Replacing every long lost firearm.

[Billy.Tif]

Hello all.

So recently a friend of mine had to sell off some guns for financial reasons and offered to sell me a few back that he had bought from me, and since I had the cash and liked the idea of having them back I obliged. This put the crazy notion in my mind that maybe I could replace every "sold" item in my ledger in one way or another. After doing the math it seems possible (granted over a period of a couple years, lol). Anyone ever tried to do this?

 

[badkarmamib]

I have only replaced one gun that I regretted selling. I did NOT regret selling the replacement. I figured that I have sold probably close to 30 firearms over the years, and I can now say that I don't regret a single one. I had valid reasons for selling them, and I remind myself of them any time I start feeling nostalgic.

 

[.308 Norma]

Nah. I've been lucky/blessed/gifted/whatever enough to never have had to sell a firearm for financial reasons. And even at 69, my memory is still good enough to remember why I sold, or otherwise got rid of the guns I no longer have in the first place - that is, I remember why I didn't want them anymore.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[Billy.Tif]

Nah. I've been lucky/blessed/gifted/whatever enough to never have had to sell a firearm for financial reasons. And even at 69, my memory is still good enough to remember why I sold, or otherwise got rid of the guns I no longer have in the first place - that is, I remember why I didn't want them anymore.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

I wish I could say the same. most of my losses were by financial necessity rather than choice, but I'm even considering buying replacements for the random Saturday night specials and bargain bin shotguns alongside the high dollar pieces. Just sounds like alot of fun to track down replacements.
Thanks for the welcome!

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
Yes, I have done that due to a divorce back in 1989.
I replaced most of the firearms I had to sell back then.
Still contemplating if I want to replace the custom Remington 700 in .30/06 and the Super RedHawk with a 9-1/2" barrel.
I have another .30/06 now that I rarely shoot and four other .44Magnum revolvers that get shot pretty regularly.
The only rifle I am currently thinking of acquiring is a full-stock Mannlicher in a mid-range caliber, something from .257Roberts up to .308. I have several other rifles to keep me covered for hunting and target range work.
Most of my current handgun wants revolve around S/A revolvers and one of the GP100s in .44Special.
I also am thinking of a lever-action carbine in .357Mag or .44Mag(already have a very nice Cimarron in .45Colt).

 

[Billy.Tif]

I also am thinking of a lever-action carbine in .357Mag or .44Mag(already have a very nice Cimarron in .45Colt).

My lever guns are the ones I've missed most. whether I replace everything or just some of them, the Winchesters and Marlin lever actions are at the top of the list.

 

[hdwhit]

Billy.Tif wrote:
Anyone ever tried to do this?

For the most part, I buy a gun because I have a need or want for it that particular gun satisfies. Those needs/wants don't change much for me over time so I have pretty much every gun I need/want and I need/want pretty much every gun I have.

The possible exception is an M1 Carbine that my father sold while I was in college. He had bought the gun originally and so I guess legally still owned it although he had given it to me when I turned 18. He sold it because I disobeyed him on the direction of my career in college. I would like to have another Carbine. But, I guess I don't want one THAT badly because every time I've thought about rectifying that situation, I've decided I'd rather have the cash more than the rifle.

 

[1911 guy]

I only have two (well, maybe four) that I really regret selling.

I never should have sold my first, a 20ga H&R single shot. Wasn't thinking about marriage and kids back then.
I sold a Winchester 94 Trapper in .44 Magnum back when they were a dime a dozen. When I decided I'd like another, they were far more expensive and the actions are not quite as smooth as they once were.

Number three was bought at auction. Came from the estate of a fairly well known celebrity. Paid Remington and the deceased estate for letters, then sold it to pay for my wedding and honeymoon.
Number four was a Liberator .45ACP handgun. Not particularly valuable, just really neat history. Sold it to a WWII fanatic.

 

[kimberkid]

A few years ago I had some serious health issues, while recovering I replaced the ones I either regretted selling or regretted letting get away ... I've sold a lot of guns over the years in order to fund other purchases. There aren't many but most were expensive ...

