Just wanted to know if anyone has some info. on Century Arms.  I'm  looking at a Mosin at my local gun shop.  From the limited research that I have done it seems that they are an importer and that they re-finish guns?  I would like to start adding some older military rifles to my collection without breaking the bank but I also don't want to buy junk.  Any info. you could give me would be great.  The gun shop is selling them for $175 with all of the accessories, bayonet, ammo pouches etc.  He has a bunch in stock and lists them as "mint".  He sells ones listed as good for $150 without the accessories. I've bought a lot of stuff from him and hope to get the mint one for the $150 price.  I don't know about any of the markings on them other then they are stamped with Century Arms.  They look pretty nice for what they are.

I don't know of any Mosins having been refinished by Century. A majority of the Mosins they've imported have been 91/30s that were refurbished in Russia/Ukraine. So, are they refinished? Yes. But, Century didn't do it. I think $175 is a bit high for the standard refurb, unless it's something special (unique/rare dates/codes, etc.). However, the price is gradually creeping up on them. Even the common ones. However, one thing that I will personally pay a little more for, is the ability to hand select the rifle in person. Being able to look down the bore and inspect everything is worth something....at least to me.

They're all out in a big wooden box I assume they were shipped in and you can look through them yourself and pick the one out that you want.  In your opinion are these low end or middle of the road?  I know without seeing them or knowing any of the markings it's hard to say.  The ones marked "Mint"  look really clean and the stocks are nice, not at all dinged up.

Century is one of the major importers of mosins, its usually them and pw arms of late.
Regardless of the importer it's all the same, arsenal refurbs sent in large crates then split out by dealers.
Unless its something unique 175 is too high for a round mosin nagant, aim just sold a large lot for 110 each.

You could dig through them and look for something special, but I'm guessing the dealer already picked though em.
look for hex, ex pu snipers, DDR marks, etc. before buying go read up on 762x54r.net and see what the markings are.
Its is possible to find a few rifles that aren't plain Jane . I got an mo and an ex sniper at cabelas for 125 each once

Without doing your research, it's going to be difficult to cull out the ones that may be worth it, from the ones that are not. As far as condition, a lot of them can look "mint" on the outside because they've all been refurbished. The chance of getting one with a bore that is truly "mint", is pretty slim, however. Be aware that a lot of dealers, who just don't know any better, or who are trying to hype them up, will describe them as mint or "unissued" when, in fact, they could have been through at least two wars and then simply refinished. The Soviets didn't typically change the barrels during their postwar refurbishment programs, so that's something to keep in mind.

If you're just looking for a shooter, follow the EE here, other trader boards and/or auctions and other sources for something that has a good bore and is priced a little lower. Until you learn more about what makes a 91/30 worth $175 or more, you're in somewhat dangerous waters. But, if you have the option to pick through a crate, this improves your odds and is something that not everybody has the opportunity to do. So, the devil is in the details and a little education on them can go a long way.  Check out www.mosinnagant.net and www.7.62x54r.net to get some more info on what to look for.

Now, having said all that, I've been known to walk into a shop and pay more than average market value for something that really jumped out at me, or "called to me". I wouldn't fault a guy for that.

$110 for a Mosin, plus $20 shipping, plus $25 transfer fee if you don't have a C+R is getting pretty close to $175.

That's some pricey shipping and transfer

SOG sent an email today (02/11/2012) for M44s, in excellent / like new condition for $249.

It is pretty typical depending on what part of the country you are in. Shipping costs have gone way up over the past few years.  While I know where I can get transfers done for < $20 local to me, one of my friends who lives in another state says the cheapest place he's found near him is $35, and most places are $50 if they even do them.  The $35 one is quite a drive for him too.  Thankfully I have a C&R, so I rarely ever need to pay a transfer anyway...  FWIW, even though there are some FFLs around that do relatively inexpensive transfers, many of the regular gun stores around here charge $35-$50.  If you ask many of them they'll outright tell you that they charge a high price because they really don't want to do transfers.  Some will outright refuse to do transfers of stuff they regularly stock too.