the other hand, there are still plenty of deals to be made on items like bayonets and other surplus kit. For firearms, I’ve had my best luck on auction sites like Proxibid. I recently picked up a m38 Mosin made in 1943 for $300 and a C96 Mauser, early 30’s commercial for $600. Do take prices on auction sites with a grain of salt, depending on the auction company there may be upwards of a 25% Internet fee on items won
let's not forget they usually even add in your state tax and in my state of Texas that's 81/4 percent so you have to add 33 percent on your bid but you can still get some decent deal. I recently got a pristine K31 for 400 plus 33 percent but still ok.
Nice score! Last month at a military collectibles show I found a really nice Chinese Type 53 carbine, numbers matching on bolt and receiver, excellent finish, excellent bore, very nice overall shape for $350. I actually bought a different gun that day, so i passed on it.
After thinking on it and kicking myself for leaving it there, i went back to the show the next day and when i saw it was still there, I bought it immediately.
There are still deals to be had!
Just bought a Brazilian Mauser Model 08 in NRA Very good. I paid $450, great deal.
great review all of yours..sad to say the country I retired in has laws against me owning any military surplus guns,,I grew up with guns in the states..A old man at 78 years I remember going to surplus stores in the 60s when there was a glut of rifles available,,Kraigs,, South American mausers,,Swedish.Turkish..Greek.Carancos..Enfields..Ariskas..etc..all at low low prices.....Amazing..Like your show..
I used to have a C&R FFL and was always on the lookout for bargains. Years ago Roses department store in my hometown got in a shipment of 81-90 Mosins,and I bought about 8 or 9 of them at $49.99 each. They sat around for several years in their boxes because I intended to get them all cleaned up and show worthy. The best intentions....Oh well. I finally got tired of looking at them and let a buddy take them off my hands for what I had paid. I just looked them up and couldn't believe what they are going for now!!
I too got my M44 at an RK gun show as well in a similar fashion. I was on my way to parking lot and saw a guy sitting by himself near the line to enter with a m44 in his lap. Got to chatting with him and asked what he was looking for his rifle. He asked for 400$ and after seeing a m44 in worse shape without the bayonet for more in the show I didnt even haggle with him and shook on it.
I got 2 91/30s for 89 each. My M44 was 150. The prices have gotten outrageous. The only way prices will return is when people stop buying at ludicrous prices. 800+ for an arsenal refurb is just robbery.
I agree with your assessment about gun show prices, absolutely insane in most cases. But you got a great deal on your M44, congrats.😀
Nice find under the cirucmstances. I got started in milsurp collecting in 2003. Diddn't realise the end was already on the horizon. Then had some financial trouble and had to dump some of my collection. You can imagine the taste that left in my mouth. Looking thru my records. I bought a 1944 dated M44 in 2005 for 80 bucks. Had to sell it in 17 along with a bunch of other guns. I got 190 for it. I still have a 1927 dated 91/30 that's in beautiful shape which I payed 80 bucks for in 2004. I will not be selling it. I get the concept of supply and demand and desire for interesting guns etc. But there is no way in hell I'll pay 800 bucks for any Mosin ever. And most of those I see around here are around that price. I'm in Phoenix by the way. Pretty much stopped going to shows as everybody seems to be basically just smoking crack. I did just pick up a Carcano M91/38 carbine from J&G sales yesterday for 200. They are about the only retalier around here with any kind of deal. I stripped it and cleaned it and found a decent gun under all the crud with a better than average bore. But that's about the best deal they had going. They had some Yugo Mauser Gunsmiths specials for 300, all in a very sorry state. Broken stocks, parts missing etc. And I consider them to be one of the better dealers around. I bought a lot of stuff from them years ago before it all went nuts. All the rest of their surpluss stuff is above 500, some of it way above, upwards of 1000 to 1200. The only way to hopefully bring some sanity back to gunshows shows is for people to just stop buying. Eventually it must get old dragging a bunch of stupidly overpriced rifles out at every show trying to convince people they transmuted into gold in the last ten years and then dragging them back home again unsold.
Was at a gunshow this weekend in West Texas. Traded 3 RTI Carcano Calvary Carbines for a beautiful M96 Swedish Mauser with sling, blank fire adapter, flash hider, thread protector, box of wooden projectile ammo, and a box of milsurp ammo.
