Think before you bubba

[DaveTheMinion]

I'm of the new school of Bubba Hate. That is, I hate to see stippled and hydro-imaged Glocks. Mosins, Hi-Points, and other ~$100 guns, though.. Eh, whatever.

I have to disagree with the mosin statement. Right now they are very cheap and plentiful, which is why so many Bubba them. 20 years from now the few misunderstood that had value will be rare Ans cost more. If I had the cash I'd buy a crate of mosins and hang on to them. I could probably get a crate for around 1700, and willing to bet that it would be worth between 5-9k. Look at sks's. I heard many people were getting them for free with ammo purchases or 50-70$ a pop at gun shows, they were junk rifles. Now a stock sks in mint condition of slight significance is fetching a premium. Plus, once you Bubba a gun, you'll never get Amy money back. Good post billrube!

 

[jglenn]

This is what I was thinking; a $100 gun for someone to play around with doesn't really matter much to me. A poorly refinished Smith Wheel gun, A stippled frame reduced polymer pistol or a nice old blue steel/walnut stocked rifle "customized" is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

I could be wrong. My Dad picked up a Remington Rand 1911 back in the day when they were selling for like $40 at surplus stores. Some guys took them and "built them up" for competition. If they only knew what they had done did.

I happen to also have a remington rand that also was bought cheap($15) by my dad then sent to Springfield after the war to have it converted to a National match.. used it for years in bullseye competition. worth more as an original yep, but wouldn't sell it for any $$.

 

[heyitsshane]

Mosins will be worth a ton in nice original config in 15-20 years. My old man has an 1899 hex receiver variant which is BEAUTIFUL that he bought in the early 90's at a Rose's department store for $40. It's not worth scratch to him because he's got 40 bucks in it. Try finding one of those NOW.

I remember $65 SKS rifles.

I remember $179 MAK90s

I remember $299 CETMEs

Just cause they're cheap and there's a lot of them doesn't mean there is an infinite supply. They're not making any more of em.

 

[sig68]

thread title says it all...lol

 

[crash_6906]

Very good post!!!

 

[ARCman47]

Yea but Glocks are a dime a dozen and have no historical significance.

other than being THE BEST PISTOL EVERRRRRRR. yea take that.

 

[BHJ]

I love bubbaized guns. I have learned a lot over the years through other peoples mistakes (and a few of my own)
I have learned my lesson about hacking up originals myself but love to pick up cheap Bubba specials to tinker on.
Though you can learn a lot doing research, there's not a better teacher out there than experience and these cheap beaters are the perfect candidates.

 

[oldmetlfan]

other than being THE BEST PISTOL EVERRRRRRR. yea take that.

They said the same thing about the Colt Peacemaker...

 

[atl3128]

Your gun is your gun and these old milsurps are cheap to tinker with.

But do you how much the gun is worth? If you could care less about what your gun is worth prior to taking the chopsaw and grinder to it, stop reading now.

I am not trying to convince anybody of anything, just to provoke some educational thought.

Let's take a Mosin 91/30. You get one for $100 out of a crate at a show or shop. You take it home and before you actually find out what you have or shoot it, you grab the hacksaw start your improvements. You get the bent-bolt kit and drill it and tap it for scope and put it in a black plastic after market stock on it and man, it's the Deer Slayer now.

You find out sometime after the fact that it was a WW2 sniper rifle that had been refurbished after WW2. You also find out that had you left it alone, it would be worth significantly more than your asking price for the "deer slayer".

A lot of guys don't know much about these and I understand. But google is your friend. It does not take long to establish a good ballpark on value.

I don't "do" commercial guns. I only traded $200 1873 colt for a Wilson Combat 1911. I got the gun from uncles drunk grampa for $200. So, it's $200 gun to me.
I've always wanted a 1911 with a ported slide. So if I took my Wilson Combat 1911 and ported the slide with my black and decker portable drill, some ODT'rs out there would crap in their pants. Because they were so jealous of my improvements? No...cause I just "ruined" the value of a high end pistol.

For the most part, Guns of any kind, like antique furniture or classic cars, are worth more in their original configuration and condition than after "improvements".

I have a soft spot for the old military stuff due to the history it represents. Many don't care.

"It's my gun I'll do what I want to with it." If this is you, I can't argue with that--you are right and you can do want you want--it's yours.

This is more directed towards the guys and gals that don't really know what they've got. After you cut one up and sink money into it doing all of your improvements just don't be too disappointed if you don't get your asking price for your gun.

Using my Wilson Combat analogy above--I'm going to find out what I have and what it's actually worth before "improving" it with porting. It may actually be worth more than the $200 I've "got" in it.

This! I have a SAKO Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant with all matching numbers that I picked up for $50 after someone cut the barrel down, added ATI bent bolt, tapped it for a scope mount and put it in an ATI stock It only cost me $50 it shoots good and makes a great deer rifle but I sure would like to have it all original oh well.

 

[Billrube]

I love bubbaized guns. I have learned a lot over the years through other peoples mistakes (and a few of my own)
I have learned my lesson about hacking up originals myself but love to pick up cheap Bubba specials to tinker on.
Though you can learn a lot doing research, there's not a better teacher out there than experience and these cheap beaters are the perfect candidates.

That's what I'm talking about. Pick up an already fudged up gun to tinker with. I have bought a few of these bubba'd up guns before. Some I have restored and others I ended up breaking up for parts. You can learn a lot by tinkering with these abominations.