How to Collect & Shoot Military Weapons

Obtain your weapons from a licensed dealer

• 1

  Obtain your weapons from a licensed dealer. Most communities have a local firearms dealer who can sell you former military weapons. Most currently issued military weapons (M-4, M-16 etc) cannot be sold due to select-fire restrictions so the average collector has to purchase weapons that have been phased out from the eras between the Spanish American War and the Korean War (1898-1953).

• 2

  Make sure your weapon is safe to fire. With very rare and lucky exceptions, military weapons in your collection will be far from 'new and unfired' condition. Often these guns have been in arsenal storage for years and sometimes even decades. It is not uncommon to see Russian Mosin-Nagant rifles that were rebuilt and placed in storage on the same day (back in 1946!). These guns need to be thoroughly cleaned, cleaned again, lubricated and inspected by a competent gunsmith before firing. The last thing you want to do is take your new surplus rifle out of the box, still packed with grease (rust preventative) and try to fire it.

• 3

  Find a place to shoot your weapon safely. Ask at your local gun shops and training officers with your community law enforcement agency about gun ranges that may not be in the phone book. Some of the best ranges and shooting clubs are found by word of mouth. Never try to shoot at unauthorized ranges such as at a landfill or wooded lot for safety reasons. Former military rifles with high-powered full-metal jacketed ammunition have a lethal range of nearly a mile and you could hit a bystander you might not even see. Hearing and eye protection as well as a shooting vest (if shooting a long gun) are also a good idea.

• 4

  Unload and clean your weapon immediately after firing. The firing process leaves burnt carbon, power residue and often corrosive primer particles in your weapon that have to be cleaned before they do permanent damage. Live cartridges left in weapons can lead to brass corrosion as well as the risk of an accidental shooting. Be sure to use products specifically meant for firearms and not household lubricants like brake fluid, WD-40, etc. Store your weapon properly to protect and preserve it.