Should I buy a M11A1?

[Chisel]

I currently have a M11/9 pending which I hope is approved in December. It’s my only machine gun, but I’m already looking for my next one. My dream list is a MP5, Sterling, and M16, but I’m kind of leaning towards a M11A1. I really like how compact it is. The Max31A and 11A1/15 uppers look amazing and I think I would shoot it a lot more than my M11/9. I can cross a M16 off my list with the 11A1/15 upper. In spring I should have enough money for a MP5 sear.

What do you guys think? Talk some sense into me.

 

[TheColtCollector]

Yes.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

i wouldnt if i owned a m11/9

your saving 2"..in return your getting a choppier gun....

i chose a m11a1 because i own a m10/45....they are VERY different.

too many $7-8k options out there to buy the exact same gun -2"

$6-7k Sten
$6-7k M6
$7k M10/45
$8,500 older BRP
$8,500 Madsen m50

all are completely different than your M11/9

if you plan to buy 10 machine guns then a m11a1 isnt a horrible idea...if you plan to buy 2-4 i think its a duplicate when you could have something completely new and fun

i know of a sterling mk5 copy for $14,000...i can probably find the emails from him

M16 isnt as great as you'd think it is...neat to own, but to me not worth the $$
HK is just nutty money....ive shot one 3x and still dont get why its so desirable..make sure you try one before spending $38k

i grabbed a paws 9mm this week for $7500 + $2600 to build it into a Andrewski Sterling.....keep your eye out for a cheap tube that he can convert....i lucked out..

enjoy the cheap guns..collect them all....i enjoy them as much as $25-35k ones...maybe even more...id rather have 8 cheap ones vs 2 high end ones

 

[nklf]

How much of your dream list do you want to achieve? If you are trying to get everything on your list, then perhaps getting am M11A1 next would make sense. Once the 11A1/15 upper is released the prices will not be coming down anytime soon. Sterling prices have been a little flat the last couple of years. HK sears are actually down a little bit right now and I don't think they will drop much further but I do not think they are going up very fast either.

If it was me, I would get the Sterling before the M11A1 if funding is only going to allow one purchase. The Sterling gives you a completely different feel than the Mac. I would probably get the HK after the Sterling. I realize that the A1 is smaller than the Nine and more compact, but there is not that much difference between them that I would make them my first two mgs. Now if your mind is set that you are going to get your dream list then that changes things. I think the M11A1 will climb in value the fastest so buy it first. Then the Sterling and lastly the HK.

The problem is once you actually get stamps approved and start shooting you will discover other things that should have been on the list. The collection will grow and the savings will shrink. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[Sten]

Well, it just depends. For the price of a Sear and host, you could purchase everything on your list as well as thousands of rounds of ammo and a suppressor or 2. However, the 11A1/15 would replace or at least mitigate the need for an M16, but it will still be awhile before the 11A1/15 are available, giving you more time to save $$.

That being said...it's all about how much you want to spend and your budget. Cost keeps going up, so if you don't go for a sear now, in 10 years you might not want to afford to. Whatever you decided, they are all fun toys (or investments as I tell my wife).

 

[skoda]

Buy the cheapest wants on your list first as they are most likely to go up in price. Once a gun gets to the price of a decent new car a lot of people drop out. At that point it's no longer a toy but a serious expenditure, some will say investment - maybe, and there are a lot of other cool things that you can do with $25,000+.

Mr. Lage has flipped the whole MAC gun thing on it's ugly little head with his wondrous bits of magic.

 

[Chisel]

Thanks for all the input.


My rationale on buying the M11A1 is that the prices will go up a little bit on it due to the 11A1/15 upper. That will make it a fun investment. I have 3 Zenith MP5s and I think a sear will be amazing to eventually have. I would definitely get the HK sear before an M16. I also have some Sterling kits with original barrels so if I get a Sterling then I will have parts for it. The only reason the Sterling is on the list is because everyone talks highly of it and how smooth it is. How much do Sterlings go for now?

I think I will get more enjoyment out of pistol caliber MGs right now.

 

[panhead5]

I happen to like shooting subguns way more than rifle caliber . That being said I don't get the MP5 although they are awesome I would never spend that much money on one . Go rent one once in a while . Buy the M11a1 and pick up and UZI or a mini and you'll still have some loot left over compared to buying an M16 or a MP5.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

2 erb sterlings were listed here for months at $13,900

They both sold fairly recently. So there’s your market

They don’t come up often. Again I know of a mk5 right now for $14

 

[Chisel]

2 erb sterlings were listed here for months at $13,900

They both sold fairly recently. So there’s your market

They don’t come up often. Again I know of a mk5 right now for $14

I remember those Sterlings, but I didn’t want to buy one yet. I’m really just looking for a mk4. One negative with the Sterling is that I wish it was easy to suppress without having to do an integral suppressor. BTW, you scored an awesome deal on your Sterling.

