[MadBelarussian]

Well spending some downtime during the day listening to the Milsurp World Podcast on Spotify, I was wondering about first-ever rifles. The first episode talks about getting into collecting and focusing your efforts on types of collections. However, the participants also discuss how they got their feet wet at a young age.
I figured it would be interesting to ask these questions in general to forum members. Enjoy!
What was your first milsurp firearm? Do you still have it for sentimental value or is it valuable in other senses as well?

 

[Richard in NY*]

M-B:

I have been using Spotify since it began but I had no idea the Milsurp podcast existed. I plan on checking it out.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. :thumbsup:

 

[SSG_Lord]

My first milsurp was a Underwood made M1 carbine that I bought at a pawn shop outside of Fort Hood TX in 1997. I still have her and likely always will until it's time for my nephew to take custody of her.

 

[Kyle M.]

My first was a 1944 dated Izhevsk M44 Mosin, and a 1938 dated Turkish Mauser. I got both of them for Christmas 2002 when I was 12. For my twelfth birthday dad bought me a .54 caliber muzzleloader, then I started buying Guns & Ammo magazine and Shotgun news, and hanging out at the LGS every Saturday. It got to the point where the owner of the shop and I would get pizza every Saturday. That fall a guy traded in about 20 milsurps for an AR and I put the Mosin and Mauser on layaway. My grandpa picked them up for me just in time for christmas. My family had no idea what a monster they had created. Soon after christmas 2002 I talked my dad out of his sporterized Savage lend lease Enfield and my grandfather out of a Sears single shot 20 gauge. I traded that single shot 20 gauge for a tube fed bolt action H&R 16 gauge and that started my trading obsession. I'd get a ride to the gun store every Saturday morning and whomever picked me up that evening knew there would be a 4473 to fill out. By the time I was 14 I had 16-18 guns. All my buddies were jealous, most grew up with anti gun parents. My high school probably had me on a watch list. The only one I still have is that CVA muzzleloader dad got me, there have been some tough times in the past 18 years. Times so tough that all I had was that $60 muzzleloader. But I've owned nearly 200 firearms in the 18 years I've been doing this and luckily my trading/selling obsession is dying and at the age of 30 I'm acquiring a nice little collection of mainly pre 1960's firearms.

 

[joe917]

An antique 1891 Argentine Mauser. Purchased sometime in the early 1980's as a birthday gift for a then young boy. Still have it and hope to pass it on one day.

 

[Caribou]

A Czech VZ-24 in 8mm Mauser, and my first lessons with corrosive priming and cleaning procedures, I was 13 or so.

A few other firearms I had, but I read a book about Snipers on teh Eastern Front and Simo Hayha's experience, so the next milsurp was at 17 a fine M28/30, just under 100$, and thousands of cheap Chinese copperwashed 7.62x54r,

With the second purchase of an M28/30, Mosintus was confirmed...

 

[Buckstopper]

'03 Springfield. Shot my first deer with it. Still have it.

 

[ITWORKEDOUT]

A german .22 Trainer KKW type brought back by a vet. Had it for about 15 years till I traded her away for a Civil war sword.....

 

[NRA]

late 03, still have her prolly will until the end..............

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

303 Aussie mark 3***...1930 something ?
very new looking rifling and outside orange coach wood..
o3a3’s my second third ones museum quality..sold in $800’s In 1990s..Was top dog prices.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Mine was an old battered No 1Mk 111 Lee Enfield. (1907) had been converted to a .22 trainer and fore-end cut down. Had lived in my uncle's cow- bire for decades.
Got it given when I was about ten, in the mid 1960's..

 

[jindodog]

M48 Yugo mauser.

 

[surplusnut]

I can't quite remember, it would have been 2004 when I turned 18. It was either a Yugo M59/66 or an old beat up Czech 98/22 Mauser that came in with the Turk rifle imports. I remember the M59/66 had problems cycling due to wear around the gas plug and I had to track down a new gas plug for it. That Czech 98/22 was my first ever experience with cosmoline, what a mess. Sadly, when the recession hit in 2009 I lost my job and had to sell the majority of my collection to keep a roof over my head. I'm back now though over a decade later, but some of those pieces I won't ever be able to replace.

 

[Rapidrob]

I was given my dad's bring back K98 rifle in 1964. That did it for me. By 1966 I had a small collection as well as a DCM M-1 Carbine for 20 bucks.
I still have the Mauser and shoot it at least once a year to this day.

 

[Pardt]

First for me would be a couple of Lee Enfield rifles I traded my time for, I did brush cleanup, lawn work and wood stacking for those two. First I paid cash money for was a Norinco sks. I still have all three

 

[Spaxspore]

Walther P1 for a pistol, and for rifle Yugo M24 / Yugo m48 (bought both at the same time)

 

[jjjxlr8]

My first military surplus firearm was a Spanish Mauser chambered in .308.


My second military surplus firearm was a Winchester M1 Carbine that I still enjoy shooting 32 years later!

 

[MadBelarussian]

M-B:

I have been using Spotify since it began but I had no idea the Milsurp podcast existed. I plan on checking it out.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. <img src="http://forums.gunboards.com/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0" alt="" title="thumbsup" class="inlineimg" />

It’s a fantastic podcast, and they have some cool guests come on occasionally. NZ Milsurp, British Muzzleloaders, and others just to name a couple. Really good, informative series for collectors new and adept. Entertaining for long car rides especially!

 

[Ashcrash]

I have only really been collecting firearms for a few years. My first go at some older guns started with a pair of Colt Model M's. I guess my first milsurp might be my WW1 era Spanish Ruby. It is actually in fantastic shape (and is one of my favorites to shoot), I didn't really know how good until seeing so many pictures of others in considerably worse condition. Soon after that, my eye caught a Swedish m/07 at a gunshow. That one turned out to be a complete spare parts bin gun, but the frame was issued to the Swedish air force at some point.

As far as rifles go, my first was a 53 hungarian m44, then an 44 ishevsk m44. I also bought a 55 chinese T53 about that time, but only because I knew my brother had been wanting one and he wasn't with me the day I found it. Since then I bought a 54 Tula SKS from a friend, a 67 chinese T56 SKS from Classic (first cosmoline experience, what a mess indeed), 43 Winchester M1 carbine, 43 long branch No4Mk1* (currently tied as my favorite among my guns with the M1 carbine), and most recently found a H&R Reising model 65 .22 at my LGS. These were used by the USMC as trainers for the M1 Garand in the middle 40's.

The only ones I don't have are the Chinese T53 and T56. My brother owns both now, along with the rest of his collection. Come to think of it, they are his only milsurps at the moment.

 

[RaoulHayduke]

My parents got me a Lithgow No. I Mk. III* for my 13th birthday; I followed this with saving up every bit of money up until I was 15 to buy a Smith-Corona M1903A3 rifle. After that I got out of guns and focused on the usual teenage things — and missed a lot of good deals — before buying a badly refinished VKT M91 at auction when I was 20. My collection has expanded every year since then (I'll be 23 in December), diverting only slightly from milsurps to cover my evil 'salt weapon bases with an AR (built to look like a late Colt 604) and a Romanian AK parts kit build, which I hope to begin next month.