"Surplus" stopped being made 70+ years ago. Actual military surplus still exists, but modern surplus consists of M-16A2's which, unfortunately, are not legal in the USA unless sold on the civilian market prior to 1986. Do away with the NFA/GCA and we'll be flooded with cheap used M-16's and AK's.

I was at the range with my Garand and this kid (probably 17) was watching me shoot it. I asked him if he wanted to give it a try. I gave him some loading and safety instruction and handed him a couple of clips of ammo. When he was done he said it was just like his game. I said no, the game is just like the real this. Needless to say he had a big grin on his face. I told his father how to get one from CMP.

I’m a young guy, so I never got to live through the surplus golden era. My first Mosin was $290. But in early 2019 I took out my first ever loan to buy a C96 Red Nine Broomhandle Mauser. It’s paid off now and they’re selling for at least double what I paid. One of the best decisions I ever made.

When I was a young lad. I used to buy Shotgun News and salivate at all the stuff I couldn't afford at the time.

I went on a surplus buying spree about 5 years ago. Prices have gone up since then a fair amount. Wonderful pieces of history.

My experience was as stated. In the 80s and 90s we were viewed differently for having AK and milsurp stuff. I think over the years they got into more hands and folks and they realized how good, useful, and cheap they were at the time. Miss those days.

Excellent content! I appreciate the business/economics focus that you are able to offer regarding the firearms market.

Like your new black background studio set up.

...You had me at "Surplus" ! Great video / talk. Cheers from Australia.

The reason surplus firearms are getting expensive is simple: there are less of them to go around and the people that have them are not selling and the ones that do know the market. I was lucky to get a crate of 1970’s Romanian 7.62x54r last year.

Chris, as you alluded to in your prior vlog, prices are coming down even on milsurp. 2 months ago I sold a Chinese SKS on GunBroker for $705. Last week I sold a 2nd identical one for $525. Big drop in a short period of time. Great content as always.

Looking Good!!!!!! AWESOME enjoy your videos.

I started my Mil Surp collection a little over 10 years ago just before it started taking off. Luckily I was able to obtain decent examples of most the rifles and handguns on my list for reasonable prices. My only regret is I didn't buy more and wish my other investments had appreciated as much in ten years.

We missed the weekly used gun review last week 😞

You are such a great resource. You really know your business. Quick tip, with a black background you should not be wearing a black shirt. You become a disembodied head and arms, which can be distracting. Keep up the great content.

This is very true, a Chinese SKS in the 90's was $75, an Enfield mk3 was $55. Today you can't touch these for less than 400 in good shape.

I have my Mosin M39 and M44 up for sale. Each have a spam can of "freedom seeds" included. What's crazy is that the spam cans are worth more then the rifles. This is a big issue with the surplus.. I remember years ago when the 7.62X39 and 7.62X54R was cheap!! Now that supply has dried up.

Very interesting topic, thanks a lot!

I just started the video but I wanted to make a prediction. Surplus Firearms are a finite resource, and the farther we go through time, the less prevalent they become, and thus the more expensive they get. When collectors die, the value of said Surplus guns has skyrocketed since the undead collector bought the firearm, so the market dictates a much higher price. See, it was so much better to be a boomer. Mostly because you could still afford a house and a car and all your toys on one income.

I've pretty much always been an AK guy, since seeing the Bulkan Conflicts as a young person.

You would like a book called The Arms Bazaar.

Great perspective. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Chris! Been collecting surplus since 1985 You spoke truth. Now I'm pretty much out . But I have many important arms. Thanks

Thank you great info and subject as always

Another well thought out video- thank you

Very nice presentation!

I remember when Mosin-Nagant's were $75!! Wish I held on to them now. I see them advertised for almost $500ea! On another note- I am able to buy 9mm now relatively cheap or cheaper than a few months ago. Just bought 150r of 115g 9mm for $45 shipped. Not too bad

Good video. Back in the 1990's when I started my military career after college I bought both an AR-15 and AK-47 and those types of firearms didn't seem to be widely owned by the average firearms owner at that time. Oddly enough you could buy a nice AK for $400 and MAC 10's were under $200. For under $100 you could buy 500 rounds of wolf ammo for just about any caliber made

Russian SKS, $230 out the door. 1000 rounds of 7.62X39, $80 out the door. Those were fun times.

