I wish I would’ve known...

[Mauser lover]

It was an old scope and I took the rear eyepiece off to see how it worked, and the crosshairs were available to be fiddled with.

I did this with a brand new scope once. Fortunately it was a cheap one. But it still hurt at the time.

Late to the surplus arms game, but I wish I had more money when Mosins were $69.00 and SKSes were reasonable! I knew I should buy them, just didn't have any money.

 

[trekker73]

I quit big game rifles a decade ago for health reasons. The lessons then were several, decent scopes on heavy kickers, decent crossbolts in stocks, dont creep the stock Then had to learn another bunch for pistol calibre carbines, which Id never really played with previously. Actual bore dimensions and twist rates vary between manufacturers, a gun stamped 357/38 special doesnt necessarliy mean it will feed 38 special, and I almost ordered a henry online before I realised, I wanted a gun with a loading gate!

 

[DustyGmt]

I wish - fervently - that I had known about the importance of always wearing hearing protection. Back in the day, nobody did, it was normal. Sure your ears rang afterwards, but it always went away. Until it didn't. Then they rang all the time. Forever.

I know too many people who while they arent regular shooters, scoff at the idea of wearing hearing protection. They act like it's the equivalent of wearing shoulder padding for a .22lr. Nope,not me. I like hearing, it's good. Like seeing. Walking. All good stuff.

I have in the past shot unprotected and I'm glad I wised up about it quick. Sometimes a guy I work with would give me the "if I was not rolling my eyes I'd be rolling my eyes" look when id go fetch some earplugs for lots of hammering in a confined space or running an oscillating tool or any loud work like that and I simply didnt care what anybody thought about it. I'm not afraid to bust up my hands and break my back working, that's life. But if saving my hearing and vision takes all of 15 seconds to fetch some protection, it's worth it.

Kind of funny too, he started to experience some ringing in his ears and now wears ear pro for every loud tool. It's easy to scoff at somebody else, I guess it takes developing an issue first before some people will learn.....

 

[JTHunter]

Thee was only one trade I have ever made and that was one of the Ruger .22 pistols from the mid-70s. It was traded as a down payment for an Astra Constable in .380, which I still own. And I still regret trading that pistol as its 7.5" barrel was very accurate and a blast to shoot.
Three of my current rifles are Marlins and two are bolt actions. A .22LR, a .22 Magnum, and an 1894 in .357. The other rifles are a 10/22, an AK, and a Remington 700 in .243.
None will ever be sold or traded as I hope to pass them down to my grand-nephew so he gets a jump on his collection and doesn't start from scratch the way I did.

 

[commygun]

Ditto on keeping the cool, cheap, soon to be not-so-cheap milsurps. I learned my lesson in time to hang on to several sweet ones but when I think about those Webleys and Swedish Mausers and mint P-1s....

 

[Speedo66]

"Wish I would've known,,,,"

What an idiot I was for selling a pristine, with box and papers, High Standard Victor because I didn't think I was interested in target shooting anymore.

 

[Armored farmer]

I wish I would have known three .357s ago,, how much I would like .45colt.


I wish I would have known sooner what fine revolvers that uberti and pietta were selling.

 

[MacAR]

1. I wish I'd have never sold my S&W 66, my Triple Lock 44, or my Government Model 45. Can you say dumb@$$ kid?

2. I'd have signed up for the CMP long ago and bought an 03. Now they've gone above my reach. Ah well.

3. I really wish folks hadn't talked me out of reloading 10 years ago. I feel like I'd be a lot better off these days.

Mac

 

[chicharrones]

Another one comes to my mind.

I wish I'd have known of, and seen in person, surplus FR8 carbines in the 1990s. I would have bought one. Now they are a relatively expensive dream.

 

[MosinT53Hunter]

Another one comes to my mind.

I wish I'd have known of, and seen in person, surplus FR8 carbines in the 1990s. I would have bought one. Now they are a relatively expensive dream.

I feel the same way. But, with a little know how, I was able to have a clone of an FR7 built out of my 1916 Spanish Mauser. Life's a learning curve for sure.

 

[DustyGmt]

In my early twenties was jonesing pretty bad for a. 45acp and at the time I had only a few handguns and I didn't have much money to spare so I traded my .22lr Colt Woodsman for a .45acp. The worst part was that it was a Llama .45acp and I just didn't know what I was doing at the time.

The Llama served as a constant reminder of my not so savvy trade so I eventually traded it for some body armor and a battle pack of Prvi SS109. I think I made out good on that trade as I got a Army ACU PB Interceptor Kevlar vest with 2 medium Ceradyne front and back plates along with the 2 SAPI plates plus 200 rounds of SS109 and I eventually put the money together and bought a real 1911.

Live and learn. I miss that woodsman

 

[Archie]

Folks, there are many things I wish I'd known sooner. Not limited to the honorable field of firearms.

 

[Barry the Bear]

I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then. I wish I could start all over again, I'm not saying that you could ever be true, I just don't want to know how it ends.