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Old March 23, 2014, 08:13 PM   #1
tahunua001
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people must be proud of their US service arms

to ask the prices they are. I have not seen a single M1 garand for less than $1300 in even the worst condition. all M1917s in my area are going for $650+ even with shot out bores and cracked stocks. 1903A3s are being priced for $950+ did I miss something? I am still under the impression that CMP is still selling garands for $650, and 1903A3s and 1917s are $550 rifles?

I've been shopping for a 1917 or 1903A3 for months and have yet to find anything that sounds like a good deal.
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Old March 23, 2014, 11:30 PM   #2
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That's interesting.

That era of rifle has spiked in price down under in AUstralia as well. I can't find a 1903 for less that $950 in average condition. I've seen m1 garands at $1500 for ones with stock damage to them - otherwise they're $3000+. I cannot find a good luger for less than $3000.

SS marked Kar98s were on sale for $1200 a few years back and will now cost $4k if you're lucky enough to find one. I assumed they were still cheap over in the states
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Old March 23, 2014, 11:44 PM   #3
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We're talking about rifles that have been out of production for 60 years or more, and yes, many of us hold on to ours. I have had my M1917 since 1967.
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Old March 24, 2014, 01:30 AM   #4
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Tahunua001- The best deal I've come across lately on a 1903 was to buy a sporterized rifle that still had correct metal parts (sights, bbl, receiver, bolt, and trigger). I believe I have about $515 in my most recent A3 and going a few parts at a time, plus, I sold the old Fajen(?) stock to a buddy for $40- so yeah, that brings it to about $515 ballpark. I looked at quite a few and settled on one that was still parkerized and had what I suspected to be a decent TE and ME.
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Old March 24, 2014, 05:00 AM   #5
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You must be talking about Gun Show prices, same old guns month after month becuase they are priced to high. Big difference between asking price and selling price.
You see Garands on gun forums selling in the $700- $800 range
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Old March 24, 2014, 06:38 AM   #6
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Unfortunately, much like those who are paying crazy prices for ammo, there are those who are also paying crazy prices for old guns.

I grew up in an era when a 1917 Enfield was $29.95 at your local Sears store, and Lugers were $39.95 from Ye Olde Hunter.

When I see Springfields selling for hundreds of dollars, 98k Mausers selling for over $1000.00, etc. I can't do anything but stare in amazement.
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Old March 24, 2014, 06:47 AM   #7
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When I see Springfields selling for hundreds of dollars, 98k Mausers selling for over $1000.00, etc. I can't do anything but stare in amazement.
Do you supose that if folks went back to selling them out of 35 gallon trash barrels or just big dusty/greasy piles the prices would go back down?

One could only wish... and reminisce.
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Old March 24, 2014, 07:11 AM   #8
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Do you supose that if folks went back to selling them out of 35 gallon trash barrels or just big dusty/greasy piles the prices would go back down?
LMAO!!! I can remember as a kid on Sundays, coming home from church my old man would stop at out neighborhood Army-Navy Surplus store (and they had REAL surplus), which had barrels as you describe filled with filthy, greasy Carcanos for $6.00. Oh, for a time machine!!!
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Old March 24, 2014, 08:24 AM   #9
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First off, the CMP still sells M1s (Service Grade) for $625.

Yes US Service rifles prices are up, and they will go up further. Its supply and demand. The supply is down on USGI as issued guns as so many have been modified, or sporterized if you will.

Just like old cars, the older they get, the more that end up in the junk yards. Its the same with everything.

You add to that dwindling supply a increased demand, prices are going up.

The demand is there and its going to increase. One of the fastest growing sports in shooting is the CMP GSM games. This sport is getting rather popular. Go to their web site and check the numbers of competitors in the CMP Games at the Nationals. Then to make the games more available to everyone who cant make it to Perry, you have the Eastern Games, Western Games, Oklahoma City Games and had Matches at Cody WY.

To add the CMP run games the CMP created a program where they train existing firearm instructors to create CMP GSM Master Instructors through out the country to put on clinics and matches throughout the country.

These vintage rifle matches are increasing in popularity.

Then to increase the games further, they created the Vintage sniper matches (using sniper rifles used to the end of the Korean War, 1954 or older).

