Bought one gun, found that I had something else.

[theotherwaldo]

I dropped in to a local pawn shop and spotted a filthy old Stevens single-shot .22 - a type that I was curious about, having never owned one. I pointed out that the extractor was missing on this old eyesore and the guy behind the counter cut the price down to what I was willing to pay.
So I bought the "1950s Stevens Crackshot", took it home, cleaned it up, and found that I had bought a Stevens Favorite, Model 1915. This is much closer to what I was looking for, examples of common hunting rifles from between the wars.
Have you folks ever done anything like that - thought that you were buying thing and then found that you had something else, something better?

 

[Glockula]

Oh yes. It was far more common years ago with milsurp rifles.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Put my 4" Luger on layaway at a pawnshop during my lunch break. I had had just enough time to shine a light down the bore and plunk down my money before I had to rush back to work.
Three months later, I picked up my gun to notice a little cutaway at the front of the receiver- I had bought an Artillery Model rebarrelled as a police issue gun following the Versailles treaty!
Bad news: The "matching" numbers were probably force matched at the arsenal following installation of the shorter barrel......and it no longer wears the cool long barrel and tangent sight.
Good news: It was affordable, a complete Arty model would have been far out of my price range. Also its fully legal to hang a shoulder stock on!

 

[RussellC]

They redid the Crack shot in the 80's, I sold a bunch of them when I worked for JC Penny's, when they sold such things.
The "old timers" would. Look in disbelief and buy them up.

Nice single shots with octaganal barrels. I should have snagged one....

Russellc

 

[Demi-human]

I saw a little gun shop on the way to a job site one day. I stopped on the way back through. It was tiny, he myself and his buddy filled the place. All his firearms were in a broom closet, pistols on the door, rifles on the floor stood against the wall.
In this closet I spotted a Remington Seven sixty Gamemaster. A thirty aught six pump action. Exactly like my Grandfather's, but without the fear of wrecking an old and sentimental rifle taking it out hunting. It was in good shape and was not professed to have "dead nuts" by the shop owners buddy, who evidently had vested intrest in the two varmint rigs. So I took it home pretty cheap for such good condition.

Back at the Batcave, I set out to clean it up, but it was nearly spotless. I dabbed a few drops of oil and noticed the fore stock striations matched it's sister perfectly. I found the numbers and a website for dating them.

Amazingly I had found a gun only a thousand numbers different from my grandfather's. In nearly brand new, unrefinished condition from nineteen fifty-four. With the original metal butt plate that usually gets changed out for a pad. The action bars barely have wear and there is not a scratch on it.

Unfortunately, I can not bring myself to hunt with this one either. Which brings me to the same rifle in two seventy, a nineteen sixty one model year....

 

[Scooter22]

Found a Swedish M38 Obendofer short rifle labeled as a M38 Mosin for 125.00 bucks at Gander Mountain. Bought it. Hey, I payed what they wanted.

 

[BWS]

Got a early,first year Rem 740 for 100$......friend didn't know anything about it other than it jammed on second shot every time.I knew what it was but not how early.Started handloading reduced,roundnoses for it,which solved the jam part.It's not terribly accurate,maybe 3" @100.

 

[stringnut]

Traded a bl 22 that was in fairly rough shape to a dealer that had a Remington 121. The barrel looked kind of brown and pitted, but, inside was great and so was the action internals. Bought it as plinker and may refinish project. Turns out the rust and pitting was some sort of preservative that had hardened. Came off oil and steel wool. Metal is perfect and so is the wood. Shooter to collector item in about 30 minutes. Told the dealer at the next gun show. He just laughed and said it was his own fault for not looking closer.

 

[eastbank]

I bought this early 1917 S&W .45 auto at a public auction I went to and later found out its a very early 17 with certain things that make it worth way more than I paid for it. I added the grips as the ones on it were total junk and I will get a layand ring for it. eastbank.

 

[Axis II]

My buddy is always doing this. Old Winchester 30-30 with top eject, Remington speed masters, etc. Nothing super old but $150-200 finds that are worth a lot more.

 

[entropy]

Bought a 1916 Setroryetsk M91 Mosin labeled as an M44 for a steal. I couldn't get it to the counter fast enough. Glad I can read Russian немного.

 

[natman]

I once bought a Voere 2117 semiauto 22 made in Austria. It still had the Voere markings and had a tiny stamping on the barrel declaring it as a "Ted Williams" model. Because of that it was marked as a "Sears 22" and I bought it for $99.

