pre ww2 surplus rifles

[timothy75]

I'm new to mil surplus rifles and was wondering what models would have been most popular in america before ww2 in both sporterized and original configuration. Say something a farmer in the 20's or 30's might buy as an all around gun. Thanks

[10-96]

Well that's an inneresting ponderment. Leaving alone the question of what was imported and such at that time, I would surmise possibly Martini-Henry's, .30-40 Krags, Ross's, maybe a Lee-Navy or two, 1888 Commission Rifles (Mausers), maybe various 1895 Small Ring Mausers in 7x57, 6.5x55, ??. I guess there could have been some of those Swiss Vetterli's (sp). Oh, and I guess .45-70 Trapdoors/Springfields wouldn't have been unheard of and too out of date. Now the question of what ammo was available...?

[simonkenton]

That is a question I would love to get the answer to.
To be exact, my grandfather and great grandfather were farmers in Mina, South Dakota in the 1920s and 1930s.
I would love to see what guns were hanging on the walls of the old farm house 80 years ago.

I would imagine that the Krag was popular. The Army made a million of them, in the 1890s, but by 1903 the Krag was phased out in favor of the Springfield.
So you had a million well built, accurate and powerful modern rifles, brand new, that went out on the surplus market.

[Jim Watson]

At one time, trapdoor Springfields sold for as little as $1.50 and black powder surplus ammunition was cheap. The Krag was available from the NRA for $7.50 and sales were so good that Benecia Armory set up to shorten rifles to carbine length because they were more popular.

Unless in big game country, a farmer would be more likely to have a .22 and/or a shotgun than a surplus infantry rifle.

[simonkenton]

Speaking of guns in the old times...

My Dad told me that when he was a kid in Miller, S. Dakota, that every 4th of July that had an "American Patriot" parade.
So, they would have a float with George Washington on it, another float with Abraham Lincoln, etc.

So, when my Dad was 13, this would have been 1936, his buddy was going to portray Daniel Boone in this parade.
My Dad said, that he found, in the closet, "an old rifle that Grandpa had brought back from the war."

My Dad doesn't know anything about guns, he didn't know anything more about this gun than that.
Well, the kids were messing around with this old gun.
They figured out that they could load it with a .410 shotgun shell.

And so, Daniel Boone was going down the street on the Fourth, on his float, with a loaded gun.
When he got before the reviewing stand, Daniel aimed his gun skyward, and pulled the trigger.

This stunt was not well-received, an adult jumped on the float and disarmed Daniel Boone.
The next day my grandmother gave the gun to the museum.

I GOT SCREWED.

I am the only heir with an interest in firearms, if not for that stunt, I would now be in possession of that gun.

I don't know what the gun was, but I am thinking a trapdoor Springfield.

[PetahW]

Those that had the get, got a Krag or a Trapdoor; those that didn't have it, usually made do with an old single-shot .22 or scattergun - unless the family was lucky enough to possess a war trophy from one of the previous several setto's.

.

[walter in florida]

I have reprint of a 1903-04 M. Hartley Co, titled Military Armys Equipment. They were an agent for Remington Arms Co. Here goes:
Remington model 1897 Remington in 7 MM spanish Mauser and 30 Government (30-40) 18.00 rifle, bayonet with scabbard 4,00
1899 Remington-Lee 35.00 bayonet and scabbard 4.00 These lee's were altered to use 30-40 and .303.

Nuw Spanish Mauser 7MM Rifles 25.00 , Carbines 23.00
Used Spanish Mauser 12.00, box of 15 Cartridges .75 These rifles were captured from the Spanish at Santiago, Cube

There were Springfields (Seven different types in 45-70 and 50-70 with Bayonet from 6.00 to 9.00.

I also include Colt Cap and Ball used 44 Cal at 1.50.

I know you wanted 1920-1930 but this is all I have.

[m.p.driver]

Look at a reprint of Bannermans catalog,you could buy anything from the War between the states leftovers,to booty from the spanish amer war.Gatling guns,Colt potato diggers,Krupp cannons.The sky was the limit depending on what you wanted to spend.

[James K]

If limited to military surplus, and to the average hunter or farmer, the answer would have to be that the main arms were Krags and .45-70 trapdoors (.50-70 ammunition was nearly unavailable, even then). NRA members (some 20,000 or so) could buy M1903 Springfields, but they were not on the market. Most of the others, like rolling blocks, Lee-Navies, Spanish Mausers, German M1888's, etc., were uncommon and scarce.

The other common firearms were double barrel shotguns, mainly those we now consider old junk - Damascus barrel, no-name guns that did the job of providing meat for a family. Only the well-to-do owned Parkers, Foxes, or the better grades of Ithaca, and guns like the Winchester Model 12. There were .22 rifles, almost always a single shot or a pump gun (bolt actions were still uncommon, lever actions unusual).

Center fire rifles were almost always Winchester lever actions, with a smattering of Remington pumps and autoloaders. The famed Winchester Model 70 was expensive and owned only by people who were both well-off and oriented toward quality guns.

And there were handguns. Again, the most common were the least expensive, the IJ's, H&R's and H&A's sometimes scorned today. Colts and S&W revolvers were costly and uncommon. Automatic pistols were considered "Army guns" and far too exotic (and expensive) for the average person.

Of course there were dozens of other guns, and "gun nuts" might own hundreds of unusual types, but those were the most common and the most likely to be found in the home of an average hunter or farm family.

Jim

[timothy75]

Thanks a lot guys, those are all great answers and give me much to look into.

[Wleoff]

Krags, sporterized like this one, were common as were 1903 Springfields and Trapdoors. The military versions of these rifles had very long barrels which were substantially shortened for hunting and such. There are still many of such sporterized rifles available at gun stores and online auctions.