Surplus is the cheapest way into a centrefire rifle, and the only way to own a piece of the 20th century that still shoots. The catch in 2026 is supply. The Mosins and Lee-Enfields that used to sit in barrels at $200 are mostly gone, and what comes in sells out fast. Here are the best surplus rifles in Canada you can actually buy right now, what they cost, what they shoot, and what to check before you pay.
Why surplus prices went up
In 2012 a Mosin Nagant 91/30 was $150 and a Swiss K31 about $300. Today a K31 is close to $1,000 and a 91/30 is $700 or more when one shows up. The big Eastern European stockpiles were sold off, the war in Ukraine closed the Russian pipeline, and Canadian dealers now compete with the US for whatever is left. The SKS is the exception. Chinese production ran into the millions, so it is still the one surplus rifle you can buy any day of the week. That is why the best surplus rifles in Canada today are the ones actually on a shelf, not the ones in old forum threads.
Every rifle below is non-restricted. You need a valid PAL and nothing else. Bolt-action magazines have no capacity limit in Canada, so the ten-round Enfield and five-round Mausers are legal as issued. Semi-autos are capped at five rounds, which is why Canadian SKS magazines are pinned. The M1 Garand’s eight-round clip is exempted by name in the regulations.
The best surplus rifles in Canada right now
1. SKS (Chinese and Soviet), from $798.88
The best all-round surplus rifle in the country and our best-selling gun. Semi-auto, 7.62Ă—39, 20 inch barrel, about 8 lb, built to be dragged through mud by a conscript and still work. Ammo is the cheapest centrefire you can buy: Norinco FMJ is $14.50 a box of 20, and Federal 123gr soft points at $42.00 turn it into a deer rifle.
Three ways to buy one here. The SKS with an ATI synthetic stock at $798.88 is the practical version, also in OD green, dark earth and grey adjustable. The Chinese SKS with folding stock and blade bayonet at $1,278.88 is the classic wood gun, or the spike bayonet version at the same price. The Soviet SKS at $1,198.88 is the collector’s pick: Tula or Izhevsk production, better wood, better fit, and the one that holds its value.
Add original stripper clips ($34.88 for 25) and an original sling ($29.88). If you want a detachable magazine, the ProMag 5/30 is $58.99. Read our cosmoline removal guide before the first range trip. A free-floating firing pin gummed with grease is how SKS slamfires happen.
2. M1 Garand (Italian Breda, .308), $3,188.88
“The greatest battle implement ever devised,” and the only surplus semi-auto on this list that fires a full-power cartridge. Ours is a Breda M1 Garand Tipo 2, built under licence in Italy after the war and later rechambered to 7.62Ă—51 NATO for Italian service. That is good news for a Canadian owner: .308 is on every shelf, and the PMC Bronze 147gr at $28.50 is the right weight for a Garand gas system. It feeds from the famous eight-round en bloc clip, ejected with a ping, and the full eight rounds are legal here. Good condition, original rifle, not a parts build. One in stock. Full write-up in our M1 Garand in Canada guide.
đź›’ Buy the M1 Garand, $3,188.88
3. Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine (6.5Ă—52), $289.88
The cheapest centrefire rifle in the store and one of the last true bargains in surplus. Italy issued the Moschetto da Cavalleria from 1893 through the Second World War: a short, light bolt gun with a folding spike bayonet under the barrel and a six-round en bloc clip. Ours are original service carbines with wood stocks and blued steel, showing honest wear. The 6.5Ă—52 Carcano round is mild to shoot and Prvi Partizan still loads it, but it is not on every shelf, so budget for ammo when you plan the purchase. You will also need clips, because the rifle does not feed without one: original brass Carcano clips are $29.88 for two.
đź›’ Buy the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine, $289.88
4. Zastava M48 Mauser sporter (8Ă—57), $709.99
Yugoslavia built the M48 after the war on the German 98 pattern, and huge numbers went straight into storage without ever being issued. This sporterized M48 is one of them: unissued, sold as new, with the military stock cut down to a hunting profile. 23.25 inch barrel, 43.5 inches overall, 6.6 lb, five-round internal magazine, controlled-round feed. The 8Ă—57 IS cartridge is a .30-06 class hunting round, legal for moose everywhere and loaded by PPU and Sellier & Bellot. For a working hunting rifle with a Mauser action, nothing new comes close at this price.
đź›’ Buy the Zastava M48 Mauser sporter, $709.99
5. Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III and No.4 (.303 British)
The Canadian rifle. Two world wars, the Canadian Rangers into the 2010s, and the deer gun in half the camps in the country. Ten-round magazine, fast bolt, and .303 is still loaded by PPU: we have the PPU 174gr FMJ 100 round bag at $248.99 for the range. Enfields are sold out at the moment and go within days when they arrive. Join the waitlist on the surplus category page and you will get an email the day one is listed.
6. Mosin Nagant 91/30 and M44 (7.62Ă—54R)
Same story. The 91/30 is a 29 inch barrelled five-shot bolt gun in a cartridge that matches .30-06 on paper, and the M44 carbine is the same action cut short with a folding bayonet. They were the cheapest rifles in Canada for twenty years and they are now collector guns. Ours sold out at $778.88. When they come back, expect the same range.
Also in the surplus bin
Not all of the best surplus rifles in Canada are battle rifles. The Lampagyar Budapest .22 LR at $388.00 is a Hungarian single-shot military trainer, graded B to C, and a fine first rifle for a kid who is learning on iron sights. The Browning SA-22 at $998.88 is a used Belgian-pattern takedown .22 that is worth more than most new rimfires.
What to check before you buy
The best surplus rifles in Canada are eighty years old. Look at these five things before you pay for one.
- The bore. Shine a light down it. Dark, pitted bores shoot badly. A bright bore with strong rifling is worth paying more for.
- Matching numbers. Bolt, receiver and stock numbers that match mean the rifle was not assembled from a bin. It matters for value, less for function.
- Cosmoline. Most SKS and Mosins arrive packed in it. Strip it all out, including the bolt and firing pin channel, before you shoot.
- Corrosive ammo. Old military 7.62Ă—54R, .303 and 8Ă—57 is often corrosive primed. Clean with hot water the same day. Current production from PPU, Norinco and Federal is non-corrosive.
- Headspace. On a Garand or Enfield with a replaced bolt, have it checked. Most gunsmiths charge less than a box of ammo for it.
Legally these are all ordinary non-restricted rifles. Store them unloaded with a trigger lock or in a locked container, transport them unloaded, and use expanding ammo for game. Our guide to what guns are legal in Canada covers the classes and magazine rules in plain language.
The short answer
- Best surplus rifles in Canada overall: a Chinese SKS. Cheap ammo, works forever.
- Cheapest way in: Carcano M91 carbine, $289.88.
- Best surplus hunting rifle: Zastava M48 sporter in 8Ă—57.
- The one to own before it is gone: Breda M1 Garand.
- Enfields and Mosins: the surplus waitlist, where the best surplus rifles in Canada show up first.
Prices current as of September 2026. Surplus condition varies and stock is one or two of each. A non-restricted PAL is required.