I just got a hakim in really good shape for under 700 at a show
I found a finnish mosin for $425. Didnt pick it up. Let someone else get the good deal!
Glad to see you invested in something in good shape , you will have to find the correct pivot screw for the bayonet also 👍
You’re going to hate me, snagged a Finn m24 today for 150 bones, it’s a bit weird as it’s one of the few Finn’s I’ve found with an original Imperial Russian barrel.
That's a great price the m24 is one of the more valuable of them I think if I remember right only 9000 of them made they sell on Gun Broker for 800 plus
Milsurp Bubble. yeah, I've been waitin a long time for Hyundai's to go back to $7,999, Bigmac's to go back to .99 cents and a pair of Levi's to go back to $19.99. Unless you think there's gonna be a huge influx of milsurp importations or a sudden falloff in demand. I wouldnt wait to long too get what you want.
In the days of cheap Mosins, I found a 45 dated M44, 1 & qtr . All m😅atching and excellent bore ..no import marks. Got it, later as I learned, not a refurb. Glad to snag it, runs n shoots great. You got a good find, but plate too
Congrats on your find. I’ve been to three gun shows this year, not even came close to buying a mil surplus because they are over priced. The only thing I have purchased this year has been a Dutch Beaumont and a Portuguese Mauser M937A 8mm and those were online purchases. I still like going to the gun shows and looking but military surplus. Haven’t ran across any good deals in quite a while. Thanks for the video
Amazing deal. 👍🏽👍🏽
Nice! Man I have noticed prices dropping, people aren't buying so there's been score after score in my neck of the woods. Never give up!
Nice!! Good find. Giving you a shout out on my unboxing video of my M 95 from Royal Tiger. You’re a true inspiration. Thank you, Jim.
I have one with the rubber but-plate. I don't remember who told me to, but i took it to a drill-press and drilled out the holes in the rubber and it made it a lot softer recoil.
Had a Spanish 1916 Carbine in Military condition with a pretty burnt out barrel that I just traded for a Columbian 1950 Carbine chambered in 30-06. It was sporterized with a Williams rear sight and Replacement stock, but it still has the original military barrel and crest so I could do a restore if I wanted. Definitely happy with the trade and think I came out ahead.
Those Spanish rifles got absolutely worn out in multiple conflicts. Easy W there.
@kylekatarn5964 you are not kidding. A buddy of mine loaded about 20 rounds up with Hornady Boat tail projectiles, and the rifle would keyhole at 25 yards. I measured the projectile he used, and pulled out a box of FN 7MM Military Surplus with a flat base bullet. The flat base bullet was just a couple thou larger in diameter but it was a consistent diameter to the base of the bullet. Basically, the Spanish 7MM was so burnt out it couldn't handle boat tail ammo. It needed Flatbase Bullets to get full engagement with the rifling out to the muzzle. Brought out 20 rounds of that FN Ammo, and it printed a group about 2 inches at 25 yards without shooting for accuracy. I was shooting just to see if the barrel was salvageable. No keyhole, but I knew I was screwed once I burnt through the last 40 rounds I had because you can't find flat base 7MM bullets of a that same diameter. On top of that, the FN Brass was so old, probably 100+ years old, every case had a neck split because the brass was so brittle from age.
@Courier-Six Damn! Good thing you sent that one down the road.
I got my m44 for 300, still covered in cosmoline. It was almost the same way you got yours, where 2 guys were looking at it, and I said, "I'll take it" first. This was last year. I'm seeing mosins for 650-850 nowadays too
I got into guns in 2011 here in colorado ive never seen a m1 garand for less than 900 only good deals at that time were the mosin nagants at big 5 ...they were like 110
Thanks 😎
The other week I got a Type 30 for only $300! While shows aren't as great as before there are deals to be had from those who don't know what they have
Seen that same one 😉
At my last gun show I saw my favorite Mosin model the M38 carbine for $300, it's mine now.
I sorely miss the early days of my start to milsurp collecting in the early 90’s. I paid less than 100 beans for my first enfields, mosins, Mauser and so on. I have a seriously hard time paying 500+ ( for usually bad shape ) milsurps now but if I wish to continue that’s the crap to deal with. Love all the videos.
