If you did not know, the government does sell surplus rifles and ammunition to civilians. This is done to promote marksmanship. Due to the scarcity of firearms and ammo, they are getting sold out of the literally millions of rifles they had in Alabama M1 carbines, 1903's M-17's all gone
They are down to a few M1 garrands for about $ 625 each
If you are interested Google 'civilian marksmanship program' then go to 'sales'
i would suggest getting one before they are gone, if not to shoot, then for historical piece from WW 2 to hand down through the family. They will probably not decrease in value
The M1 Garand is a lot of fun to shoot. I enjoy mine even more than some of my modern sporting rifles.
Mine is a 1953 International Harvester. Cool piece of tractor history, as well as US Military history.
One of the best times I ever had shooting was with an M1 Garand at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. On the 1000 yard range I was able to consistently hit the center 4 feet of the target with iron sights. Not bad for a 45 year old WWII surplus rifle with iron sights.
The M1 is a nice rifle, but I still prefer my .303 British. Must be a Canadian thing!
Rob, Dad was pissed when Uncle Sam took away his Springfield, and handed him a Garand, but he told me that the .303 was a "club". Please don't take it personal, both sides of my family came from Nova Scotia! I may or may not have a Garand and an '03 in my gun safe.
I have an M1 Garand...some nostalgia from my days in the army in 1960. I try to avoid an *M1 thumb*.
Tragically I lost all my guns in a boating accident (this is what we say on gun forums as we don't like to put on the internet about personal collections).
My children bought me a Henry rifle for Christmas and that is the sweetest lever gun I have ever held but it also fell off the boat. No reason for me to buy more guns as they just keep falling off the boat.
Ed, I had to laugh. Of course I wouldnt take it personally. Mines been "sporterized" removing the copious amounts of wood your father would have been familiar with. The old military versions were heavy beasts
The goverment has been selling surplus since the Revolutionary War. Sears and Robuck did't finish selling Civil War surplus until about 1910.
tim - that's the idea, keep it up.
Scarey world isn't?
I regret selling my super clean Winchester M1 Garand. I still have a really nice 1861 Springfield Musket which I've fired many times. I guess that qualifies as a government surplus military rifle.
Got a 30-40 Krag which Uncle Sam sold for a buck 50 each when he was done with them. Carbines and rifles both. Hard to find ammo though as the casing is unique so I reload.
I wish I could find an affordable Krag.
BTW guys, I'm really surprised no one has complained about this thread. I figured it was just a matter of time before it got pulled.
I remember carrying a M-1 Grand up Misery hill Up Teardrop,and Heartbreak in 1963 and i do not want another.Bud.
An M1 is on my short list. The two old rifles I like shooting are my Russian M44 (7.62 X 54) carbine (beautiful shooter) and my 1918 Steyr-Mannlicher carbine (basically 8mm).
I sold my M1 Garand a few years ago for more than I paid for it. It was an original WW2 war-time manufacture that was re-barreled in 1956. Less than a million serial number.
However I do know a guy who had 2 Garands that were four digit serial numbers and were only one number apart.
Hal why would it be pulled? It's very civil and not personal. I'm not a gun guy but found the site interesting. No attacks on persons or their beliefs.
The air rifles on the site are amazing.
Happy New Year to all.
I'm already getting cabin fever. We have been under freezing fog for over a week.
Can't wait for spring.
Mirabile dictu, I came out of basic at fort Polk with an Expert medal (the guy keeping score claimed I hit the target a lot), but I don't think I've fired a rifle since Korea in 1965. I wonder if I could hit the broad side of a barn.
I had a Mauser 8mm German WW2 rifle I bought from Wards in St. Paul. It was in the early 60's and was less than $100. It was bolt action.
Some horse's petut broke in my house in Oakland and carried it away 32 years ago.
Mike,
I just figured it was a controversial subject and someone who was against guns would complain that it was OT and it would get pulled. That is what happened to the Obamacare thread. No one made any personal attacks on it.
I learned a lot from this thread. All my guns were tragically lost in a boating accident. LOL
This topic is not really off topic. Henry Ford had a private shooting gallery on the third floor of the Piquette plant where he and Sorensen and Galamb would relax and shoot rifles when they needed a break from designing the Model T.
It's strange after buying a new Henry a couple of weeks ago i hear from the nra. I haven't been contacted by the govt just the nra.Makes me wonder WHO is really watching?? Bud.
You should seriously consider joining. I've been a life member since the mid 80's.
And you can bet the government is watching too. Remember that background check? That 4473 you filled out? Did you use plastic to buy it? NSA has all that on file.
I would say that this thread is not off topic, as it was my interest in firearms and military history that lead me to finally getting a Ford model T,
There is nothing like the kick of the 03A3 that I bought at Camp Perry.
Never happen,I was in the nra in 72 or so but got out after i found their interest was law's/policits instead of shooting/guns.When i was young a new gun was a thing of great beauty.Now days a gun is a-ar 15 made of plastic and the beauty is only the amount of rounds fired! Bud.
There are other groups interested in making laws, maybe you agree with their position more than the NRA? Those other groups (without coming right out and calling them by political affiliation) are interested in limiting your choice yet on other topics claim to be for freedom and choice.
Right there with ya, Bud. I am paranoid enough to believe that the nra is another gubment ploy to know who has guns. And I had one ar-15. Sold it because it didn't look or feel like a rifle to me.
And as far as da gubment knowing I have firearms, I am sure the nsa has video of me walking out of Walmart and Meijer with "more than one" box of .30-06' in the cart, on more than one occasion.
I like my Firearms and dread the thought of not being able to have them! On the other hand i see no need for some snot nose running around with a fifty round clip!! Somewhere comen sence should win out!Bud.
Sorry Ed,I sure did not mean to imply you or anyone.I just get tired of seeing on the tube people killing each other.Bud.PS,After 40 years starting to reload again.Bud.
Problem now, is the "kids" have figured out how to attach multiple clips to each other so they don't need the high capacity ones.
These bolt action pens are the extent of my gun collection. I do them on my lathe.
A 50 round clip in the hands of the law abiding is not a problem. And no law will prevent the non-law abiding from getting one. Just look at dope. That's against the law. Does it keep people from getting it? Guns and magazines are no different.
In Michigan other than a 22 i'm not sure if you can hunt with more than 7 in the gun?? What do you hunt with a 50 round clip? Funny you should equate a 50 round clip with dope,so do i.Bud.
I don't know of anyone who hunts with a 50 round clip. Hunting has nothing to do with 50 round clips. That's not what they are for.
A 50 round clip is used to defend your self from a threat that needs a 50 round clip to make you equal to the threat. If I lived in certain parts of Detroit or Mogadishu or Zimbabwe I would sure own and keep a rifle that used one.
You should not have to hunt to justify owning a gun or magazines or whatever. If I owned a Thompson SMG, I wouldn't mind having a drum magazine for it.
If our economy were to tank so that everyone goes back to zero net worth, a majority would adjust and be fine. There would be a number that go the other way. When gangs roam your street you will wish for a high capacity weapon (with extra mags). Unfortunate mine were also lost in a boating accident.
The thing that bothers me more than a 50 round clip is just knowing we have approximately 1/2 of our population that believes govt can solve out problems. Govt creates problems, solves nothing. Just look at the Dept of Energy and Education. How's that working out for us?
I think your right Hal! My worry is with all the killing people might push for more rules then where will honest people be? I remember 50 years ago i asked a sgt why everything was not full automatic?? He responded with [can you think of the trucks needed to haul that much ammo?] I used the m1 m14 bar m60 m79 gernade launcher but i liked the M 1911 Colt best.Bud.
What most people do not realize is that the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution does not say anything about hunting, it is intended to allow US citizens to protect them selves, and given the motorcycle gang activity in New York State (with police officers participating) having a high capacity magazine would be a good thing.
I get a little upset with the NRA's always asking for money and predicting the worse, but I firmly believe that if it weren't for them, your guns would be history. Just look at Australia.
Another thing: A lot of folks believe that when you buy a gun from a dealer and fill out and call in the 4473, the ATF has all that information. Wrong. I've called in probably a thousand prior to 2011 and know exactly what they ask. They ask your personal data like full name, DOB, height weight sex, place of birth and the SSN isn't required and quite often isn't given. As for the gun, all they ask is if it's a long gun, hand gun or shotgun. No models or serial numbers not even how many. The dealer has all this information on the 4473, but it doesn't go the BATF. If they want it, they have to call or go to the dealer and ask for that info specifically and that's a completely different department than the NICS.
Something else, ATF doesn't know whether the sale was completed when you call in the 4473. They either give a proceed, delay or deny. From my experience at gun shows, a delay normally means a no sale. I never had anyone denied.
Hopefully, this will help some folks be better informed.
And for what it's worth, no matter what they say, the federal government wants to take away all of your guns. All of them. Period. It just takes time.
I don't own any Colt 45 acp or a small frame Ruger in 9mm. I don't even own a boat. But if I ever catch some one in my house who doesn't belong there, I'll start with the Colt I don't own and finish with my non-existent Ruger 9mm. Then while my dog is feeding on the bad guys arm we'll have a little talk about Jesus and other important subjects.
One more thing: When a dealer with an 01 FFL goes out of business, he has to send all the 4473's to the BATF in Martinsburg, WV - Robert Byrd's home state. RIP.
I knew a dealer that finally got fed up with the system and closed up shop. He had the back end of his Suburban filled up with the boxes. The rumor was going around that BATF had college students transferring all the data to computer. I doubt it and even if they did, it might not be accurate. Everything was hand written, no typing here. Heck, I looked at some of mine years later and couldn't begin to read some of the printing/writing. I could at the time, but then I had the guys drivers license in front of me so it was just verifying the information.
Another thought: When you send in the forms, BATF doesn't say that have to be in any order in the box(s). With thousands of boxes and hundreds of forms in each box, can you imagine how long it would take for them to find a given form. It would be next to impossible. My thoughts are that when a dealer goes out of business and send everything in, it's pretty much a dead end for tracking. As long as the dealer stays in business, tracking is easy.
Wow, I'm getting fired up about all of the Gvmnt crap. I may have registered and un-registered guns and you all are talking like the Gvmnt is in your back yard. How do they know if you bought (at a gun show) and sold that same gun the very next day to your neighbor? They don't and as far as they are concerned, I've sold all of my guns to my neighbors and friends. However, I did manage to keep some rounds nearby.......You can have my guns when you pry them from my cold dead hands. Remember that scene from Jeremiah Johnson the movie? Semper Fi and Happy New Year.
A 50 round clip is used for pest control.
And there are a lot of pests in the alley between 2nd and 3rd streets.
As another sidelight on the use of higher capacity clips, there are are a number of coyote hunters in our area that use them. When you have 2 or 3 coyotes come in to a call, The first shot may take the first, but then you would like to hit the other 2 while they are on the run. A higher capacity than 7 is appreciated. Since these same varmints like to eat the young sheep or calves, and the hides are worth maybe $30-$60 each, a high capacity magazine makes sense. BTW, anybody can tape 2 low capacity magazines end to end and make a high capacity one if they want to, or acquire an "illegal" gun. They can make a home made explosive that will kill or maim more than the gun will. By definition, none of the violent people who like to kill or rob others are law abiding, so why should we expect laws to deter them? Don't expect the local police or government to help you when you need them most. Look at the statistics of violent crimes in states that have "strong" anti gun laws vs. those where the right to own and use firearms is allowed. I wouldn't advise breaking into an occupied home in SD if you value your life!
I Agree and if you think I would have to go to my gun safe or unlock my gun in case someone was breaking into my house you will be really surprised!
yea, I must say, a large volume clip would be a great thing to have.When you cant run from danger like myself,you would need to be able to shoot your way out.What little protection I have would make me feel inept if in danger.
A thompson with 100 round drum is the weapon i would love to own.
Just the site of the thing might would run off the crook and save his life and mine.
Shooting from the hip,what you have to do when in danger,is hard to do and hit the target,so limited bullets, means limited safty.
The crook is not going to be still and wait for you to take aim.