Cheapest and most expensive location in USA to buy surplus rifles?

[His lordship.]

I read some of these posts over the years and have noticed that where you live can affect prices on surplus guns.  I used to live in Oregon and we could get a good deal at the gun shows, not so much at the dealers.  In the Minneapolis, MN area it is a real crap shoot.  Sometimes a deal at the gun shows, but most often the prices are high, even the chain retailers like Gander Mountain and Cabelas are steep, if they even carry them at all.  Same with the few gun shops that are left.

There are supposedly Dunham stores in outer Minnesota, I have heard that they offer lower prices in the other states on Mosins, never been in one as they are not in the Minneapolis area.  I read of guys buying Mosin Nagants for $60.00 to $100.00, but in Minnesota you can get charged for up to $150.00 for a plain jane Mosin 91/30.

What is the cheapest and most expensive city and state in the USA for surplus guns from what you guys have seen?

Thanks.

[30-30man]

I'm in SC and things are usually cheaper here except surplus firearms. I've had terrible luck in the pawn shops and the few gun shops in my area. Most people on this forum seem to get better deals than I've ever seen. You know on this forum, there's always somebody who got a better deal kind of thing....

 Most of the gun shops do not carry the old surplus stuff and those that do, think they have some very rare antique. When they find out you know what you are looking at, they get very rude and will not want to bargain. Most of them can't beat the online C&R prices because they are paying the same thing we are.  There's another sucker they can sell to that knows nothing about the C&R.  One of the shops in my area were selling yugo's for $255 when they were $99 online. Mosins are $155 as I write this.  I just quit going in these places.  The gun and knife shows are not much better.  Even gunbroker has gotten ridiculous as of late. 

 The best prices right now are with J&G, AIM,Classic, SOG, and Century.  The only problem is you will need a C&R license, which I encourage you to apply for if you do not already have one.  The other problem is buying a rifle sight unseen; it's a crap shoot.  I would not pay over $75 for any Mosin right now.  The m39 being the exception.  The others are more coins.

[TribReady]

I totally agree with 30-30man, get your C&R License. The on-line deals can be infinitely better than buying in a store or shop.
For $30 and a little paperwork, you're covered for 3 years and can get the rifles shipped directly to your door.
You'll also be able to buy from sites like this and have guys ship directly to you.

The only problem, you'll be buying like crazy that first year and then the wife will put the hammer down 

[torpedoman]

here in the west big5 will have them on sale for about the same price as the wholesalers maybe cheaper when you add in shipping. at this time you can get mosins and styers from them sales about once a month.

[Minnesota1]

What is the "C&R" license and where can you get one?  Please let me know.

Thanks,

Bob

[30-30man]

You can request the forms to be sent to you on the atf website.  They will not allow you to download them for some reason.  You just fill them out, send them in and then wait.  You're suppose to send one copy to the atf and a copy to your sheriff.  Most people skip the copy to the sheriff but I didn't.  I handed mine in at my sheriff's office, they had no clue what I was giving them.  The cost is $30 and is good for three years. You can find more info on www.surplusrifle.com.  I sent a PM that says the same.

[torpedoman]

here in the west big5 will have them on sale for about the same price as the wholesalers maybe cheaper when you add in shipping. at this time you can get mosins and styers from them sales about once a month.

Ad in today's paper styer for 75bucks i cant get them delivered at that price with my c&r.

[1911crazy]

Most of my local gun dealers would laugh at me when i wanted to order a C&R gun.  They actually pushed me to get my C&RFFL03.  The only gun dealer that had C&R guns was sky high. A local pawn shop had C&R guns cheap that were pawned.  Once he caught on he had the lowest mausers that century had to sell, the ones with cracked stocks, when they had 5fer's at garbage prices he was selling them at the highest list prices of the excellent condition mausers. Of course his gun business went down the tubes but i managed to get some great buys there before he got smart.  With my C&RFFL03 everything gets delivered to my door with no hassle.

One of my local dealers who wanted nothing to do with C&R guns is trying now to offer them its a little too late.

The C&R gun market is a very fast market and now that the supply is running low the prices are going higher.  Meaning if you want it now you better buy it quickly before its all gone.  The czech CZ82's are dryup already.  The yugo sks's are starting to dryup now and then the sks prices will go sky high again too. I'm kind of yugo'd out by now anyway.

www.aimsurplus.com still has the best buys.  If aim doesn't have what your looking for go to Empirearms or Allens Armory there on the net too.

[TribReady]

MNman, I also sent you a link for the BATF

I'll just add to what 1911crazy said, some of the online dealers are great. There used to be a local MN one called FAC, but unfortunately, they are out of business.  AIM has been ok for me, but dealing with Allan at Allans Armory is great.  You will get exactly as described, or better.  The prices are a little bit higher, but the quality is more than worth it

[1911crazy]

I miss FAC too I purchased trigger groups for my french 49, 49/56's there for $5 each. Were slowly losing the great places to shop one at a time as this stuff dries up.

The only guys left will be the recyclers like empire arms and allens armory.  They go to gun shows and pick up the surplus stuff too, its hand picked by them so we get the pick of the litter. I got a really nice VZ52 from allen a while back with ammo.

Many years ago we had a local gun shop with wall to wall c&r guns.  He had everything too.  This was a time when the surplus ammo was very expensive too if you could find it. I went in and looked for hours and pawed everything he had.  I purchased a yugo model 98(captured german 98k) for just $79 and a finnish mosin VKT for $89 both in mint condition.  While it didn't seem like a deal back then it sure is now.Too bad i think this state with its new gun laws p!ssed him off and he shut down.  It was the best gun shop i ever walked into, just the smell of cosmoline got me cranked up as i walked into the place. He had every mauser that was made too besides all the american made stuff too all in heavy cosmoline. I would take a 2hr lunch and go there once a week.

Whats going to happen when the mausers, mosins and the yugo sks's finally dry up?  I'm going to predict the prices will be like the antique guns, after all there not importing anymore due to the EU.

[deerhunter]

Here in Mass, its pretty expensive.  The Ammo prices are becomming prohibitive. I am glad I reload.

[1911crazy]

A few years back when we talked about the military surplus rifles drying up one said the ammo would dryup first.  A while later the 8mm ammo started drying up.  Which sparked me to buy all my surplus military caliber reloading dies.  I purchased all my calibers in Lee Dies that fit my RCBS rockchucker press.  I purchased there LEE RGB 308 dies $9 first and ran around 6,000 rds or 308 thru them without a problem.  The LEE case trimmer is awesome in a portable drill too its very fast.  I also used the LEE powder dipper cups too.  I used the next dipper cup lower than my load and used the powder trickler to make each load exactly the same on all 6,000 rounds. I just ran 1,000 rds at a time. The Lee reloading stuff sure made my life easier.

One of my local gun shops is selling C&R guns now for top dollar.  There was a swedish ljungman there for $750.

My other gun shop has yugo sks's and yugo 8mm mausers at high prices too.