Seeking advice on starting semi-auto collection

[Bubba FAL]

I still cringe at the thought of all the Hirtenberger I ran through my HK21 because 1,000 rounds was like $100 shipped.

You and me both. While not FA, a handful of FALs ate well back in the day - Hirt, Port, Aussie and South African. All for less than $150/case. Of course, I remember 1200 rd cases of 7.62x39 for $65 and 1200rd cases of Egyptian 8mm for $100. Good times, for sure.

[JoshNC]

You and me both. While not FA, a handful of FALs ate well back in the day - Hurt, Port, Aussie and South African. All for less than $150/case. Of course, I remember 1200 rd cases of 7.62x39 for $65 and 1200rd cases of Egyptian 8mms for $100. Good times, for sure.

I still have a few hundred rounds of the last Port case I bought around '01 for $120. Man I miss those days.

[Bubba FAL]

I still have a few hundred rounds of the last Port case I bought around '01 for $120. Man I miss those days.

Yeah, I'm down to 3 battle packs of Port, 3 or 4 cans of Aussie, a case of Hirt and a case of that dirty old Cavim in the ammo pile. Anymore, the FALs eat M80 or reloads.

[KalashniKEV]

If one were to begin a collection, where should I start, i.e., what would be a good top 10 (or 10+) list with a hypothetical initial investment of, say $50K?

Need more info regarding your interests- I started with Cold War battle rifles when FAL kits were around, then went back to C&R stuff when I had my license, then AKs when those kits were around, then I wanted one of every issued US rifle, then I got into late Cold War stuff, then PCCs...

Don't try to go too fast. Enjoy the journey. Follow a thread until something else grabs your interest, then follow that...

Before long you'll be able to line up all your Mausers one day... then upon appreciating an M-24/47, line up all your Yugo rifles... then compare your M-70 pattern AK to all your other AKs...

Don't buy used unless it's a rare or uncommon surplus item
...
if you want the civilian version of the M-14, do your research as to which ones are considered quality builds, and which ones are slapped together junk.

I feel the opposite way.

If you're trying to put together a reference library, then order a PTR, DSA, and M1A on your lunch break and try to appreciate them when they arrive- you won't find much to appreciate. An SP-1 will not make you as happy as a real M16A1 parts kit on a good receiver. An M1A will not have the same level of quality as an M14 kit built on a good receiver. Same for DSA when not using a high percentage of surplus parts, and true... though less so... for PTR.

Only buy real items assembled by a known builder of good reputation on a quality receiver. Do not buy commercial anything.

...a pain in the ass to maintain, service because many of the weapons would require skilled gunsmiths to work on the items- pre-ban era HK's for example. Worse many of the original components are drying up

Here's a list of parts and pieces that you need to have on hand at all times to run these firearms:

Not a damn thing.

Even if you were going to do very-high-round-counts through the M14-type, G3-type, and FAL-type to see which one throws a part first, you'd go a long time before you needed something... and then you'd simply seek and acquire it.

There are weapons of these types on the front lines of the GWOT that receive no PMCS and never go to annual gauging.

If it were me, I'd spend a hefty amount on top-of-the-line modern weapons: M4's, Glocks, Berettas, SIG's, Benelli's--tuned to your preferences and only the highest quality M4's (Colt, BCM) by the way.

Are any of those things even actually collectable?

I know dudes with all of those whatever-guns listed above and neither I nor they would consider that a "collection..."

THEN, I'd spend some money on TRAINING. It's not enough to own a carbine that shoots rapidly and accurately. You also have to be able to USE the weapon rapidly and accurately

Getting further off track here... are we going to be fighting the Russians with our collectables now? Even with a "collection" that looks like the inventory of every gun store in America, do car collectors stress-out on having a reliable 4WD to handle snow that can be parked at the train station without worry?

...and what does that have to do with collecting?

I would put that $50k into transferable machineguns.

If that's of interest.

I really don't have very much interest at all in full-auto personally.

I say if you are going to collect, go with ultra modern stuff, new designs from the 2000's on up.

Well, I can definitely say that none of that stuff is collectable, or will be for a while... and if you tried to form a "collection" now, in anticipation, you'd probably end up like a crazy beanie baby lady in 10 years.

Plus, you'd be sitting in a room with a bunch of new production guns like "who cares?" and if your buddies came over they'd just look around and be like... "who cares?"

[JoshNC]

Need more info regarding your interests- I started with Cold War battle rifles when FAL kits were around, then went back to C&R stuff when I had my license, then AKs when those kits were around, then I wanted one of every issued US rifle, then I got into late Cold War stuff, then PCCs...

Don't try to go too fast. Enjoy the journey. Follow a thread until something else grabs your interest, then follow that...

Before long you'll be able to line up all your Mausers one day... then upon appreciating an M-24/47, line up all your Yugo rifles... then compare your M-70 pattern AK to all your other AKs...



I feel the opposite way.

If you're trying to put together a reference library, then order a PTR, DSA, and M1A on your lunch break and try to appreciate them when they arrive- you won't find much to appreciate. An SP-1 will not make you as happy as a real M16A1 parts kit on a good receiver. An M1A will not have the same level of quality as an M14 kit built on a good receiver. Same for DSA when not using a high percentage of surplus parts, and true... though less so... for PTR.

Only buy real items assembled by a known builder of good reputation on a quality receiver. Do not buy commercial anything.