I like this as one can find cheap "booger'ed Springfield's" and convert them into M1903a4 or M1941s. Several suppliers (Gun Parts Corp, Sarco, J&G, etc) do have supplies of parts and even actions that can be used to build these rifles. The original scopes prices for Vintage Snipers have sky rocketed also but several companies are making replica scopes that are authorized by CMP rules.

Yes vintage service rifle prices are going up, and will continue to go up, demand is going up. I just don't see prices coming down.

Still CMP GSM Games popularity is growing. It's still a sport one can get into relatively cheap. It doesn't take the huge expenditure of funds High Power, or Precision Rifle shooting does, those sports people show up with $2000 guns, $2000 range finders and $1500 scopes. Something the average shooter cant afford.

In one of the first CMP GSM matches I ran, the winner of the match went to Cabela's the night before the match, paid $99 for a mosin, bought some cheap surplus ammo and his first rounds out of that rifle was the 5 sighters before the slow fire prone stage.

Another thing about the CMP GSM games (excluding the vintage sniper which if fired at 300-600 yards) clubs only need 100 or 200 yards to conduct the matches.

In short, yes prices are coming up, they will go up further. But its a sport one can get into relatively cheaply compared to other rifle competitions.

Its a sport for juniors, women, young and old. Its about fundamentals more the equipment. Because of that the sport is growing, with the growth comes demand, and demand caused prices to go up.

It wont get any better. But if one searches, he can buy or put a vintage military rifle together cheaper then he can a rifle for the other rifle shooting venues out there.

To go cheaper, the CMP has added a Modern Military Rifle Category where one can use AKs, SKS" ARs, FAL's etc. Check the rules though, this category also had guidelines to keep the rifles from being tricked out, making the games fair to all.
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Old March 24, 2014, 08:32 AM   #10
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I realize that there's appreciation and american dollar value coming in to play on all this, but it's still a little silly the prices being asked. all of my prices are taken from gun shows, gunbroker and arms list. I spent an entire gunshow weekend trying to get rid of an MAS36 and mosin nagant only to trade them for a reparked enfield and then when had the only person at the show with a M1917 laugh in my face when I offered $500 on account of a shot out bore.
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Old March 24, 2014, 09:34 AM   #11
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.


I remember paying $0.17/gal for gasoline, when my children were toddlers........

Since that'll never happen again, either - IMO it's best to get over it & buy what floats your boat, before you go for the dirt nap.



.
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Old March 24, 2014, 10:41 AM   #12
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Don't overlook "sporterized" rifles

Last (in the bay area of CA) I picked this Remington M1903a3, for about $400. Yes it is it "sporterized" but another $200 (stock and metal). I can bring it back to milspec's. So that may be a option for you. Here's mine:


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Old March 24, 2014, 11:13 AM   #13
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the only person at the show with a M1917
you said it yourself
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Old March 24, 2014, 11:13 AM   #14
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I grew up in an era when a 1917 Enfield was $29.95 at your local Sears store, and Lugers were $39.95 from Ye Olde Hunter.
Yes, and in those days, if you were making $75 a week, you were doing pretty good.

The prices being asked (and sometimes gotten) today are the result of several factors. First, the general upsurge in prices for military arms that began with the 50th anniversary of WWII, and was boosted by movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

Second, the "bubble" in overall gun prices due to panic over gun control, and third the general fact that our dollar isn't even close to being worth what it was, even a few years ago.

Add in the fact that the supply, while large is essentially fixed, and no one willingly sells for a loss.
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Old March 24, 2014, 02:44 PM   #15
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Petah W's comment about 17 cent gasoline reminded me that during WWII, regular gas (there was no other kind available) was price-controlled at 9 cents a gallon. And if you had only an "A" card, you got 4 gallons a week. (Those who had to drive to work or had special needs got more.)

So, there is something worse than $3.60 a gallon gasoline - no gasoline.

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Old March 24, 2014, 02:58 PM   #16
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I am still under the impression that CMP is still selling garands for $650, and 1903A3s and 1917s are $550 rifles?
How many you got you want to sell at that price?
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Old March 24, 2014, 03:52 PM   #17
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The CMP doesn't come across many M1903/M1903s3, M1917s or Carbines. What does show up is in he auctions and premium prices.

They still have Garand's going for $625 up depending on the grade.

