Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 Metal Detector with GM05 5 in Coil, Military Discount

Our military discount applies to the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 with the GM05 5 inch coil, a dedicated natural gold detector for active and retired service members who want simple, mostly automatic operation. It is a 45 kHz VLF gold detector from Minelab with Easy-Trak automatic ground balance, Auto and Auto+ sensitivity and the Gold Chance Indicator, and Minelab rates its GM05 coil waterproof to 1 meter (3.3 feet).

Military Discount Eligibility

Active or Retired Military can receive a 15% discount on the purchase of a Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 Metal Detector. Please provide a copy of your Driver's License designating "Veteran" and/or certificate highlighting the branch of service including your name to support@seriousdetecting.com or text to (844) 771-0707.

We do not accept a DD-214 as proof, DO NOT submit a DD-214.

What is in the box with the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000

Minelab's standard contents for the GOLD MONSTER 1000 with GM05 coil (Minelab part 3317-0005)

• Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 detector with control box and three-piece shaft
• GM05 5 inch round Double-D search coil
• Wired headphones with 3.5 mm plug
• Minelab digging shovel
• Rod-to-coil adapter
• Rechargeable 7.2 V, 2700 mAh lithium-ion battery
• AA battery adapter
• Car battery charging cable
• Universal AC adapter

About the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000

What we like most about the GOLD MONSTER 1000 is that it makes natural gold prospecting approachable without asking you to become an expert in detector settings. Gold country brings tiny nuggets, mineralized soil, hot rocks and weak target responses that are hard to tell apart from ground noise, and Minelab built the GOLD MONSTER 1000 for those conditions: a 45 kHz VLF system with 24-bit signal processing, automatic ground balance, automatic sensitivity options and a visual Gold Chance Indicator. For a first dedicated gold detector, having the detector handle much of the setup makes a real difference. Knowing where gold occurs, controlling the coil and investigating faint signals still matter, and the GOLD MONSTER 1000 lets you concentrate on those skills.

45 kHz is a high frequency for a VLF detector, and higher frequencies help with small, low-conductivity targets such as tiny pieces of natural gold, which produce weak responses. We would not tell anyone that 45 kHz finds every small nugget or gives the greatest possible depth: the size, shape and orientation of the gold, the mineralization and the coil all change what you hear.

Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 detect modes and key settings

• Two detect modes: Gold (Iron Reject) cuts down unwanted ferrous signals on ground littered with rusty iron. Deep All-Metal lets you hear a broader range of metal responses, and on a promising, fairly clean goldfield we would consider it, because a small nugget near iron can give a complicated response. Let the amount of unwanted metal on the site decide the mode.
• Sensitivity: ten manual levels plus Auto and Auto+, which Minelab describes as extra sensitivity that still adapts to changing ground. We would start with Auto on unfamiliar ground and try Auto+ or a manual level once you know how the detector responds; Auto+ can bring more ground noise in difficult conditions.
• Easy-Trak ground balance: Minelab's automatic ground balance monitors and adjusts to changing ground conditions without manual input, so you spend your time on targets rather than settings. Heavily mineralized soil and hot rocks can still be challenging.
• Gold Chance Indicator: a real-time gauge that leans right for gold and other valuable metals and left for ferrous trash or hot rocks. It does not identify gold specifically: copper, aluminum, brass and lead can read favorably, and very small or deep gold can give an uncertain reading. Treat it as a clue, and in known gold ground dig uncertain signals that repeat.
• Noise cancel and audio: noise cancel is automatic, volume runs from 1 to 6, and you listen through the built-in speaker or through wired headphones on the 3.5 mm socket.

The GM05 coil on the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000

The GM05 5 inch round Double-D coil is a particularly useful coil for small gold. On a rocky hillside with small crevices, exposed bedrock and gaps between stones, a larger coil can be hard to hold close to the ground, while the compact GM05 maneuvers into those spots, and its smaller detection footprint helps when small targets sit near mineralized rocks or other metal. The tradeoff is less ground covered per sweep, which slows you down on large open areas. Minelab also makes the GM10 10 x 6 inch elliptical Double-D coil for the GOLD MONSTER 1000, which covers more ground per sweep on open hillsides; see our metal detector coils.

Using the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 around water

Minelab rates the GOLD MONSTER 1000 search coil waterproof to 1 meter (3.3 feet) and the control box splash and rain proof. Along a shallow creek where gold-bearing gravel collects around exposed bedrock, you can put the coil into the water within that rating while you keep the control box above the waterline.

Where the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 works well, and where it does not

Exposed bedrock is where it makes the most sense to us: small nuggets can lodge in cracks where moving water lost its energy, and the detector's small gold sensitivity suits checking those spots one by one. It cannot tell you whether a crack holds gold, so geology, mining history and permission to detect come first. In a modern park its Gold Chance Indicator reads ferrous against non-ferrous rather than giving the numeric target IDs of Minelab's coin and relic detectors, and for wet saltwater beaches a detector designed for the beach is the better tool.

Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 battery, weight and build

Minelab lists the GOLD MONSTER 1000 at 1.33 kg (2.94 lb), and the three-piece shaft collapses to 94.4 cm (37.2 inches) and extends to 138.2 cm (54.4 inches), which helps on a hike into a remote gold-bearing area. Power comes from a removable rechargeable 7.2 V, 2700 mAh lithium-ion battery, and the AA battery adapter runs the detector on 8 standard AA batteries when you are far from a power outlet. Use the battery types and charging equipment Minelab specifies.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000

The mistake we caution against most is running maximum sensitivity because you are worried about missing tiny nuggets. On a mineralized hillside that already gives false signals, more sensitivity only makes the detector noisier and faint, genuine responses harder to recognize; a quieter detector lets you concentrate on signals that repeat. Keep a slow, controlled sweep with the coil close to the ground, overlap each pass, and check every signal from more than one direction.

Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000, GOLD MONSTER 2000 or GPX 6000

The Minelab GOLD MONSTER 2000 is a separate, newer model that Minelab describes as a Multi-Au hybrid SMF-PI detector, with Echo Wave audio and a numeric Target ID. For difficult mineralized ground those extras may be worth considering, but we would not spend more simply because it is newer. The Minelab GPX 6000 is a more specialized detector for demanding goldfields and a substantially different investment; for someone starting out, the GOLD MONSTER 1000 is the more approachable first step.

Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 specifications

Minelab covers the GOLD MONSTER 1000 control box and coil with a 2-year limited warranty in the USA.

The free Serious Detecting field kit that comes with new GOLD MONSTER 1000s is not included with military discount orders.

For our full GOLD MONSTER 1000 guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 collection.