Do you buy just a few types: even twins, triplets etc?

Ignition Override · February 29, 2012, 11:54 PM

With two FR8s, and five Enfields, plus a Garand and two others, it is interesting to read whether some milsurp shooters only focus on a few main types.

It is also hard to beat an SKS, due to its use of the best non-corrosive, center-fire ammo prices, and the major improvement after installing a Tech Sight: now a very different rifle.
As for people wanting a pair of the same type, or more, this can be a different sort of question.

madcratebuilder · March 1, 2012, 08:15 AM

This is as close to twins as I get.

There are dozens and dozens of Lee Enfield variations, they may look alike to the novice eye but they are different. Same can be applied to the Mauser line of rifle on an even larger scale.

I have a small collection of Yugo Mausers and that can end up to be a dozen or more if you get the different variants.

Look at all the different Garands, Carbines, 03's, 03A3's and M1917's. That could be several dozen different rifles.

Hardcase · March 1, 2012, 12:24 PM

I started out focusing on pre-WWII bolt action rifles, but then Winchesters started catching my eye. And various odds and ends of other stuff.

Still, my military collection is mostly bolt action rifles, with a bunch of Winchesters on the side. I've got maybe ten different Mosin Nagants, 8 or 9 Mausers from various countries, three SMLEs and a couple of M1903s, along with one-offs of other interesting bolt-actions. And, hooray, the CMP finally got my order for a Garand!

I do have a couple of SKS's because they're a hoot to shoot.

MCB is spot on the nose, as usual. A guy could end up with a pretty fair arsenal of just one model of gun if he wanted all the variations, and Mausers are great examples of just that.

Cheapshooter · March 1, 2012, 02:51 PM

Although I am interested buy the history of my milsurp C&R firearms, I mainly by them as "cheap shooters". Therefor I don't have any theme to my collection. Mausers, SMLE, M/N, 1895 Steyr, MAS 49/56 and MAS 36, K31, SKS, and a similar array or C&R handguns.

gyvel · March 1, 2012, 03:23 PM

OCD: Better living through mulitple purchases of the same thing.

If one's good, five's better.

All this from a guy who had close to 125 Lee-Enfields before I started selling them off.

Romeo 33 Delta · March 1, 2012, 05:07 PM

When I started collecting decades ago I wanted nice, shootable examples of firearms (rifles and pistols) from major and minor world powers between WW-I through WW-II. Over the years, this has expanded to pre WW-I and post WW-II (oldest now 1862 lock dated Snyder, newest L1A1). I also got sucked into sporters (mostly Savages) and .22LR and Centerfire target rifles.

It didn't help one bit that I wandered off from just simple reloading into wildcatting ... which is another issue.

**44 AMP** · March 1, 2012, 11:45 PM

You can't have two of exactly the same thing...the numbers are always a little different...

egor20 · March 1, 2012, 11:52 PM

I have 2 Galils, but they're Fraternal Twins, one has the folding metal stock and the other has all wood furniture. I had to get my wife a S&W 469, so I could get mine back from her.

Tikirocker · March 2, 2012, 12:54 AM

I try not to buy two of the same year and manufacture ... closest twins I've got are these two below - 1927 and 1928 Lithgow No1's - only 3200 produced of each per calender year.

Tiki.

February 29, 2012, 11:54 PM	#1
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,887	Do you buy just a few types: even twins, triplets etc? With two FR8s, and five Enfields, plus a Garand and two others, it is interesting to read whether some milsurp shooters only focus on a few main types. It is also hard to beat an SKS, due to its use of the best non-corrosive, center-fire ammo prices, and the major improvement after installing a Tech Sight: now a very different rifle. As for people wanting a pair of the same type, or more, this can be a different sort of question.

March 1, 2012, 12:24 PM	#3
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	I started out focusing on pre-WWII bolt action rifles, but then Winchesters started catching my eye. And various odds and ends of other stuff. Still, my military collection is mostly bolt action rifles, with a bunch of Winchesters on the side. I've got maybe ten different Mosin Nagants, 8 or 9 Mausers from various countries, three SMLEs and a couple of M1903s, along with one-offs of other interesting bolt-actions. And, hooray, the CMP finally got my order for a Garand! I do have a couple of SKS's because they're a hoot to shoot. MCB is spot on the nose, as usual. A guy could end up with a pretty fair arsenal of just one model of gun if he wanted all the variations, and Mausers are great examples of just that. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

March 1, 2012, 02:51 PM	#4
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	Although I am interested buy the history of my milsurp C&R firearms, I mainly by them as "cheap shooters". Therefor I don't have any theme to my collection. Mausers, SMLE, M/N, 1895 Steyr, MAS 49/56 and MAS 36, K31, SKS, and a similar array or C&R handguns. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

March 1, 2012, 11:45 PM	#7
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,833	You can't have two of exactly the same thing...the numbers are always a little different... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 1, 2012, 11:52 PM	#8
egor20 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2010 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,824	I have 2 Galils, but they're Fraternal Twins, one has the folding metal stock and the other has all wood furniture. I had to get my wife a S&W 469, so I could get mine back from her. __________________ Chief stall mucker and grain chef Country don't mean dumb. Steven King. The Stand

March 1, 2012, 08:15 AM	#2
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	This is as close to twins as I get. There are dozens and dozens of Lee Enfield variations, they may look alike to the novice eye but they are different. Same can be applied to the Mauser line of rifle on an even larger scale. I have a small collection of Yugo Mausers and that can end up to be a dozen or more if you get the different variants. Look at all the different Garands, Carbines, 03's, 03A3's and M1917's. That could be several dozen different rifles.

March 1, 2012, 03:23 PM	#5
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	OCD: Better living through mulitple purchases of the same thing. If one's good, five's better. All this from a guy who had close to 125 Lee-Enfields before I started selling them off.

March 1, 2012, 05:07 PM	#6
Romeo 33 Delta Senior Member Join Date: March 27, 2009 Posts: 315	When I started collecting decades ago I wanted nice, shootable examples of firearms (rifles and pistols) from major and minor world powers between WW-I through WW-II. Over the years, this has expanded to pre WW-I and post WW-II (oldest now 1862 lock dated Snyder, newest L1A1). I also got sucked into sporters (mostly Savages) and .22LR and Centerfire target rifles. It didn't help one bit that I wandered off from just simple reloading into wildcatting ... which is another issue.

March 2, 2012, 12:54 AM	#9
Tikirocker Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2007 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 909	I try not to buy two of the same year and manufacture ... closest twins I've got are these two below - 1927 and 1928 Lithgow No1's - only 3200 produced of each per calender year. Tiki. __________________ The Lee Enfield forums - http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=27 Surplus Rifle Forums - http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/index.php