I bought my Garand from (then) DCM, it was $112.70 delivered to my door in Anchorage in the early '80's.

Sounds like a deal: Does it? I can afford $625 now much more then I could afford $112.70 then.

One thing you can take to the bank........They aren't making in USGI M1903s, M1917s, Carbines, and Garand's any more.

Don't count on the prices going down. Even buying parts and putting together one is going to cost close to a grand or more.

Well worth it in my opinion.
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Old March 24, 2014, 04:53 PM   #18
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I just recently received a M1 CMP Special. I shelled out for a shooter. Wasn't worried about historical value. I wanted something I could shoot, then pass on to my kids to shoot.

I just got to the range yesterday with it, and it was well worth the $995+$24.95 shipping that I paid for it. I understand even better why the demand is there, and why sellers ask the prices they do.
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Old March 24, 2014, 06:11 PM   #19
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Welcome to the reason I got out of classic cars- everyone thinks their old chunk of scrap is worth 20 grand and every piece of trim with pits is worth 500 bucks.

All these TV shows and auctions, and suddenly everybody's an expert and all their old crap is made of gold.
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Old March 24, 2014, 06:41 PM   #20
tahunua001
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How many you got you want to sell at that price?
the answer is none because I don't own any... hence the want for one...which isn't happening because in the last year people decided that they were worth twice the going rate.
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Old March 25, 2014, 03:10 PM   #21
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tahunua001:
Back on Aug 31st I walked into the Anniston store (my first CMP visit).

From behind the counter, where several Garands had owners' tags and awaited shipment, three staff told me with one voice: "We are 5,000 M-1s behind due to ammo orders".
Some sort of cost increase (staff overhead?) caused the CMP to raise the price on M2 Ball from .50 to .60/rd. last December.
Maybe people simply buying/"flipping" CMP ammo is also a factor.

Last edited by Ignition Override; March 25, 2014 at 11:06 PM.
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Old March 25, 2014, 03:39 PM   #22
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Interesting Reading.

http://www.hwsportsman.net/CMP-Garand.html

I bought a Greek Rack Grade at $295 plus shipping. The stock was pretty rough but tight fitting. The MW, TE made the barrel a great shooter, 1-2 on both ends. The dents and axel grease on the stock came out/off with only my time involved.
So now the CMP sells the lowest grade as Field Grade or Service Grade. Yes that is less than the Gun Show vendors, but one can hand pick at the store/show and haggle.
Way back then the only CMP store was in Ohio, quite a trip from my house the hand pick a rifle. I went with the lower priced RG hoping to get a shooter that would need rebarreling after a few hundred round shot by your humble narrator.
I'd not part with those that I own for less than $1000 now. Please remember that a little over six million M1s were made between 1937 and 1957. How many are left after Captain Crunch, Lend Lease for the Cold War and lost in one D-Day or another. Not to mention those torch cut as worn beyond repair by the armorers after the war.
Limited supply high demand and the values reflect that.
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Old March 25, 2014, 04:57 PM   #23
tahunua001
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tahunua001:
Back on Aug 31st I walked into the Anniston store (my first CMP visit).

Three staff told me with one voice: "We are 5,000 M-1s behind due to ammo orders".
ignition what does that really have to do with anything? they are still taking orders and selling M1s for $650 and considering that they were 20,000 rifles behind schedule last january, 5000 sounds like they were catching up pretty well. the turn around on M1 garands is still averaging 4-6 weeks from everything I've read.
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Old March 25, 2014, 06:20 PM   #24
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I think the fact remains that I would feel ashamed asking 1600 bucks for my M1. It's nice, shoots well, and looks great. But I don;t feel its worth 1600 dollars. I wouldn't pay that to buy it, and I didn't. I paid 595, my time and effort invested into it equal exactly zero dollars in "value" although I put many hours into it.
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Old March 26, 2014, 12:41 AM   #25
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Oh, I wish I was back in 1963, when gas cost $.20 and a pound of hamburger was $.25, a loaf of bread was $.05, and a brand new car cost $2,000. Of course, I'd want to keep my inflated salary, not go back to 1963 incomes (my dad was an engineer, and in 1963 he made a comfortable $9,000/yr). And yes, I remember the barrels of war rifles, and I also remember most WW2 and Korean War vets trying to forget all about the rifles and how they were used. Maybe what we need is a war.
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