The Nightstar Zoo

I'd like to start building my collection slowly - generally with small/inexpensive stuff.

Basically, I want guns that aren't necessarially difficult to find, or expensive - just interesting ones.

For example, I'd LOVE to have a Luger, but I'm not ready to spend $700 for one. Same with full Mausers from Nazi Germany.

However, J&G Sales has turkish Mausers for $65, which look interesting.

(If I can't buy ammo for it, I'm not likely to buy it. I don't want guns I can't shoot if I have to)

Any suggestions on good ones to look at? Currently, I have:

CZ-52, original parkerized, 1953
1895 Nagant revolver, blued, Tula works, 1940
PA-63, Markarov ammo, 1957
Phoenix Arms 22LR pistol
Ruger P85 Mk-II

No long guns yet, and I may not buy any until I'm moved into a house.

BW

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I'll get a life when it is proven and substantiated to be better than what I am currently experiencing.

Two hints:

1) Lugers - if you just want a shooter, look for one that's not completely original. The collecters won't be interested in it, and the price will be a lot lower. I picked up a 1938 Oberndorf P-08 a few years ago for $300, because it had been polished and reblued. It's a lovely piece, but no collector would touch it.

The Luger is probably the most beautiful and graceful handgun ever made, but they really don't work that well; the sights suck, and they have a jillion little parts. They have to be carefully maintained, which is a real liability in a military pistol. Mine jams about once out of each eight-round mag, and a Luger collector I know tells me this is fairly typical. But, I still love the Luger. It's worth having one just for aesthetics; they are beautiful.

2) Turkish Mausers - be careful, there's a reason they're so cheap. The quality control was iffy. Some of them were quite good, others aren't worth the gunpowder it takes to blow them to hell. If you buy one, have it checked over carefully before firing. The Yugo M48s on the market right now are better deals for the money.