Once again really nice data driven presentation.

I purchase milsurp stuff occasionally for dual use. As a collector piece and/or as a shooter. I'd occasionally bought one as a project, that is, to unbubba one back into original shape. Sure, it's not as valuable as one in it's unbubba'd one in untouched condition, it it's a representative sample.

You mentioned not being able to import former full autos, but there are tons of guns in this country that were originally full auto, then the receivers were saw cut or torch cut, they were imported as parts kits, then either companies like Century or skilled individuals made new receivers for them and rebuilt them as semi autos.

Great video and insight

This is a topic I don't know much about...I do marvel at the engineering and craftsmanship of 100+ year old firearms (good and bad), and appreciate the ones still operational...there are a few i'd love to collect, but the budget is thin and getting thinner...just in case, though, what is good/bad about the '03? springfield in 30-06...?

My cousin and I bought some Saiga Sporters back when and they’re going for crazy prices now. Thinking of selling mine. I’d rather have something that’s a shooter than have something I’m afraid to scratch because it’s worth too much.

If they don’t make them anymore it’s like real estate they aren’t making anymore

Much better today. Excellent job by both of you! Just let you be you, and let Amber be Amber. And BTW, the one who really makes these videos so popular is Ray Ray!!! ❤️

This was very Kool.

Started buying milsurp guns in 1980, got a C&R license and went for it. What millennials don’t see is that us boomers didn’t make a boatload of cash back then either. Guns were cheaper but so were wages. I picked up my first Enfield for 99 bucks, and my Korean War era Dad laughed at me because he paid 25 for his! If you want the guns, make a priority to save up and buy them. I don’t regret a single purchase all these years later. Oh, and here’s a tip for the young guys: don’t make fun of “boomers” and “fudds”, make friends with them. I got some real good stuff from old guys who were way past retirement that wanted someone to have it that loved it as much as them. Sometimes for free……

$39 moslins, $89 new model 56 and $225 ak at the gun shows in Houston in 94…

Yes my golden get. Would be a US Navy M1 Garand in Nato 7.62. The Grail would be a Danish Garand in same caliber.

Great video Chris! No doubt milsurps is a deep pocket concern for sure

I'm glad I bought my unused Russian SKS in 1999 for $250. I look at the prices in the past few years. . . I ain't selling it.

When I first started collecting mosins, we complained that they were $135 and they used to be $70. Now they are $461 at the cheapest.

You can bring back antique firearms from Iraq and Afghanistan my buddy just bought a Martini henry and snider carbine from a vet that bought them from a gun store in the kyber pass with the receipt and US Army/ customs bring back paperwork

I would like to get a Garand!!! Or maybe a handful of other Military rifles but that’s kinda where it ends for me. The advances in weapons is staggering, especially the last 15-20 years!!!

I have a 30/40 Krag that I use to hunt deer with

Dont forget CMP

I buy into a chunk of these milsurps when they first come into the market and are cheap. Then I leave them in the cosmoleine for the next 10 years.

A few years ago I bought a Star Model BM. Had to find parts for it so really I paid $350 for a 40 years old gun. I don't really shoot it much. It shoots straight but the sights are worn to nubs.Last old gun I buy. I like new guns much better.

Good evening Chris. Ted from Texas here. Like you said Surplus Military Arms keep going up. If this Administration has its way oh, none of us will have guns. Then the gun prices to go through the roof. And so will the ammunition prices. I've always liked Surplus arms. And I regret getting rid of the ones that I did sell. It's always seller's remorse. Take care see you next video

This may possibly the only video that I watch more than once this week that has no females.

You miss the fact that supply is becoming limited for another reason. Once upon a time when a military updated its weapons the old ones were put into reserve. When they had enough new ones or when an even newer gun entered service the old ones were sold on the surplus market. Almost all new military long arms are select fire and are banned from import/possession in the US. Since none of the “newer” guns come into the market collectors are chasing WW2 era guns which have mostly been put on the market already.

