Gun (s) You Wish You Had Bought

[Sheldon J]

OK I keep reading the "Guns you should have kept" on almost every forum I check in on so....How about A Gun (s) You Wish You Had Bought.

Back when I was 18 I purchased my first riffle at 21 my first hand gun, now at 55 I wish I had bought more. I am one of the lucky ones that has held onto every gun I have ever owned, and their are still more I plan on buying.

But then then there are the ones I wish I had bought and in the interim, price doubled, gun is no longer available, man was that cheap, you all know the stories so what gun, and the story behind your wish I had bought it gun. This ought to be a fun!!

 

[byf43]

A friend had a .45 Colt Gov't model built by Bob Chow.
That .45 was a work of art.

I was offered the pistol for $500.00. I was going through a divorce and didn't have the cash.

That pistol was the most beautiful, tight, accurate .45 that I've ever had the pleasure of shooting.

I STILL kick myself for not scrounging up the cash for that one.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

A side by side .22 Hornet rifle I saw at a gun show in San Francisco in the 70's. It was more than I could afford at the time. That probably hasn't changed.

 

[Kaylee]

A sporterized 1903 I saw in a pawn shop a few years back.. for like $125. It was done awful well - looked just like the NRA sporters.

Unfortunately I'd been out of work for waaaaay too long at that point, and couldn't afford even that.

Someone got a good deal and gave it a nice home though.

 

[Ridgeway]

A couple doj hk94's when they were first available.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

A Street Sweeper in .45-70 for $350. As most of the SSs were in 12 ga, the cool factor of this one way up there. I handled it for several minutes and the guy probably thought he had a sure sale. I have always regretted this. Never saw another, ever.

 

[CajunBass]

Way back when I was 21, the local GEM dept store had a Model 28, 4" "Highway Patrolman" Smith and Wesson 357, in a walnut presentation case. If I remember correctly it was $128.00 or something like that.

Might as well have been $1.28 million. (kicks dirt) I had just as much chance of buying it.

Probably just as well. Judging by my history, I'd have traded it off, and it would be on my list of "dumb trades."

 

[glockman19]

Any AR or AK pre ban.

 

[thebaldguy]

In 2000, I saw some S & W new Sigmas for just over $225.00 on a closeout. I should have bought one just to try one out. Also an almost new .380 Bersa a few years ago at a gun show for $200.00.

I think sometimes I have too much restraint.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Hmmmm . . .

A Colt Python. Had one once, a 2 1/2" barrel, and like a fool, traded it off.

A Colt M1911 (not A1). Had one once and like a fool, traded it off.

A good damascus side-by-side 12 gauge. Had one once, gave it to my brother.

 

[inthemoss]

i dont have one but.. my father passed the chance on buying about a box of .45's from his cousin. all for about a grand. he doesnt like to talk about it.

 

[welldoya]

There have been many:
Winchester 100 .243 - $125
High Standard Sentinel snub with birds eye grips - $40
Colt Match Target 3rd Series for $250 (this one haunted me for 20 years but
I finally got another chance at it, not for $250 tho)

My motto now is "If in doubt, buy it."

 

[VARifleman]

7.375" barreled, compensated S&W 41 for 400 bucks. Just a few months ago too...:banghead:

 

[plexreticle]

Pre 64 Win. M70, .300 win, with a heavy barrel conversion. $700

 

[Clipper]

Came across a pristine used Winchester M-70 featherweight in .257 Roberts about 25 years ago for $400.00. I could have bought a new one for $500.00, so I passed and never wound up getting one at all. Last year I bought one in 25WSSM, and it's a fine gun, but I'd trade it in a second for a nice Roberts...

 

[AJ Dual]

The Springfield XD, except when they were the HS2000 and only $250.

A Steyr SPP back in '95 that a local store had on the wall for $600.

M1 Garand when the better quality ones were still in stock at the CMP.

A Colt AR-15 A3 (Match Target actually), that came with the flattop upper and the removable carry handle, instead of the permanent one that I let my FFL talk me into.

Another Russian SKS when they were only $80.

 

[Mark Whiteman]

New Nickel Series 70 Commander in 9mm for $249. No money for it. 1977.
Springfield Armory M1A in .243. 1978. I bought one in 7.62 and didn't have any money left. Then they stopped offering them.

 

[pcruz]

A dozen or so AR's when they were still legal in California. Then again, I would have been in grade school. :banghead:

Now my only other choice is moving out of state (which I'm actually considering; I can't stand Cali-liberals).

For those in normal American states, buy now while you can. Better yet, FIGHT WHILE YOU CAN.

 

[10-Ring]

The day before the AWB was enacted, my dealer called me said that he had a handful of NIB HK SP89's for $4000 w/ 3 mags, case, sling---man....talk about opportunity knocking & not answering the door! :banghead:

 

[230RN]

Well, it was a junker anyhow...

This one'll probably cause dyspepsia amongst many of you, but a dealer at a gun show had a section of his table for "junkers," so designated and truthfully advertised.

He had a Hi-point .45 which looked pretty rough for something like 40-50 bucks.

