[Moonclip]

We always hear about the good deals. Whos man or woman enough to admit to the mistakes or to buying something at a very premium price for whatever reason?

I luckily have not too many bad ones but here goes.

traded a early 1950's 16ga Ithaca 37 16ga in 97-98% for a Plainfield m1 carbine! I only had $60 in the Ithaca though and the Plainfield has been flawless which seems to be rare for an non military M1 carbine. I had no use for the 16 ga at the time.

Traded a Colt New Service 45LC with minor rust but with real stag grips and period custom work for a S&W mod 14 6" from the late 1960's with Pachmayrs and it wasn't more than 95%!

In my earlier gun years I couldn't afford to shot much 45LC as 38spl and I had been wanting a K38 of some sort.

My dad paid $175 each for a pair of somewhat beat refinished model 10's. We had a hard time finding them at the time and wanted one and luckily later we made up for it by finding a guy selling security company trade in ones in better shape from $90-150.

I paid in 2002 $369 for a S&W mod 17 22lr 6". Seemed high at the time but it seemed NIB and it did have a tattered box to go with it. I'm very cheap sometimes when it comes to guns so even paying a normal price to get a special piece gets to me sometimes! I religiously search for gun bargains.

I let my dad trade a POS Sigma 380acp of mine and some cash(can't remember how much, maybe $100) for a used Llama 45 1911 clone of all things. Jammed somewhat, would not shoot to point of aim, and did not work well with standard 1911 magazines.

Ended up trading I think even for a late model Ruger standard MK1 22lr 6". Decent gun but I don't like how it does not lock the bolt on the last shot and MK 1 mags can be a pain to find and they come in two variations

Was going to sell it to a friend but he passed away. I may end up consigning this gun at a place I know that is known to get high prices( they sold my used EAA European model380acp for $200!) and at least gain back some of my wasted $.

[1911 guy]

You're gonna eventually get burned. Kinda like the guy who says he's never lost a fight. Very likely, he's never been in one. The same logic applies to both pursuits: Choose your engagements wisely, try to come out on top more than on the bottom.

[Oldnamvet]

I needed money after getting out of the Army for insurance for the kids. Sold my 1958 M-70 Winchester in .264 magnum for $110. Also sold my python with 4" bbl for $150 at the same time. Needed the money and knew I was getting taken but..........did it anyway.

[dakotasin]

i paid way, way too much for my first 2 rifles. it was awhile ago, so don't recall specifics, but when i found out how bad i got ripped off, i nearly left the shooting sports (incidentally, two of my brothers also got taken on their first rifle purchases, which also turned them off - they both are out of the shooting sports now because they didn't like getting ripped off).

fortunately for me, i figured out how things work, and i'm able to walk away from rip-offs w/ no troubles (latest example: dealer had a post-64 win 70 in 264 win mag - push feed - offered to trade it to me for my like-new remington m7 and only $400 more on my part).

also, fortunately for me, i figured out a little more, and actually made money on my last deal (sold a rifle to a local dealer, and made money on it, believe it or not)... was only about $75, but i'll take it!

[bubbygator]

Sure, happens all the time. I'm not a neophyte, but I'm not a full-time dealer either. I let emotion sway my decisions - - doesn't every gun-nut??

Worst one was a Colt Commander cut down to 3" with all the appropriate custom goodies. My smith discovered that it's insides had been cut so close that it was a wonder I could get it to fire intermittantly. I had to buy a whole new upper in order to sell it.

[dairycreek]

Don't know if I have ever been really burned. But I sure as heck feel that way doggone nearly every time I make a trade. I always have buyer's remorse and trader's regret :cuss:

[Old Dog]

Yep. I'll 'fess up to having made more than one bad trade. I once let go of a very nice '50s vintage S&W Model 10 for ... a new Kel-Tec P-40. Needless to say, I didn't keep the Kel-Tec very long. I traded off a nice old Beretta 1934 (in .32, not .380) for a ... gasp ... Taurus 908 that had some disturbing functionality issues ...

OTOH, I picked up a LNIB SIG 226 (that probably hadn't seen even one box of ammo through it) for a well-used SA Mil-Spec (that I, and some very good shooters, just couldn't get to shoot better than 6-inch groups at 25 yards after much work). The SIG turned out to be a stone reliable tackdriver ...

I would submit that anyone who's been in the gun-trading game for long has made at least one (in hindsight) horrible deal ...

I always have buyer's remorse and trader's regret Same here, and every time, I say never again ... but comes then another gun show ...

[Bill B.]