There is really no reason to look to the past any longer, I've struggled to come to terms with that. Only modern production goods for me, having a piece of history you can actually feel has "soul" isnt worth the doubling or tripling of prices, to me anyway.

Short answer. Cause the American dollar isn't worth the paper it's printed on...Sad times ahead! Hold fast!!

Ho do I get a 2 cm Flak 38?

There is tons of surplus in the world. But US law prevents its import. Every gun owner should be hand writing their government representatives to abolish these anti gun import laws. Today! TODAY!

The simple fact is that there are no large stocks of arms anymore.

You would all shlt kittens if you saw my surplus collection from the 1970s and early 80s.. Us early buyers picked up the absolute pristine surplus and the really rare weapons. M27 Mosin "Heavy barrels,", 1891 3line Mosins Manufactured by S.I.G.,, 1891 Mausers.. And all sorts of sidearms you never see today.. Perfect , Carl Gustav ,6.5x55 Swedish Mausers... Those were the days... Sadly though many were in odd ball calibers that do not exist today..

Where I live in Ohio, about 10 years ago Gander mountain used to have a barrel "allways" full of mosin's for $109.00 and I walked by and smirked dozens of times. Boy was I stupid🤔

Should take a drink if he says allocate lol

All those surplus guns I sporterized, cries.

7.62x39 steel case ammo fro Russia is the most cost accessible rifle ammo Followed by 223 Remington 5.56 mm nato 308 is very reasonable for its bullet Weight Surprisingly 8mm Mauser is relatively affordable compared to other vintage bolt action ammo why? The 1898 Mauser action is still manufactured in Europe in 8 mm 7.62x54 is also reasonable as steel cased ammo is still manufactured and this is a current military round 9mm Luger is the most cost effective round Surplus Ammo that is getting scarce is any former military cartridge long out of use 30-06 30 carbine 7.62 tokerov 7mm Mauser 6.5 Swedish Mauser 303 British The firearm acquisition hobby used to be an American white male past time I was in a gun shop on Friday and I saw an Asian and African American women buy guns .. the times they are a changin .. more people buy guns The list goes on ..

I know that for millenials, my own generation, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, as well as all the WWII videogames like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor got a ton of us into WWII stuff. A lot of people like to blame boomers for inflating the prices, but they got theirs cheap and are either sitting on them or getting what they can from us millenials as we come into money. It's going to be super sad, though, when a lot of those boomers leave the mortal plane and their idiot non-gunny families turn their stuff over to the local PD to be destroyed.

I remember the cheap eastern bloc weapons being regarded as junk back then. I wasn't interested in them because of that.

Glad I have zero interest in paying top dollar for an antiquated gun. Let someone else pay $400 for a mosin and $450 on sale for an sks. I’ve seen Mausers on sale for over a thousand.

10 years?! Holy shit! You missed the entire SKS/AK with 1000 rounds of ammo for under $100 of the late 80s/early 90s. Back before the Bush I executive order import bans were the good old days.

🦬💩 is what the prices are today... when I 1st started shooting i could get a 100 round range box of 9mm for under 10 $

The ammo will cost more than the gun the more you shoot it anyway.

Type 56 Sks example....$600.....why buy 1956 relic made in china ?....when I look at labor, material et al needed to produce it today, I see $1500 min value....but of course, its my biased opinion....good luck

What am I missing?

I love the discussion on milsurps. I think it would be amazing if you incorporated this once a month or new channel! New people in this market have a desire to learn more and be educated on it. You're the guy the that can do it. Current market values is what I would be interested in.

I am fairly smart but your numbers don't seem to match the chart at all

Big influx of new gun owners right? Well many of them are prior “anti gun” folks. As in - hipsters. You know what hipsters also like? Niche historical trinkets. And they got deep pockets. So. Do the math

GET CLOSER TO YOUR MICROPHONE

TWO WORDS ........ SUPPLY and DEMAND

Where's your shoulders?