Military Antique Rifles

Military antique rifles are collected for a variety of reasons by historians and firearms collectors. Some admire the craftsmanship and the mechanics while others see their historical value.

Antique military rifles are important pieces of history. They allow collectors and even casual users to, if only for a moment, feel what historic soldiers felt in the moments of battle. Models from these antique rifles exist from as far back as the 16th century. The condition and grade of antique military rifles varies greatly, with some purely museum pieces and others considered shooting models.

With military antique rifles, there are a number of different factors that influence value, including condition and grade, the weapon’s age, and how mass produced the weapon was. Rifles like the Mosin Nagant were produced in the millions and are not considered as valuable as the less-produced Krag Jorgensen. Military rifles, especially antique rifles, are often well built and designed to withstand close combat. This leads to very strong and durable rifles that can work a century after they were produced.

Quick Facts

• Production numbers of the Mosin Nagant range up to 14 million for the M1881/1930 model alone
• Antique military rifles are more collectible when their parts match, meaning they are the same parts included during the rifle’s original production
• Some special models of particular rifles are particularly valuable, including the M1C Garand, Mosin Nagant Sniper, and Enfield Jungle Model