In my last blog I talked a bit about the Model 1941 Johnson rifle. While a very interesting historic arm produced in Rhode Island and highly collectable, it isn’t very well known. Over the years through movies and a few television series, other arms of World War I and II are more popular amongst collectors and historians today.

When I was starting to collect WWII, an M1 Garand was obtainable at a reasonable price within my budget. When Saving Private Ryan came out, the demand for the Garand and other arms used in the movie went up. The market expanded further when the HBO series Band of Brothers began to air. It wasn’t just about the arms, but the stories of those who carried them in combat which seemed to have driven the prices up a bit. Many Garands after WWII were rebuilt and sent to other countries and came back for private sales in the United States. Re-imported Garands are normally marked as such and bring a bit less money and can be a good one to purchase as a good starter example for a collection, but those which are in their original form are demanding fairly high prices right now.

The M1 carbine is another historic arm that is prized by collectors. It is diminutive in size compared to the M1 Garand and was also exported then re-imported like the Garand. Many were rebuilt after WWII

and like the Garand, finding one in its original form can be elusive and pricey when found.

Another weapon shown in Saving Private Ryan that is prized by collectors is the U.S. Model 1903A4 sniper rifle, which was used by actor Barry Pepper as private Daniel Jackson. He prays as he takes his aimed shots at the enemy. These rifles have been built over the years from standard U.S. Model 1903 and 1903A3 rifles, but the true A4 has been a very collectable arm for those who want a real example of a rifle used during the war.

Many have probably also seen the movie 1917. In it, the main character Lance Corporal William “Will” Schofield, played by George MacKay, carries an order through enemy lines to stop an assault that will kill many men. He carries his Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) rifle, the standard arm of British Commonwealth forces during and after WWI. These guns were produced in huge numbers from 1904 and were used throughout the 20th century. Today they can be collected for a reasonable price as so many have been imported over the years.

Like other antiques and collectables, condition is everything. Depending on your budget there are affordable examples available for the collector just starting out. I began with what I could afford and upgraded as I had more funds available. This enabled me to own a piece of history as well as keep my collecting interests alive.