The Deal That Got Away

missed out on 3:
new in its wooden box: unissued colombian Browning BAR for 2100
sturmgewehr 43, 2500, in shootable condition,
both because my collectors licence wasn't ready yet

Walther Wa2000 in 300 winmag, for just <undisclosed>, the only one I have ever seen on sale, just to late, doubt if I ever see another one.


Last week, I entered a gun shop, looking for an Uzi, just to see one sold from under my nose, to hear it was the last one they had. Maybe that is 4.

Extremely nice, well-executed bubba job, on a Springfiled 1903A3. Metal untouched and unaltered. They just cut down the original stock to a rudimentary sporter configuration...and they did a pretty decent job of it. $175. Maybe a little too much for what it was but the bore was as shiny as a mirror and the metal was perfect.

I passed on a pre '64 Model 70 in 300 H&H for $300. :banghead:
It was at a collectors show, exhibiting complete collections of various genres, mostly rifles. The Model 70 was sitting off by it's lonesome.

Pair of sequentially numbered Bren-10s during one of the first AR panics of bhos first term. Thought about it too long as we walked through the gun show. Came back to buy them about 30 minutes later..........................too late they were gone.

Lesson learned.




.

Saw a nice shape Colt Cobra for like $350 at a pawn shop a few years back. Was in the wrong state to buy it though. Still kinda wish I had just bought it and sent it to my FFL.

Three months before the 2012 Sandy Hook panic, I waffled for three hours too many to buy a barely-fired WASR-10 in good shape for $375. The guy just wanted to downsize. I was in graduate school barely making ends meet each month and had already splurged on a 1951 Winchester 94 a local shop had for $350, so maybe that was just an evening out of that good luck. Either way, I would've made a killing selling that in the ensuing unpleasant period.

In 2013 I found a MAK-90 for $450 in a gun shop. I still didn't know anything about the AK-style rifle, and I was suspicious of the thumbhole stock....also was suspicious about the low price since this was a quite well known shop that would know the difference. I love seeing them now for $7-800 in a hell of a lot worse shape than the shiny one I saw. Of course, I figured out when I got home what it was, but it was long gone by the time I called back.

...Little kids, wife not working, everything "tight"...

Click to expand...

Sounds very much like the scenario my son and his wife are presented with today - even though she is working.

Absolute worst: 1984 I was 2 years into my 01 FFL. I was inundated with brochures from every possible firearm and related company. H&K had just opened a plant in Chantilly VA. "$399 take your pick 91, 93, 94 shipped to your door. The 94's had the shrouded barrel, telescoping stock. The VP70 was $199 with 4 18 rd mags. I got a total of one. Joe

I've missed out on a couple. One was a triple-dated MO-marked mosin for $70. I saw it at the store amongst all the other "normal" mosins and thought I'd come back and get it the next day. It was gone.

At a garage sale a couple of weeks ago, I missed out on a WWII bringback, duffle-cut K98k complete with bayonet and capture papers for $100. I asked the homeowner if he had any guns that he was selling and he showed it to me and told he just sold it about 10 minutes earlier and the guy was coming back for it later. It was a 1938, but I don't remember the mfg stamp.

Someone listed an "old beat up mosin" on one of the local gun classified sights for $100 in April or May. It was a Finnish Tikka-barreled M91/30 with a round receiver. Not the most rare rifle out there but extremely uncommon. It sold within about 20 minutes of it being listed. I called at minute 21.

Matt

S&W 1076, 3 mags, great condition in a pawn shop. $300. I went back the next day with cash and it was gone.

Missed out on a $2000 S&W M76 when wife uttered the two magic words that made all my money disappear, "I'm pregnant". Thus perished my dreams of ever owning a SMG.
That said, Given the way the election is looking, we'll be lucky to even have any semi autos after 8 years of President Hillary. I should be greatful for what I have..

6" Dan Wesson .357 in a park'd finish for $200.

I've not been at this nearly as long as most of you but I've had a few of these experiences....

The week before Sandy Hook I was offered 500 GI mags for $1 each. I passed because my idiotic college brain said "what could I possibly do with 500 mags" *facepalm* My inner entrepreneur nearly killed me when a week later those same mags were worth $100 a piece... could have finished paying for my degree with a single buy. *sigh*

Once at a fleamarket I found a M1917 American Enfield (one of the few things on my list) for $250... in the shape it was in it was probably worth about $1k. Again, Poor college student :-(

Such is life...