Back when I was teenager of about 14 or about 35 years ago, you could not give away Colt SA's. They were dirt cheap and my Dad traded a 2nd. Generation SA 45LC in the black box for me a new Remeington 1100 skeet gun. I was shooting in a skeet league at the time and thought I had to have one. It would have been better for me to never have heard of skeet and still had that Colt SA! :o

[OH25shooter]

I'm man enough to admit...I've loss money on gun trade-ins and paid too much for others. I've wondered about posts that state, "I really got a great deal", etc. Gun stores never lose money and mostly over price firearms. I've come to understand the trade.

[Cosmoline]

I got burned many times when I was learning about firearms. Now I find I've developed a "nose" for value and come out ahead even when I don't know specifics about the item I'm buying.

[Black Majik]

I've paid too much, even on a sale price!

My SA M1A standard w. fiberglass stocks. $1250 + dros + tax etc... ended up close to $1400 OTD.

overall, with the sale price, thats a lot in the end to shell out for a upgraded SKS feeling rifle.

[Buck Snort]

I live in the PRC and all of us here pay too much for ANY gun purchase.

[orionengnr]

about ten years ago. Was well under MSRP at the time. Well, ten years later, I can buy a new one for about that price. Guess it's not so terrible.

[Tman]

Paid too much:
Colt Delta Elite fitted with bomar sight, additional .40 S&W barrel at Colt custom shop, purchased used.....$950 3 years ago.
New beretta 87 with extended barrel (22 lr)......$420

Bought them during a moment of weakness, they just looked too nice to pass up. :o

[Atticus]

Of course...a few too many. Usually happened when I bought something without having any information about it. One example- A guy offered me a choice of m1 carbines for $100. I chose the nice new Universal over the old dirty USGI models. Ohhh shiiiny!

[pmbiker]

I was browsing a funshow a year or so ago and found a LNIB series I kimber. It was on a table and marked $675. Assuming the seller was a dealer, I offered $700 OTD which including tax would be a decent deal. He gave me a funny look and said sure, here ya go, no tax or paperwork. As I walked away a light came on in my head, I just ripped off myself. I went back to his table and told him of the misunderstanding. He gave me my 25 back chuckling lightly, but could have kept it and laughed loudly. I probably could have gotten away for $650 or less :banghead:

[Jim K]

There are many people who buy, sell, and trade guns regularly and who say they have never paid too much, never been taken, never regretted a purchase.

They are lying.

Jim

[barrel]

Itradeda Danish Madsen rifle for a blood hound one time,beat my self bad , ole dan didnt do any thing but mess up the yard. mike

[Longbow]

Back in ' 93 (I was new in guns). I sold my Colt Combat Elite .38 super for $275. I didn't know how much its worth. I did it to finance a new purchase (I can't even remember now what is was). It does hurt to remember. :(

[Moonclip]

Interesting, Tman, those prices, especially the Beretta are not too bad but you are probably just cheap like me!

Actually, I think being in CA is not too bad for guns being high. We probably actually have a better selection and better prices than some areas of free America. Examples lately include NIB Ruger P97dc for $280 and used S&W mod 18 97-98% for $250. You just have to go out and search.

A Danish Madsen for a Bloodhound? What were you thinking? Although I have a strange desire to either get a English Bulldog or a blue pitbull with a white head one day and I guess a decent dog would be about the same value as a Madsen if not more.

$275 for a Combat Elite in 1993? Maybe you'll feel better that I sold a 45acp one about 90% for what I had in it, $200 in like 2001!

Kind of had to though, it had seen some duty in a rental case and developed problems and the guy who I bought it from never completed the transfer as required by our state so I just wanted rid of it.

[TonyB]

I traded in my 6" GP100(the most accurate gun I've ever shot)for a Dan Wesson w/ the 3 barrels(mod. 15 i think).....plus I paid some extra money for an extra barrel.....the DW SUCKED....the thing would lock up in SA..the cylinder would bind up...I had the gun shop look at it..they said they didn't see anything wrong with it....I ended up trading it in on an SP101(the GP was long gone)....the SP was a good trade though.it's now my CCW...so I guess it worked out,but I'd still love the GP back....and I'll never buy DW again.

[Byron Quick]

Were you using the feeler gauges to set the gap between the cylinder and barrel?

I've owned DW revolvers. Never had a problem.

I've sold guns that I regret selling. Guns that are worth so much today that I probably will never replace them. But I got a fair price at the time. I just never should have sold them at all.

Taught me to be careful about selling.

[shortydog]

i like this guy.