That was a good deal, especially in today's market. I am appalled at the prices for rusted and pitted non number matching, black bore Mosins today. Congrats on a nice find.
I bought my mosin m44 in 2015 for half that price at a small town pawn shop. :( I miss old milsurp prices
Great video and even better find!
nice score, my go to places are the antique swap meet and yard sales. just bought the front half of a 1918 enfield for 200. u had all the missing parts left over from a dp rifle .
Wow! Great find on that one. Congrats!
Went to a show here in Buffalo N.Y. last weekend. Good selection. Some good deals, but mostly overpriced guns & ammo.
got my t53 for 300 during the hight of the coof. looked like it was still new so i was surprised it wasnt a combloc import. Worth the price at the time
The last gun show here everything was expensive- SKS's were running 6 to 700+ they used to give M44 for free if you bought another gun . The M44 are not fun to shoot.
Glad someone else is saying it, I stopped going to local gunshows just because everything is stupidly overpriced. Im tired of going to them just to see the same local people trying to sell yugo m48s for $1250 and mosins for $850. I'd love to start going back to them if these sellers stopped trying to get 400% profit on each gun.
It almost popped in 2023
Great find!
i would say a great deal. i got my M44 years ago when 91/30's were $100, i paid about $200 then, maybe a bit much at the time but perfect shape, war time production i was and still am happy with it. enjoy your's.
There are still deals to be had but very tough indeed. "Some" of the older generation don't mind parting for a reasonable price considering what they originally had in it. That being said, I definitely agree with the overall opinion that yes the good ol days at shows are over.
That M44 IS NOT REFURBISHED! 🥳
In 1994, these post war M44 Carbines came into the country from Ukraine still in the original factory mummy wrap. There are no square refurb stamps on the stocks or receiver extensions. There is no refurb red lacquer on the wood. All serial numbers match and are original (same number stamps used on all the parts). They were brand, spanking new with perfect bores!
Yours is missing the unique sling these came with. Check out mine. It's also a 1946. Shame it's missing the original butt plate too. There are vids of guys taking these out of the original mummy wrap. If the bore is a little rough, that's also a shame.
But great find. These are not unicorns, but they are very desirable. 🤠
amazing he never reacted to this comment
$300 for an m44 mosin carbine is a great price. I paid about $350 for mine and it was in worse shape than yours, it was missing the folding bayonet and rear sight. There was a cheap red dot on it instead and the metal ilon it had been chromed.
That's a long time milsurp collector I would say that the price being asked for what's available on the market is out of line despite all the supply and demand issues. There is a ton of Surplus on the market at unbelievably cheap prices, however, that's mostly in the form of what I call civilian surplus, which are police trade-ins . Tons of cool police modern handguns for under $400 sometimes even under $300. Tons of police shotguns and some M4 kits. I even have seen Surplus M1A and other civilian Surplus arms . price on them right now is great
Awesome video RR
When I had my C and R FFL I used to get called from my rep. at Century when good deals were coming out. He once called me at work and told me to order the Russian M44's that were missing parts. They were 17.87 ea.!!!! I ordered ten and most were missing an action screw, or something like that. All of them looked like the one you have in video. Out of the ten, some two or three were missing nothing! All of this was in the early 2000's.
I got a beautiful 1893 Turk Mauser at that exact same Century U-Fix-Em price deal. Bolt was incomplete but I already had a brand new one from Sarco! 😂
Great deal! I paid that for a very rusty and beat up one.
Great deal Readi thx for showing
Excellent deal
Nice buy!!!!
Great deal!
It looks like it could be the rare version M44L, if it is it would be longer than a standard m44 if you have one to compare. Forgotten weapons has a video on it for the identifiers.
I found a 91/30 made 1939 for 450 bucks about the same visual condition as this in the video. That was tge cheapest the entire show
I’m tall and I bought the rubber butt plate. As for recoil I’m not sure as for fit I’m very happy with it.
When I was doing gun shows 25 years ago an M44 was a 75 dollar gun. I don't know what is more insane. Asking these prices, or people actually paying them.
$300 is cheap for a Mosin now. Doesn’t hurt that many people bubba’d there back when they were $75.