 

[Battering ram NIB]

Andrewski bought the last one for full price
He will tweak and sell for more

I found out the Erbd are really good

Those 2 sat for 6 months I think

Others have sold for $13,500 range a year ago

http://www.sturmgewehr.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3585-wts-dloandrewski-sterling-mk4-12000/


And yes I scored on the Paws
I jumped on it immediately
The good deals balance the blah deals . Ive learned to wait and buy only great deals now

We’re in a blah market right now and I’ve been buying for thousands under value over and over. Only bargains sell right now

 

[ig720]

My first MG was the M11 followed by the M16. Ever since the M11 has been collecting dust.

 

[Slaine777]

I recently bought my first two machine guns. A M11/9 and then a M11A1. I eventually want a M16 and an HK sear. The HK sear is the big one for me. I figured that the price on the two I got would increase the fastest. I spend probably about half the price of a HK sear on them, maybe less. In a few years they might be worth 2/3 of a sear, 3/4 maybe? It's going to be a while for me to build up funds again for big toy purchases.

 

[charlie0369]

I have an m-11/9, m-16, 10/22, hk sear (still in jail) but i got all the hosts. I thouroughly enjoy shooting them all. I did so with all 3 the other night with tracers. To me it’s investment first, midularity second, affordability third. But it now or regret it later. My mac has about 20 different configurations, my m-16 bout 25, 10/22 bout 12, hk sear for now 3. I would love to own an AK as well but it doesn’t fit my #2 criteria. Sure if I had loads of $, but at the end of the day this is my nest egg. Easy to cash out when ever. I think I heard somewhere “if you sell your machine gun and take a loss, you’re an idiot” but to each his own. Just buy what feels right but take into consideration the tons of advice in here.

 

[Ready.Fire.Aim]

I have the MAC family including M11A1 and over a dozen subguns including Sterling’s, MP40, M3A1,Uzi, Swedish K, MP5, along with M16 and belt fed.

M11A1 always puts a smile on my face. Will be one of the last I get rid of.

However 1600 RPM makes it kinda dangerous, you need some experience controlling a subgun and never get sloppy with your grip.

I never, ever let any of my friends shoot it.

 

[MACchat]

OP, I say get it. With the Lage options, you can have two completely different set-ups.

For those of us hunting .380s, what is the price difference between the RPB converted semis and the others?

 

[A&S Conversions]

My experience has been a little different. Like you, OP, modularity is very high on my list. But I started with a Colt M16. Why, because I wanted 5.56X45, 7.62X39, 6.5 Grendel, 9mm, and .22lr. But I wanted more and the MGI modular magwell system promised more. So I sold the Colt and bought a DIAS. I bought a HK sear because my brother was running a sear in a converted 94 and the only function problems he had were of his own making. So a bought a Vollmer converted 94 that was married to the sear. At the time I had no intention to do more with the sear than that.

This was in the 2007 time frame. I have around $20,000 in the DIAS and HK sear. I have somewhere around double that in firearms for both sears. Now I am getting into Mac style RRs. I am so glad that I got the big money guns first. Today's market price for those two sears would be in the $65,000-$70,000 price range. I would not own both right now. Yes, I would agree that the Mac style RRs are poised for a rise in market value. Between the CF(W) bolt and the Max-11A/15 prices are already rising.

If you have been around the firearms game for a while you also know that things can turn on a dime. Say both the M11A1 and the HK sear raises 50%. The M11A1 would be somewhere between $10,000 and $11,000. The HK sear would be over $50,000. To me, if you can afford the most expensive on your list, buy that. Even if the M11A1 goes to 200% of current market value, that is still less than the current market value of the HK sear. YMMV.

Scott

 

[Gaujo]

I'd get one or the other. You could go ahead and buy your mp5 sear host or your HK belt fed instead, HK hosts will be expensive too.

For the same budget I think I'd get a nice mp5 host and HK53.
That hk53 is like the 11/15 but factory config.

 

[A&S Conversions]

I have 3 Zenith MP5s and I think a sear will be amazing to eventually have. I would definitely get the HK sear before an M16.

The OP has sear hosts. He likes shooting them. That's why he wants the HK sear.

ETA: This is a Mac board. You're going to tend to get a "buy the M11A1 " answer here more than anywhere else. As the owner of 53Ks, 53s, and 33Ks, plus 7.5" and 10.5" uppers, I think there is a world of difference between a 53 and a short barreled M16. But the Lage upper itself without a barrel is about as long as a 53 barreled receiver. There is no way a Lage Max-11/15 could be as compact as a 53.

 

[strobro32]

Buy the M11A1. It will be more versatile than a HK in the long run.

The M11/380 is a rifle MG but a HK will never be a machine pistol. Ever seen Chuck use an HK?