 

[Captcurt]

Bought a Keng 22rf with the original papers for $300. Beautiful bolt gun and it shot very well. Sold it for $500. Grabbed a High Standard 106 Supermatic Citation with fluted barrel, compensator, barrel weights, box and papers for $500. Probably 98%. Sold it on GB for a Grand.

I had no idea what these were worth when I got them. Usually when I buy something that I know nothing about I do good to break even. A Luger and a Colt Military 1911A1 come to mind. I finally got my money back, but it took forever to do it.

 

[Jackal]

Went into a gun shop, spotted a $199 "sporterized Mauser". I noticed a Swedish crown under the scope base. Got it home and it turned out to be a mint condition, deluxe Husqvarna...

 

[silicosys4]

I bought a ratty old ppk at a pawnshop for $300, thinking I was getting a shooter to replace an Interarms ppk i had sold previously.
After research I found out the pawnshop ppk is an rsha, a wartime gun that was issued to a member of the Nazi SS.

 

[Sunray]

Lotta the guys working in local pawn shops know less than the guys working in big box stores. Horrible thing, so it is.

 

[Merle1]

They redid the Crack shot in the 80's, I sold a bunch of them when I worked for JC Penny's, when they sold such things.
The "old timers" would. Look in disbelief and buy them up.

Nice single shots with octaganal barrels. I should have snagged one....

Russellc

I was one of those old timers, who did not hesitate.
This little rifle is unbelievably accurate!

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Lotta the guys working in local pawn shops know less than the guys working in big box stores. Horrible thing, so it is.

That was my experience the other day, fellow at the gun dept at Dick's was polite, knowledgeable and helpful. Fellow at the pawn shop was none of those things...

 

[Blkhrt13]

I once bought a Voere 2117 semiauto 22 made in Austria. It still had the Voere markings and had a tiny stamping on the barrel declaring it as a "Ted Williams" model. Because of that it was marked as a "Sears 22" and I bought it for $99.

Ted Williams was a ball player they imported and had several styles made under the brand

 

[Sistema1927]

I gave "a buck and a half" for a Remington 721, .30-06, from 1950. It had a Bushnell scope on it that I sold for $50. I already had a vintage Weaver and rings kicking around, so for $100 I ended up with a rifle that isn't the prettiest, but is true 1 MOA.

 

[Sistema1927]

Ted Williams was a ball player

Saying that "Ted Williams was a ball player" is quite an understatement:

19 years with the Red Sox, 19 time All Star. .344 batting average, 521 home runs, .482 on base percentage, First player to have a season batting average above .400 (.406), and put 5 years of combat duty in WWII and the Korean War, in the middle of his baseball career. Yeah, I guess that "Ted Williams was a ball player" covers it all.

 

[JeffG]

I was cruising the milsurp rack at Gander a while back, and their were 3 Mausers in varying condition. The more I looked at one, the better it got. I paid the $300 and change and took it home. It turned out when I got the cosmoline off the gun, a Yugo M48 in 8mm Mauser, it appeared to be unfired. I might have paid double for that, had it been on purpose.

 

[JeffG]

Saying that "Ted Williams was a ball player" is quite an understatement:

That's like calling the Titanic sinking a boating accident!

 

[Blkhrt13]

Saying that "Ted Williams was a ball player" is quite an understatement:

19 years with the Red Sox, 19 time All Star. .344 batting average, 521 home runs, .482 on base percentage, First player to have a season batting average above .400 (.406), and put 5 years of combat duty in WWII and the Korean War, in the middle of his baseball career. Yeah, I guess that "Ted Williams was a ball player" covers it all.

I’m 37 and quite watching baseball in 87 because of the strike. Granted I only played a few years by then but I was shattered. I know only the tiniest bit about red Williams guns because I was gifted a mint condition Ted Williams 30-30.

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

I bought a Remingtom M17 + gun case + 1 box of ammo. Outside it was easily 90%+ condition. I got it home and disassembled it to make sure everything was sound. The fellow I bought it from said there was something wrong with the gun because the magazine could not be loaded. It turns out it had a follower depressor installed so I removed that. With a little further research I discovered it bore Elmer Keith's cartouche. It had poor accuracy with the box of ammo the gent through in, but with my very first handload it was incredibly accurate, WAY accurate. Not bad for a $100 purchase.