Which Rifle to add to my collection?

[bearhunter]

I just started to collect WW1-WW2 era guns and I was wondering which one of these choices would be the best for reliability, accuracy, and price?

[ghost]

The mauser has the edge in price and reliability, the K31 has the edge in accuracy. Ammo is the cheapest for the Mauser as well right now. All of them are good rifles though. 6.5 and 7.7 jap ammo is hard to come by and expensive when you do and .303 is getting more and more expensive. 7.5 swiss is also pricey and will be more so when the surplus runs out.
My vote is for the Mauser followed by the k31,enfields,arisakas. But if you want a collecters piece, K31 all the way.

[phillyd2]

M1 Garand? M1 Carbine? Rumor has it that both were used in WWII

[Xringshooter]

K31 or 98K , can't go wrong with either. A really good K31 should be a bit cheaper than a really good 98K.

[brian]

yeah, why with the no usgi's?

[FormerUser123]

No 1903? No Mosins at all?

If you want cheap, Mosis are the way to go. Ammo is plentiful and about as cheap as 8mm mauser, but a good Mosin will cost less than half of what a typical K98 will cost. You can pick up decent Mosins for $125 and less all day long.

I'm a big K98 fan, so I voted for that and the Arisaka 99, but if you're looking for affordability, you can't go wrong with a Mosin. They are plenty reliable, too. Not quite the reputation for accuract of the K31 and K98s, but I've also never heard of them having problems.

[Rural Ruger]

As Xring said, a nice K98 typically goes for more than a nice K31. In addition to the cost difference though, I have found the K31's (in my area, at any rate) are better maintained than the Mausers. Plus, the K31 has the unique factor going for it, whereas the K98 can be picked up at just about any decent gun store. And BTW, the K98 I used to own had a pretty hellish recoil (read as hunting loads+metal butt plate+shooting from bench=sold gun), so that's something to consider if you're gonna shoot it regularly. HOWEVER, ammo will be cheaper for the Mauser, and there is a reason the Mauser design lives on in modern deer rifles....it's very strong and durable. So it really depends on what you're looking for.

[FormerUser123]

And BTW, the K98 I used to own had a pretty hellish recoil (read as hunting loads+metal butt plate+shooting from bench=sold gun), so that's something to consider if you're gonna shoot it regularly

You can say that again. My K98 beats the hell out of me. The pre-44 models had a flat buttplate though, I'd imagine that'd be easier on the shoulder than the raised buttplate that's on the 44-45 models. And I've shot hunting loads and milsurp from it. The hunting loads were nice. 170gr soft point, the recoil wasn't too bad at all. The milsurp is 230gr FMJ and has actually bruised me. Very unpleasant. If you're not a very big guy, you should consder investing in a recoil pad.

[Ecclectic Collector]

For sheer durability and shoot-ability the old SMLE is really hard to beat. While the .303 isn't a magnum cartridge, that old cartridge can still reach out and get the job done. Surplus ammo is still out there, just not at sportsmans guide. The rifle has lots of virtures as a shooter. It has a ten round magazine, is so ugly its cool to have and is a smooth working action that can really pour out the lead for a bolt gun if you do your part. Just make sure the gun you get is in headspace. While an Enfield has to be dreadfully out of spec to be dangerous to shoot, the tighter the action, the better it will shoot. (Not to mention if you do reload you don't want your cases destroyed.)

[nfafan]

+1 for the Mosins. Genuine WW2 vets abound, and not as bad on the shoulder as some folks have reported at all, hell my AK in 5.45x39 with the hard poly stock is a biting little chihuaua.