Colt Cadet 22
Colt LMG
Swiss SiG 551
Swiss SiG 552
SiG SSG
HK Mark23
HK MP5 SD
KAC SR 25 Match
Valmet M76 Tube Folder

I've "kinda" got everything ...
I bought a SSG imported for the US; it has a CHF barrel threaded 5/8x24 and the bolt, receiver & FCG are Austrian I'm still looking for a McMillan stock

The MP5 SD, I bought an Omega barreled receiver rather than SBR-ing a carbine, but with my registered sear installed I can have it in any configuration I want

My gun-bucket list complete, but it won't suprise me if some new desire comes along ... But I got the old ones!

 

[22-rimfire]

So recently a friend of mine had to sell off some guns for financial reasons and offered to sell me a few back that he had bought from me, and since I had the cash and liked the idea of having them back I obliged. This put the crazy notion in my mind that maybe I could replace every "sold" item in my ledger in one way or another. After doing the math it seems possible (granted over a period of a couple years, lol). Anyone ever tried to do this?

Not really. I try to not look back on stuff I have sold. In your case, I think buying your old guns that you sold to a friend is a nice gesture. I don't regret selling any of them at the time. But as the years pass, I wish that I would have kept more of the Colts I purchased for resale or trade for stuff I wanted. The only gun that I ever wanted to replace was a 4" Colt Diamondback in 38spl that I wanted for a "truck gun".... never found one in the condition and price that I was comfortable with for this purpose. I had owned a number of them and sold them.

 

[Twiki357]

I never sold one that I wanted back, but I had two S&W model 36s (a 2” and a 3”) that I bought back in the 1960s that were stolen in a burglary in 1986. Finally got around to replacing them about 10 years ago and kept replacing them. Now I have 7 model 36s.

 

[bannockburn]

Have sold quite a few guns over the years. The ones I miss the most have been mostly revolvers: a number of the Ruger Six Series, S&W Model 36s, Model 10s, a couple of .41 Magnums in the Model 57 and Model 58, and two really nice Colt Trooper Mk.Vs. In semi-autos I let go of a Beretta Model 84, a Model 90, and way too many of those little Model 950s. Same story with S&W Model 469 and Colt Combat Commanders. Sold or traded most of them at the time to either fund something else or for other, more pressing financial reasons.

Would love to have any of them back but have never made any sort of concerted effort to get them. Can probably find most of them online at the auction sites but don't really feel the need to reacquire any of them.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Over the years I have only sold a few guns and had two guns stolen. Wouldn't mind finding a replacement for that little LLAMA Martel 22 revolver.
But I do tend to hang on to the guns I buy. Maybe that's why I have so many.

 

[Tirod]

Would I want the guns I sold back again? I sold them for a reason - just like I sold my '66 Mustang. Pretty much the same thing, would I want that car back?

Some were in poor shape and I moved them to someone who could do a better job of "caretaking." They weren't getting better and a lot more money - more than it was worth functionally on the market - would be needed to get it back up to usefulness.

Others weren't what I wanted or fit with my needs. I used to have an '74 LTD but I don't have any regrets selling it. I can compare it to the Beretta I sold off - large bulky and no fun to carry in a shoulder holster "concealed" at all. Much the same for the Detonics Pocket 9 - iconic styling, 9mm, but what a brick. No Browning delay either.

A 870 went down the road never fired. So much for my interest in turkey hunting, a working guy doesn't get to hunt every possible season. I have three weeks vacation earned but can't even schedule any for deer - this year it's another trip to the beach. Oh well.

Whatever the number - you can only own so many guns. For a lot of us the practicality of what that specific gun does factors in. The expense of paying that much money stalls a lot of us buying whatever we want, and if another gun is what we prefer, we see our self imposed financial limits requiring us to sell off others. So, the Glock 19C and LCP went down the road. No big loss of affection there, either.

What I have now is a current "stable" of guns and it's plenty big enough. They actually get taken out and shot as much as that does happen. Do I need to add more to the shelves of the overloaded gun cabinet?

Do I want to pay $700 for the Detonics - which at best is a $350 gun, or $2000 for an HK P7, which I couldn't afford back when they were $400 trade ins?

We each make our own choice. For a lot of us it's about our pattern of decisions in the past. Lives and incomes often don't change all that much. And for some we haven't even been able to buy that one gun we do want yet - like, a CMP 1911 of whatever grade. They may sell all those Philippine Garands before that happens.