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?item=37025484

[Luchtaine]

I got burned on my standard loaded M1a came out to around 1600ish... Found out other gun shop/range I was shooting at could have gotten it for 1400 :mad: but when I asked them about it they told me it was a standard not loaded...

But at gun shop 2 that had M1a cheaper I paid too much for my m1 carbine because it needed work but those were my first guns.

I made up for it with the enfield thoug I found one that looked brand new for 110 at a gun show C&R.

[Bob F.]

Yep!

[All Your Guns Is Mine]

I sold my Desert Eagle .50AE that had only 50 rounds put through it, for 400$.

[kevin387]

yes and now that I see I'm not the only one I don't feel quite as bad about it......stuff happens

[Peter M. Eick]

In general I am sure I paid to much for many of my guns. The key is I am happy and don't worry about saving that extra few bucks. When I saw something I wanted, I bought it and worried about the price later. That has worked well for me so far.

[Rufus Pisanus]

Originally posted by Peter M. Eick:

In general I am sure I paid to much for many of my guns. The key is I am happy and don't worry about saving that extra few bucks. When I saw something I wanted, I bought it and worried about the price later. That has worked well for me so far.

Same for me. When I see something I like I tend to buy it without comparing prices etc. Plus I have the impression that in MD handgun prices are higher than elsewhere (and buying on the web is not that much cheaper once you add shipping and FFL transaction cost).

[22-rimfire]

Any gun that does not function the way it was designed to.....not worth a dime except for scrap. In which case, you have paid too much on every one one these. That's why I stick with the larger quality manufacters.

[SgtGunner]

Most of my guns I have gotten great deals on, and almost always make money when I trade or sell one. That being said, there are 2 examples that readily come to mind where I know I got burned. 1 was a cz75 compact in satin nickel for $510(yea I know but the wife HAD to have it) the other was a trade of an AR15 for a springfield milspec 1911. I knew I was gettin burned just got really tired of looking at that stupid assed rifle sitting there all the time, and wanted something I would actually shoot The Milspec btw has become one of my favorite and most often shot guns.

[Kman]

Sure, if ya trade regularly it's gunna happen. Last bad burn I eventually got to even after holding the damn things for almost two years!! Does anybody remember what the price of SKS's were before the hurricane sized wave of Yugo imports hit the coast?? Do I need to say anything more!! it's simple economics,,SUPPLY buried the demand. :fire: It took four trades and almost two years before I got even! :banghead: Thanks,,I needed to get that off my chest, send me the bill. :p

[gulogulo1970]

I almost always pay too much. But, I get the gun I want that way.

[WillBrayJr]

Got taken plenty of times in the past. $675.00 for a brand new Glock-17 that didn't work worth a damn. $175.00 for a small Homak gun cabinet. $625.00 for a Taurus PT92. $425.00 for a RIA. Because I was nice I paid those prices only to be stabbed in the back later :fire:

[tommytrauma]

I have a Kel-Tec P3AT I paid $1250 for.

It's worth the extra money just as a historical piece though. It's the actual sidearm carried by Custer at the battle of the Bulge. Rob Letham used one just like it to win the Olympics last year. They're in high demand right now 'cause all the SEALS are buying them up to use "down range".

[Beetle Bailey]

A few times. As one of the other regulars at the range remarked last weekend, "We've all done it at least once." I overpaid for my CZ452 Lux rifle, but it was partly to repay the dealer, who helped me with a few transfers at little profit to himself. Besides, I love that rifle and it gets shot every week, so I'm getting my money's worth. ;)

I'm embarrassed to admit how much I paid for my M38 Swedish Mauser, but at least I got a good one. Plenty of knowledgable gunowners have made offers to buy it from me, but I'm not letting that one go.

As far as the California market goes, it does seem to be overpriced compared to the free states, but I know a few guys who seem to get bargains on a regular basis. Last week he let me try his LNIB S&W 686-4 that he only paid about $350 for :what: ! Of course, we joked that he probably spent $100 in gas money driving around to find these deals, :neener: But he insists that doesn't count towards the price paid. Heck, even $450 ain't bad for that revolver, it was pretty nice.

[ArgentineSteel]

I sold an antique Holywood holster once that I know I got taken for. I have no problems with that. I got more than I expected going into the show, and turned the money around into a better gun than I was planning on previously.

