What the Heck is the Difference Between "Good" and "Very Good"?

The main problem that many people have when buying surplus guns is that the condition of the gun is a mystery. Unless you know the rating system used by the gun dealers you might pay for something that you think is going to be the perfect little shooter only to find that you've spent your hard earned on a pile of rust. The rating system is detailed below.

Before I start I'd like to point out that I'm only interested in guns that go bang. There's a whole community of people who collect guns for the resale value, some of them even doing it as an investment. These posts are specifically geared towards people who want to buy something to shoot at the range, use in hunting or for self-defense. Buying a gun with an eye towards resale value simply isn't on my radar. If collecting is your thing then I strongly urge you to attend gun shows and auctions and talk to the people who are involved in that aspect of the shooting sports.

I also mention "blueing" below. That's the black finish that guns are coated with to keep the rust off. The paint that's bonded to the metal starts off as being a bright cheery blue color, and only turns black when applied to the gun. The black finish will eventually rub off after awhile, reducing the value of the gun but not it's ability to shoot. (This is just another warning that I'm supremely uninterested in what a gun looks like.)

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Surplus Rifles: The Best Bang for Your Buck

(This post is a reprint. It was originally written 18 months ago and posted on my first Blogspot blog. Since prices of surplus guns fluctuates widely as large lots enter the market, any prices mentioned in this post have already passed us by. This, of course, just illustrates how you have to be vigilant in order to cash in on the really sweet deals in the surplus gun market. Please accept my apologies if I got anyone's hopes up, and a big hat tip to Heartless Libertarian for bringing this to my attention.)

Right now, just this minute as I type this, I'm staring at an ad in the Shotgun News for a Russian M44 carbine in excellent condition for $44.00 USD.

That's not a typo. I said an almost-new gun for $44.00. Keep in mind that it will probably cost you about $100 bucks more to actually get the gun. But a perfectly fine, working bolt action for less than $150.00?

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