Here's a list of parts and pieces that you need to have on hand at all times to run these firearms:

Not a damn thing.

Even if you were going to do very-high-round-counts through the M14-type, G3-type, and FAL-type to see which one throws a part first, you'd go a long time before you needed something... and then you'd simply seek and acquire it.

There are weapons of these types on the front lines of the GWOT that receive no PMCS and never go to annual gauging.



Are any of those things even actually collectable?

I know dudes with all of those whatever-guns listed above and neither I nor they would consider that a "collection..."



Getting further off track here... are we going to be fighting the Russians with our collectables now? Even with a "collection" that looks like the inventory of every gun store in America, do car collectors stress-out on having a reliable 4WD to handle snow that can be parked at the train station without worry?

...and what does that have to do with collecting?



If that's of interest.

I really don't have very much interest at all in full-auto personally.



Well, I can definitely say that none of that stuff is collectable, or will be for a while... and if you tried to form a "collection" now, in anticipation, you'd probably end up like a crazy beanie baby lady in 10 years.

Plus, you'd be sitting in a room with a bunch of new production guns like "who cares?" and if your buddies came over they'd just look around and be like... "who cares?"

Interesting perspectives. Some I agree with, others I don't.

On a side note I think it's nearly impossible to offer advice regarding what type of collection another person should endeavor upon. This strikes at the very essence of one's desires. How can someone tell another person what constitutes the "best" collectible? It's an individual desire to collect certain items.

Fullautos, HK roller delays, and Swiss SIGs are what I enjoy collecting. Someone else may have no interest, yet long to own a complete set of M1 carbines, which are of little interest to me.

Collecting is really individual specific.

[Doc Safari]

Collecting is really individual specific.

The purpose of my post was to discourage "collecting." I regret wasting thousands of dollars "collecting" when I could have been shooting in competition, meeting new freinds, having a good time, etc. It's ironic that even though it was fun at the time to hunt down all those unusual and collectible firearms I used to own, ultimately once I acquired them it was a letdown. The joy was in the hunt, not in the acquisition.

[KalashniKEV]

The purpose of my post was to discourage "collecting."

Then why rattle off a list of production-spec, currently available down the block firearms?

...or why respond to a collecting thread at all??

Basically, you just told a guy who asked about, say... "watch collecting" to go buy a 30-lap Ironman, a Solar Atomic G-Shock, and a Timex Weekender, and go wear the G-Shock every day.

Now you're saying "don't do watch collecting..."

[Warg]

Interesting perspectives. Some I agree with, others I don't.

On a side note I think it's nearly impossible to offer advice regarding what type of collection another person should endeavor upon. This strikes at the very essence of one's desires. How can someone tell another person what constitutes the "best" collectible? It's an individual desire to collect certain items.

Fullautos, HK roller delays, and Swiss SIGs are what I enjoy collecting. Someone else may have no interest, yet long to own a complete set of M1 carbines, which are of little interest to me.

Collecting is really individual specific.

Exactly, and I appreciate everyone's and the variety of viewpoints and firearms suggested. I probably should revise my definition of a collection. That is, I'm leaning toward a few, perhaps very few really collectible higher dollar pieces (perhaps one select fire) and adding a "collection" of lower dollar items similar to what Kev suggested that I'll very likely shoot a lot. I'll take my time with learning about what I want to do with the former and being very selective with that endeavor. For the latter, I have some semblance of a short list as follows:

• SCAR 17S (ordered)
• M1A Squad Scout (have shot these and really enjoy them)
• Arsenal SAM7
• PTR91 (model TBD)
• Galil (leaning toward 7.62x39 rather than 308 as I'll probably shoot it a bunch)
• CZ 805 Bren (very intrigued by these)
• DSA SA58 (model TBD)
• Steyr Aug A1
• More AKs
  

The $50K figure was just an initial guess at a starter collection. Have to pay Uncle Sam a huge chunk this year so we'll see what's left of my "play money" The wife isn't having a say in this one!

[Doc Safari]

Then why rattle off a list of production-spec, currently available down the block firearms?

...or why respond to a collecting thread at all??

Basically, you just told a guy who asked about, say... "watch collecting" to go buy a 30-lap Ironman, a Solar Atomic G-Shock, and a Timex Weekender, and go wear the G-Shock every day.

Now you're saying "don't do watch collecting..."

Frankly, I figured my attempt to dissuade would go unheeded, so the next best thing was to get the OP to not waste his money. I wanted to offer some help from multiple angles so the OP could make up his own mind. Not that I'm a lawyer, but it's like an attorney saying to a client, "You shouldn't really do X, but since you probably will anyway, here's some advice on how not to get burned."


And who are you to criticize? You act is if you pontificate over these proceedings and whatever you pronounce is the right and proper thing. I don't have to answer to you.

[Warg]

Then why rattle off a list of production-spec, currently available down the block firearms?

...or why respond to a collecting thread at all??

Basically, you just told a guy who asked about, say... "watch collecting" to go buy a 30-lap Ironman, a Solar Atomic G-Shock, and a Timex Weekender, and go wear the G-Shock every day.

Now you're saying "don't do watch collecting..."

Man, I don't even want to look at the watch thread in GD! I was a watch nut for years: Patek, Rolex, JLC, IWC, etc. I'm down to very few higher dollar pieces now and my favorite daily watches are Casios and Garmins.