I also got taken on the first gun I ever bought an AMT mark I but I traded up eventually. :rolleyes:

[osteodoc08]

The only buyers regret I had was when I traded in my Buckmark. It was a complete jammomatic that I dropped 275 for about 3 years prior. I then traded it in +100 for a RIA compact. I love the RIA, but it will occasionally FTF or smack me in the head with empty cases. Regret mostly because I lost some money and I traded in one jammomatic for a lesser jammer (RIA about 1 in 4-5 mags worth). I HATE it when guns don't work like they are supposed to. Oh well, that's my rant.

The real question is who is man enough to tell thier spouse!!:rolleyes:

[Scout Sniper]

sold a WWI Luger for so little I'm ashamed to say. I was 22 and needed the money. kick my self so much it hurts:banghead:

[TimboKhan]

I have made alot of deals in my life for guns, and there are only two that I regret.

The first is I traded off a particularly nice Ruger #1 in .270, straight across, for my Ruger P90. Very stupid on my part. I love my P90 as I say all the time, but in the balance of things, that was a really stupid trade.

The second is something I should have bought and didn't. When I was working at the pawnshop, I carried out a Marlin in 30-30 that was in very nice shape that had a price tag of $80.00. I sold it before I even put it on the rack, but the stupidest thing is, I actually could have got it for cheaper, maybe even as cheap as $65.00! To this day, I have no idea why I didn't take that gun straight to the back and put it on layaway until I had the money in my pocket, and to this day I kick myself for not buying it.

[Maxinquaye]

I've come out good and gotten robbbed. Traded an S&W 19-2 straight up for an LNIB USPf .45 with 3 mags, leather galco holster and H&K light. Also paid $600 for a Witness Limited that turned out to be a build up from a frame...I've already sunk another $500 into it and it's still not shooting right...

I figure it all evens out in the end.

[Bullet Bob]

I like paying too much. If I had all the extra money I would have saved over the last 30+ adult buying years, I'd have to retire, and my wife woouldn't like that! So, I've got a bunch of overpriced guns, I'm contributing to the economy, and my home life is good. Where's the downside?

[22-rimfire]

I try not to look back on purchases or trades. Look to the future. Life is too short to worry about these things. I also tend to just buy my guns spontaneously with a eye toward quality over quantity. On the good stuff, I usually end up paying slightly more than if I'd spent months of looking at gun shops and shows. You just have to make the decision and live with it.

That said, the only time that I have ever really questioned a purchase is when I buy from a friend to "help him out". I inevitably pay too much for the gun and lose money if I sell it. Almost always sell these guns anyway because if I wanted a regular non-collectable gun to shoot, I'd already have it for the most part.

[outofbattery]

I paid $100 for an AR-7,which was about $89 too much.

Some gun shops I just have to wonder about:used SIG's for $750-800 and so on.Yikes.I've wondered if some shops make their living off ammo,accessories and one type of firearm,hunting rifles and shotguns or whatever,then keep a token amount of things like handguns that they don't really want to deal in with silly prices so people don't bother but if somebody wants to fork $750 for a used 226 then all the better?I sort of hope that they don't manage to make a living taking people to the cleaners like that but caveat emptor I guess.

[TimboKhan]

you know, one great things (among many) about guns is that unlike Cars or some other things people collect, a good gun will last its owner a lifetime, and perhaps several more lifetimes after that. So, in the long run, if I pay too much for a gun, I figure that the years of enjoyment that I will get out of it will balance it out. Now, I enjoy finding good deals, and growing up around my Dad who is the best gun trader I know, I know the difference between a good deal and a bad one, generally. If you look at all my guns, probably 75% were good deals, 5% were fantastic deals, and the other 20% were average or slightly above average deals, so I am making out OK. I often take a hit on the occasions that I buy/sell a gun from a buddy, but that doesn't bother me too much. My buddies wouldn't out and out rip me off, and whats a few bucks between friends? Its not like the reverse isn't true for them too!

[Jet22]

Worst trade? About 30 years ago I traded a Colt Gold Cup MK III 38 special National Match Semi-Auto for a NIB Savage 30-30 pump (can you say junk?). I had $135 in the Colt (bought at a gunshop) and it wasn't very accurate. After I traded it I talked to a fellow that asked me if it was a low serial number. I told him it was. He said the low numbered ones had a small bore (mine slugged .354) and if I had sent it back to Colt they would have fixed it free!:banghead:

In recent years (about 3 years ago), I bought a Smith 651 22 mag for $195 and a Smith Pre-12 made about 1953 with MSP (Michigan State Police) on the backstrap in 99% condition for $190 (both from a gunstore). I sold them the next day for $25 profit apiece to buy something else I wanted worst. I don't remember what I bought but I remember what I sold!!:banghead: