MOSIN NAGANT SHORTAGE

[SA1911a1]

My observation (admittedly over very limited "field") is that sellers with a stockpile have either pulled them in and are not offering, or are offering limited choices at high prices. In some cases these on-line auction prices are so high that no one is biting.

Buyers are now in "bargain hunting" mode (the limits of which are buyer-specific). It's not like every M91/30 refurb is being snapped up, so there is no shortage of supply. The shortage is rifles in a price range that the market will accept.

It's like JYD says: "I have what you want, so you are going to pay my price, or no sale." In many cases, it's still "no sale."

You forgot the gun hoarder thing, were milsurps vanish into a collection not to be seen again until the hoarder is carried out feet first, and sometimes not even then if there is a second, third, or maybe fourth generation of hoarder waiting for them. It's impossible to deal with hoarders, they don't care at all about money, it's all about " the precious" with them, once I...I mean they..have the milsurp it stays with them.

I resemble that remark!

My wife will have a field day when I go to the great gun show in the sky. She has been studying from Pat Burns.

So Jim, if you had to make a guess, how many 91/30s would you figure have been imported since '90?

[badweatherbiker]

Wow these things go fast, was in there 1 week ago and all but 3 are sold including the 35 Izhevsk hex I picked out then..... some guy went in the next day and bought 5.
I did get another one a 1938 Tula non hex all matching s#s and bore looks good, not quite as good as my 34 hexed Izhevsk but it will do. There was a 41 Izhevsk non hex there that has the original stock it looked like with plenty of gashes and repairs done but the s#'s we force matched and itr had a lot of rust on the barrell and receiver so I went with the 1938 Tula instead even though it had a refurbished stock.

May have to sell this one if anyone is interested you get it for what I have in it, thanks

[qz2026]

The bad news.... Most dealers understand the tap has dried up, at least from an import perspective. They have thus raised their prices. Seems like everyone has - some are asking outrageous and silly prices. The good news is that no one is buying them. You would think that dealers need to move inventory to stay afloat but apparently not. Instead of lowering the prices to sell them, they raise the price. "By golly, someone will pay this price! And I'll hold out regardless of whether I eat or not!!"

[redhat10]

Supply and demand, just like the ammo shortages..Now if I just knew which local gunshow would have a crate or two to prowl thru..But Honestly, some of these were just one step above junk..for years...

[zeebill]

Things are still out there and wait awhile these storage containers will start opening faster if they also have no new ammo to sell and still need to make enough money to stay afloat. Many people are at shows these days again but few are buyers it seems. I sold a nice 91/30 non refurb for $165 over the last show weekend. I also saw 91/30 refurbs in laminated stocks for %149 and there were some left when I last looked at that price. They are not growing on trees for the simple, sick, and lazy to find anymore but they are out there if one looks. People still post about finding things that are cool so if you look in the right places things can be found. Good Luck! Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

Sometimes we forget that we are talking about a product made 60-80 years or more ago and no longer in production. How many products from the 1930's or 40's are currently available from your local retail store like the Mosin sometimes is from your local gunshop? Demand is greater than supply, every year we have more new first time owners looking for product, and older collectors looking to expand. Yea, this stuff will vanish from even the hidden places Bill mentions, how long that will take is anyone's guess, but I am guessing not long. What's the estimated number of gun powners in the US alone? 80 million? if only a few percent of that want a Mosin you are still talking about millions of rifles, then factor in that we share the Mosin hoard with the entire world.

[Rightwinger9]

I am very disappointed that i did not start my Mosin collecting long ago; I am always on the lookout for them but they are few and far between.

[qz2026]

It looks like Classic got their hands on a bunch of stuff. They are hinting at it now but evidently they dropped a fortune on a bunch of import bolt rifles. They haven't released the details yet but you should expect something coming in the Milsurp arena. Have no clue what they will be yet.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It looks like Classic got their hands on a bunch of stuff. They are hinting at it now but evidently they dropped a fortune on a bunch of import bolt rifles. They haven't released the details yet but you should expect something coming in the Milsurp arena. Have no clue what they will be yet.

Don't buy into that bullshit, what they have is a supply of Mosins from previous years import lots that they set aside to be sold at a future time when prices would be higher. Every milsurp retailer does this if they have a good sense of business.

[qz2026]

That may, very well, be their business model. I'm still interested in exactly what they will have and what their prices will be. Maybe even some non Mosin Milsurps since they only made reference to bolt action rifles.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It's everybody's business model in the antiques trade, I do it also, I am sitting on stuff that I am waiting for the value to go higher on .

[redhat10]

True enough about OUR new found info sheet, 'the intranet'....Even estate sales and the old flea markets cease to be bargains.."Well I saw it on ebay, so I know what it is worth"."Buy it today as it will not last", ECT... Most of my stuff is not for sale...Still adding to the pile , when it is economical...Many of us are like miners, just sitting on it...I too suspect, there are unmolested containers [Surplus rifles] just waiting..

[zeebill]

It looks like Classic got their hands on a bunch of stuff. They are hinting at it now but evidently they dropped a fortune on a bunch of import bolt rifles. They haven't released the details yet but you should expect something coming in the Milsurp arena. Have no clue what they will be yet.

Classic is the closest thing to a typical used car dealer selling Milsurp you will ever find. They all keep things back and sell just enough to survive the present time while building reserve for the future to tempt you with. Haven't you figured that out yet? Why do you think I buy mostly non-refurbs? I avoid all the bull and sales lines and believe me that helps your sanity greatly. You guys eat all this stuff up and they love it! Do you think this and other boards are a secret? Sellers read what you post here and may act accordingly if they want to.

Really I am so glad I started on this stuff years ago because I really feel for many of you just starting out. Why do you think I sell and trade on the gun show circuit that many of you gripe about prices on all the time? It is controlled directly by the buyer and I can see the effects of things in person and know the people selling and trading. What do you know about a rifle you buy off the internet sales market? You can ask questions till you are blue in the face and all the dealer has to do is lie. How do you think the principles of a dealer you will likely never see face to face and is hiding behind the internet will rate next to someone you see face to face weekly at least. I know dang few people who will look me in the eye and lie to me do you? I mean think about it! Let's have a shortage so I can make my set-backs worth more OK? Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

When I had the C&R I purchased at least 100 firearms from online sellers without a single problem except one packing issue. I did business with dealers who had a good reputation, Empire Arms, Tombstone Arms ( now gone) Aim, Pat Burns, and several small dealers. I even did business with Classic before the chrome Mosin thing and that packing issue pissed me off. None of these people lied to me, I knew what I was getting in advance, no surprises. My rule was if you don't want to answer my questions, or send me pictures if I ask for then then go f*** yourself I will take my money elseware. I still follow that rule today and I comply with customers questions about things I sell quickly and without complaint. Gunbroker is a good place to buy sight unseen, sellers are rated with feedback, you can get an idea how they treat people before you buy and how the sales went. Stay away from the few flakes on there with bod or no feedback and you will have no problems.