Originally Posted by
Art
None of these sporters based on military actions are anything like cost effective by today's standards. Back when the rifles and actions were cheap it was a different story. I saw a really pretty M1903A3 sporter with a nice commercial walnut stock with good figure and the telescopic sight included in a local gun shop this week......$275.00 for the whole set up. Looking at the rifle I figure the original owner had about that much in the whole set up when it was done originally. Today, that 03A3 even if it was a total mixmaster beater originally, which it wasn't by the way, would go for more than twice the asking price in that store. I have a 1917 mfg No.1 Mk. III* FTR 1955 straight from storage and in really nice shape. I got it for $17.00 and turned it into a perfectly satisfactory sporter for brush hunting. I also wrecked it's current value, it wouldn't sell for $75.00 today which is less than its original cost adjusted for inflation. But hey, they were a dime a dozen then.