 

[Billy.Tif]

Interesting to see the different responses. I've narrowed my list down to the ones that I really enjoyed owning and I'm still right at 45 different guns... even though I'm now out of debt and making good money it would be a long journey to replace all of them. Not to mention having to build more storage racks in an already crowded gun room, it's nice to dream though...

 

[Nuclear]

I've gotten rid of four guns, and have no regrets on any of them. I've got two more that will probably be going soon. Maybe if I had to sell because of tight money issues I'd have a different opinion.

 

[entropy]

No. Two of mine are Pythons, so not economically feasible.

 

[Mn Fats]

Covered my bases. Any time I've been hard up on cash, I've sold my guns to my old man. He told me all his guns are willed to me. So he gets to enjoy them and help me at the same time. All to come back full circle when that sad day comes. The few that went to the pawn shop are guns I wouldn't want back for free.

 

[jmace57]

I've bought about 125 guns and sold about 25 of them. Only two do I regret - a first year model FN 1910 in .380 with original holster - and a Belgian WW1 contract (diamond-A) 1903 Colt. I always keep an eye out for a diamond-A Colt. I'd replace it in a minute if I could find one.

 

[mag1911]

I purchased a couple to replace ones either my Dad or I had way back when. Deep down I knew they weren't really the same ones and eventually sent them on down the road.

 

[mnrivrat]

I sold a lot of guns over the years for financial reasons. ( bad marriage) . I would love to have a number of them back but it is now impossible, and not very practical either for my health is now to poor to make use of them. Just a few I will mention : Colt Diamondback in .22RF , High Standard Victor in .22 RF , Colt Peacemaker in .22 LR/.22 mag,
Quality Italian O/U with amazing wood, Custom built HB (1&1/8") target made off 1903 action in 30-06 amazingly accurate, with effortless sub MOA groups ,1812 Ely Whitney musket, and on and on.

 

[herrwalther]

I keep a ledger of all the firearms I have ever bought or sold. Pictures, serials. Anything that I might have to use to CYA at some point. Occassionaly I will get a twinge of regret for selling this firearm or that. Sometimes I will open the ledger. Because in there I also put the REASON why I sold it. I needed the money because bills were tight. Or I wasn't fond of that gun because the grip was too long or wide. My ledger helps me refine my firearm tastes so when I am looking at something new that it isn't something similar to something I had and didn't like.

 

[JTHunter]

The only gun I have willingly sold was one of the early Ruger .22LR SA pistols from the early 70s. I traded it for a .380 that I still have. I was willing to trade that Ruger then, but that doesn't mean I have no regrets now for doing so.

 

[kimberkid]

I keep a ledger of all the firearms I have ever bought or sold. Pictures, serials. Anything that I might have to use to CYA at some point. Occassionaly I will get a twinge of regret for selling this firearm or that. Sometimes I will open the ledger. Because in there I also put the REASON why I sold it. I needed the money because bills were tight. Or I wasn't fond of that gun because the grip was too long or wide. My ledger helps me refine my firearm tastes so when I am looking at something new that it isn't something similar to something I had and didn't like.

I like that you keep a reason "why" you sold a particular firearm!
There have been a couple times I bought something because I didn't specifically remember why I sold it ... most were sold because money was tight or simply to fund other firearm purchases, not because I really didn't like something about it ... however I specifically remember selling an an UZI because it's heavy and I didn't like the trigger and safety, but I've bought them several times over the years, went to the range and thought "Oh Yeah, that's why I sold it".
There are also times when I buy an iconic gun like a Desert Eagle and know I may only shoot it a couple times then use it for trading fodder.

 

[hdwhit]

I should also say that when it comes to buying guns, I will not buy a gun I actually want to own from a friend. If the gun were defective I would subconsciously blame my friend. And if the friend wanted to buy their gun back, I wouldn't have the heart to refuse them and I don't want to regret having to relinquish a gun I really wanted to keep. I would prefer to give a friend money or make a hand-shake loan than tie the friendship up in something as emotionally evocative as a gun.

I learned this lesson when I bought an Armi Jager AP74 from a friend. We had traded guns back and forth quite a number of times, but that little 22 LR clone of an AR-15 was the best shooting gun I have ever owned. I fell in love with it right from the start and I knew if he ever wanted to buy it back from me, I would be sorely tempted to jettison the friend rather than the gun - - and I immediately recognized that was not a healthy attitude, hence the rule on not buying from a friend.