Absolutely we are "running out" of the best surplus rifles. The pattern seems to be that a big batch of rifles/ ammo is released and the market is flooded...for a while. The Swedish Mausers were dribbled out over a period of decades and the price remained stable at around $100 or maybe a litttle better for a very long time. Now, the last ones have been shipped. Checked the price on this lovely relic lately? The same thing happened on a much larger scale with the German 98, the SMLE and others. Yes, they're still around but the import flood has stopped and prices are way up. The current VERY GOOD THING is the Schmidt-Rubin. I smile when I see people fretting about whether they'll be able to find ammunition sufficient to justify the purchase of a $150 rifle. I'm not making fun, guys, I did the same myself, briefly. Look, this is an absolutely beautiful, unique, accurate, fast-firing work of art. They must have all come over at once because the retailers are giving them away but the RELATIVE quantity of them is small. When they're all in closets there won't be any more coming over. Same with ammo. For many years you could buy beautiful, annealed, brass, non-corrosive ammo for the 7.65 Belgian (Argentine) for a dime a round. Suddenly, it's going up because the supply, while large, was limited.
I like the Moisins just fine and there may well be so many of them yet to come that we'll always be able to pick one up for $80. But they're not a Swede or a 98 or an Argentine or a Schmidt-Rubin (or a Krag or trapdoor or '03.) If you see something you really like, better grab it. The Golden Era of Surplus lasted a long time but it's sho nuff over now.