Many of the large gun shows here in Montana have numerpus surplus guns. I've seen great deals and I've seen ridiculous, just depends on the vender. Most prices I have seen are what I would deem reasonable for the times.
Love the vids man! Keep up the good work!
Best deal I've seen you ever get
I have one with the rubber butt plate , the original metal one is under it. Wouldn’t be suprised if you find yours with original plate under it.
“Tried to haggle the price” it was already a very good deal and beyond a fair price but you tried to haggle, people like this that always want to offer less for the sake of offering less do as much as a disservice to the gun community as the sellers asking 850. It’s extremely disappointing to see the way collectors try to cut one another’s throats
Haggling has been a part of the gun buying sphere, especially the private selling market for forever dude.
Gun shows are like mining....you gotta sort through all the other stuff before you find the gem! They are there....I know because If they are I will find them.
Would of been hilarious if the but plate you bought came off your rifle LOL. Good work new sub.
Real good deal, refurb or not
Yes indeed you would have been crazy to not pick that up for $300. Great buy. Well sometimes you get lucky. But yea as a whole milsurp rifles are out of this world price wise.
I got lucky on a 1909 G98 from Simpsons for 700 Friday. It does sadly have vice marks. But it was a deal and for a rare year I couldn't say no
Great score. Great little carbine. Be careful at public ranges. The boooom will make you unpopular. 😆 🤣
You going to the Oaks gun show in Pa?
The M44 is the best Mosin variable to get. The next best is the M38.
I would have picked it up for that price in a heartbeat and done the same thing getting rid of the sissy pad. Even if it does mitigate some recoil, it’s not like 7,62x54R is .338 Lapua Mag. Plus I have long gorilla arms and I have no problem with any milsurp length of pull. I just conform to it, not a big deal.
I was out the other day hitting up local shops. One shop had a few Mosins, all refurbs. I was interested in the m38…$900. Nah. Then they had a m91/30 (common date and everything, nothing special) with all the stuff they used to come with for…$1500. Absolute methpipe. I picked basically the same gun with a bayonet and sling but no ammo pouches (big deal, they are common as all get out) for $350 a couple years ago. Absolutely insane.
I got the original but plate but I did put a pad on it. I'm a big guy but it still hurt my shoulder when shooting it.
Very nice and a great price I enjoy watching your videos .. my wife maybe not so much .. lol .. I have my C&R license and purchased 5 drill rifles just like u did for 50.00 each
The reason I have found milsurp gun prices are going out of control, is every body is going on GunBroker to get their price that they want to sell for, and we all know that place is WAY overpriced on the guns that do sell. On a side note, I bought a Russian M44 a few years ago, somewhere around $375.00, that had a 1943 born on date! I'm sure a different barrel was matched up with the receiver when it was refurb'd, but I like to fantasize that it was one of the 50,000 test rifles they made before putting them into production in 1944, and is worth a lot more than I paid for it.
Danm sounds like prices are about double here in Canada...
My friend bought two years ago wish I had picked up a m44 when he did for a hundred bucks I bought my 91/30 for hundred he just sold me his second m44 for 200 to complete my collection.
I usually see Mosins for $400-500 but what wild be a good price for a Lee Enfeild? I know someone selling a mint one, from WW2, with a good bore for $800 is that too much?
4 years ago, I could have gotten a Mosin Nagant for 199.00, I am seeing upwards of 600.00 now. And no spam cans.
Spam cans are long gone, and any left in the former Soviet a Union are being used up in Ukraine.
Good deal these days for a early Century import M44.
Good score
I would 100% buy this at $300
Not bad I just got one all matching numbers for 400$
Here in canada those go for 700-800 MINIMUM.
A 4473? Why not get an 03/ C&R FFL??
I just recently had to pass on a pair of carbines Because I’m married… and adult life has financial responsibilities
One was a NICE Russian m38 non refurb
The other was a Bulgarian m44 also non refurb both had nice oil finishes and showed no signs of ever seeing the god awful soviet lacquer
Both were around $425……
As well as a nice 1917 dated carcano TS CARBINE for $300
And a finish m28/30 for $700
And an m39 as wel.
Also missed a nice yugo capture k98 early milled wide band flat but plate and gorgeous walnut stuck …… the bolt on that 98k was almost as smooth as a Krag…. And it was $500…….