I was thinking I'd like to tinker around with it, examine design, maybe even get it working --just for the heck of it. I could certainly afford it, but what turned me off was remembering all the negative comments about Hi-Points --and the fact that I no longer had my machine shop.

I wandered around the show, looking at this and that, hemming and hawing to myself about the Hi-Point, bought some other stuff, and left the show. Even as I was turning the key in the ignition, I thought about going back and picking it up. But the logical side of my brain said no and I went home,

The next day, a monday, I found out that Hi-Point apparently has a lifetime guarantee even over subsequent buyers, and also read that their customer service was excellent.

Shoulda bought it and sent it in to Hi-Point for refurbishing, and had a trunk gun.

Yeah, I know, it wasn't a high class or unusual gun, but somehow that decision not to buy it still works on me, even to this day...

Most other functional guns I've seen which excited my lust, I've actually bought on, let's say, "impulse."

And I never regretted any of those other quicky decisions to buy. As one poster said, "When in doubt, buy it."

 

[Anotherguy]

Colt Pocket Nine. They were expensive even when they were still making them but they're downright ridiculous now.

Various S&W revolvers before the silly trigger lock,.. who knew?

Also wish I had bought one more CMP Garand before they were scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

[kd7nqb]

About a year ago as I was walking out of my local range one night a woman walked in with a pump action .22lr with an octaganal barell that she had found in the attic of her new house. She was pretty anti gun and wanted to make sure it was unloaded and safe. Turns out there was actually a round in the chamber and the pump was a little sticky so it did not slide perfectly easy. At the time I lived in campus housing and all I could think is ah I cant have it in my dorm anyway. Now I think damm, an anti gunner who didnt know what she had I could have proboly gotten it for next to nothing. The next day at work a guy said "yea those things sell for 300+" Kick myself regularly for that one.

 

[mudstud]

This is a painful subject, but maybe it will help to discuss it! A little therapy!

Like Anotherguy mentioned, I looked at those Pocket Nines forever, until the local money pit closed them out at, I think $350, and I still didn't get one. Now they are double that, if you can find one.

Another really ignorant decision on my part was about 10 years ago. A store in a neighboring town had a brand new, in the box, with hang tags, paperwork, etc., pre-64 Model 70 Westerner in .264WinMag for $1100. I passed... :banghead:

The absolute stupidest decision on my part ever, was also about 10 years ago. I still wake up with cold sweats about this one. A fellow from a neighboring town had a pistol for sale at the gunshow here. It was a Colt SAA, 45 Long Colt, the old blackpowder frame, made in the 1880's, as I recall. It had the short barrel, nickle plated, fully engraved. Had ivory grips with longhorn steer heads carved on each one. Was in really nice condition. Did I mention it had a factory letter from Colt? Yeah, that was how the gun was made by Colt! It was all original! They gave the name of the engraver and everything. It had been ordered up like that by some Texas Ranger, gave his name. All this for $2500. I, of course, didn't have that kinda cash in my jeans, so I passed. I coulda got the cash, but didn't bother. That gun has got to be worth triple that now. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

 

[Oohrah]

Must have screwed up pretty good because I kept all my
instinct buys, but find myself seriously short of space. The
start of being bit was somewhere around 1957. Reading some
of missed buys from some of you, I can recall a few that I bought and are still like new. Sold a Colt 6" Python that I bought and carried as a duty
gun. With the worn blue from the desert, I got what I paid for it $95.
Replaced it with a 4" that remains unfired at $125. It's unfired cause
I also bought a Smith Model 28 for police price of $95. A few months
later a 3" Model 36, hiddy gun. Both remain like new. A Model 70 Win.
pre 64 for $139 (Featherweight) shot like a dream once the barrel was
free floated. Collected Win..22s at shows for twenty or thirty bucks.
Military... a Brittish 303 Sniper with scope in a pawn shop for $35 in
excellect condition. From DCM, an l903 A3 for $14.50 and a mint never
fired A4 for the same price. Three M-1 Garands at $158, a Win. M1
Carbine in very good to excellent for $20 and a 45 1911 A1 for the same
price in good condition. Yep ruined the value of the 45 as I rebarreled,
put on Bomar adj sights, and reblued. Before anyone has blood pressure
problems, it came to me with an Ithaca slide with Colt numbers. Spent
about $100 to have what I want.
Yeah, I might have kept buying if I didn't have a money flow problem.
Never been good at trades. Don't regret the buys and have a reality
problem with how much firearms have appreciated over the years. Takes
a couple of SS checks to buy anything now !!!

 

[skeeter1]

Where to begin

I've passed on a bunch of them that I wish I had. Money get's tight sometimes. A Colt 1911 .45 is the first that comes to mind. Winchester M21 shotgun when they were (relatively) affordable. Way out of my league now. AMT .22 Magnum semi-auto. Luger P-08 9mm. The last one I saw was $1400 in pretty rough shape. Broomhandle Mauser.

I've got a safe full of fun toys, so I'm not complaining, and maybe I'll be able to get some of those eventually. :banghead: