Welcome to the Gun Bench. This is a series where we at Straight Talk bring our readers into the thought process behind how we set up our gear for various roles and scenarios. There is a saying that purpose drives gear. In the gun world, that saying rings clear. With each selection of equipment, there is a purpose—whether it be for hunting, competitive shooting, home defense, or survival—that equipment matters and must stand up to the task at hand. This series looks to help with the thought process behind each piece of kit so that you, the reader, can have the best available information. One important note—Straight Talk is Ohio-based. Some items may or may not be legal in your state. Also, not every state has a Constitutional Carry or Castle Doctrine in place. So please educate yourself on the laws that you must abide by.

Collecting: It’s Part of Being a Gun Geek

Today’s Gun Bench article is not our typical subject matter. Usually, we discuss setups for defensive or competition uses and walk you through our thought processes. However, today I wanted to look at something a bit different yet very prominent in gun culture: the collecting of military arms. Firearms and history go hand in hand. The collecting of historic military arms brings intrinsic history to life. It is something you can feel and touch. The physical item connects you to the past and helps you appreciate where we’ve come from and how we’ve gotten there. People collect military arms—or military surplus (milsurp)–however, for more than just their history. They’ve been utilized as hunting arms to bring meat to the table, to teach and educate hunter and firearms safety, and as general defensive arms. Thankfully, the firearms market is not as dependent as it once was on this class of firearms for viability, and we have a better selection to choose from. But military arms still hold their place—by gun geeks like me.

Current Events

I can tell you, that 2024 is the worst time to be in the market for collecting historic military weapons. Unfortunately, the world is awash with conflict and strife. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the United States to sanction Russia, including its trade with the former communist nation. This includes the trade of firearms and ammunition. Some of the most popular and recognizable surplus weapons come from the land of the Czars. This includes Mosin Nagant rifles and revolvers, Tokarev pistols, SKS rifles, ammunition, and much more. Nearly a decade ago, a basic 91/30 Mosin cost around $100, now those same weapons are going for 3 or 4 times that (sometimes even more for early war hex receiver models). This has forced a trickle-down effect. Everything else has gone up and become difficult to find. Luckily the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) still exists, offering an avenue for U.S. citizens to attain retried American service rifles and pistols. These stores, located in Port Clinton, Ohio, and Anniston, Alabama, are remote for many people to travel to, thus cutting off a large part of the population. Not to mention, the CMP has unique regulations for purchasing firearms (for info on this subject, check out the CMP website here).

Where to Find Them

There’s a bit of luck that goes into this, but the easiest and most accessible is perusing local gun shops and scouring their used sections. This is a war of attrition that will take time. The benefit here is you get to physically see and touch the weapon before purchase. Otherwise, gun shows can be a viable option. In my experience, prices can be extremely high at gun shows. But if you are willing to offer up the coinage, this can be successful. Also, a willingness to travel to shows that specialize in military and historic arms can be advantageous, although, a lot of others might have the same idea as you. Another idea is to look at local auction websites. Many auction companies will list firearms in estate or chattel sales. Some may even hold annual gun auctions. The benefit here is you can see the firearm beforehand, but the prices can rise if a bidding war ensues. Other times there is less interest and guns can be sold for bargain prices.

This gets us to online searching. Websites like Gunbroker and Armslist are commonly used to find these firearms. I’d try to get as many photos as possible from the seller, that way you can make an educated decision. Sometimes sellers on these sites purposely hide scratched markings, rusted bores, and cracked stocks from potential buyers. Moreover, there are a few sites that specialize in military arms. One is the Rock Island Auction Company. They specialize in the sale of historic and collectible arms from all eras. It is akin to Barret Jackson auctions from the car world; that means there is a level of exclusivity to it. Atlantic Firearms is another prominent one that comes to mind. Atlantic specializes in finding and importing foreign arms to the United States at relatively reasonable prices—although that is generally market-dependent. And with a market that has a higher demand than there is supply, those prices tend to increase. (For example, Navy Arms has recently imported French FRF2 sniper rifles. These are available for sale through EuroOptic and Old Western Scrounger. The starting price is $6,649.95 and rises to nearly $9,000. Are these rifles worth that price? I’d argue no, but their exclusivity and desirability elevate pricing).

Collecting Military Arms Today

With current world issues limiting the supply of historic military arms, you’d suspect a diminishing desire for such weapons. However, that’s incorrect. That’s because this genre of collecting is adjusting and adapting. The newest members aren’t on the hunt for World War relics but are instead building and collecting representations of armaments used during the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Commonly referred to as “clones,” this desire to build and copy weapons soldiers used has forced firearm and accessory manufacturers to adapt to the growing demand. Examples include FN with their Military Collector Series M4, M16A4, and M249 SAW rifles, Brownells with their RETRO line (that includes early experimental models of AR-15s as well as HK 416 clones), and recently with Palmetto State Armory and their acquisition of Harrington and Richardson. For a greater affirmation of this trend, look up articles on cloning the guns of Black Hawk Down, especially those of Gordon and Shugart. Building Clone rifles is the new form of military collecting, and it is here to stay.

Final Thoughts

While traditional military arms collecting has become difficult, it is still a passion for many. Ultimately, it requires patience, attention to detail, and a bit more cash. Conversely, the “Clone” community has established itself, with manufacturers curating products to this crowd. With more and more veterans and enthusiasts demanding more options, this genre will continue to grow. It is not all bad, then for collectors, the only thing that’s changed is the arena. I encourage you, if you haven’t, to jump into the world of firearms collecting, it is fun, rewarding, and full of amazing people who have a passion to keep history alive.