January 23, 2026

Why Surplus Guns Are Disappearing

Photo: Surplus rifles were once common sights in gun shops, but those days are quickly fading.

There was a time when surplus rifles filled gun shop racks from wall to wall. Crates of history. Cosmoline-soaked steel. Prices so low you bought one just because it was there.

Those days are disappearing.

If surplus guns feel harder to find and more expensive, you are not imagining it. The pipeline that fed collectors and shooters for decades is drying up, and it is unlikely to recover.

Fun Fact: Many of the most famous surplus firearms were never meant to be sold to civilians. Their availability was a side effect of wars ending and armies downsizing.

Wars Are Not Ending the Same Way

In the past, major wars produced enormous stockpiles of rifles and pistols. When conflicts ended, those weapons flooded the surplus market.

Modern wars look different. Smaller forces. Fewer infantry rifles per unit. More reliance on technology and specialized gear.

Less equipment is produced in bulk, and less is left behind when wars end.

Governments Are Keeping What They Have

Countries that once sold surplus cheaply now hold onto it.

Older firearms are retained for reserve forces, police units, or emergency stockpiles. Others are destroyed instead of sold, often due to political pressure or changing policies.

Once a rifle is cut up, it is gone for good.

Import Laws Slowed the Flow

Surplus depends on imports, and imports depend on regulation.

Over the years, changing U.S. import rules, sanctions, and executive decisions have blocked or delayed entire categories of surplus firearms. Even when guns exist overseas, bringing them into the country is far more difficult than it used to be.

Collectors Changed the Market

Surplus used to be cheap because demand was low.

That changed as buyers realized these guns were not being replaced. Every Mosin, Mauser, SKS, or Garand sold permanently reduced supply.

Once a surplus firearm enters private hands, it almost never returns to the market.

Modern Military Guns Are Different

The surplus classics people love came from an era of wood stocks and steel receivers.

Modern service rifles rely heavily on polymers, optics, and proprietary parts. Even if they become surplus someday, they will not age or appeal the same way.

The romance is different.

What This Means Going Forward

Prices will continue to rise. Condition will matter more. Availability will keep shrinking.

If you already own surplus firearms, you are holding pieces of history that are becoming scarcer every year. If you are still shopping, waiting rarely makes things cheaper.

In Closing

Surplus guns were a historical accident. A unique mix of global conflict, mass production, and timing.

That era is over.

What remains is finite, and once it is gone, there will be no second wave.

Until next time, stay locked and loaded.
- Randy, Locked N Loaded

Please add randy@gophercentral.com to your address book or visit here.

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