Rifles I wish I'd bought when I had the chance...

[CowboyTim]

Passed on both a Mauser Model 96(1996 straight pull) and a mint Ruger Deerfield 44 Carbine when a local shop went out of business back in 1997...did leave with a really nice Blackhawk in .357(sold it after a couple year, should have kept it).

 

[Conelrad]

A Joe Poyer Aussie FAL.

Damn.

Conelrad

 

[Grumpy_old_Fart]

A buddy had a Remington 700 chambered in 300 H&H, only wanted 400 for it. I was tempted.. really really tempted. I walked away. Told the wife about it. I guess I moaned too much.

Went back to buy it, it was gone. He had sold it another guy that likes oddball stuff. I moaned to the wife a bunch more.

My wife calls my buddy, has him buy the rifle back, and then she gave it to me as a Christmas present.

So, it Almost got away.

 

[Mars5l]

This is more a recent thing and being new to guns not knowing my tastes would change quickly. A regular store I frequent a PSL, looked cool but not my thing. Now I want one but they are around $3k on Gunbroker and I'm sure the one at the store was much cheaper since it was early Pandemic

 

[brmiller]

I certainly couldn't afford them, but if I could, I'd like my old M40 and M-14 back please.

And then there was a friend's Weatherby Mk V (IV?) in 300 mag, a barely fired early HK 91 (for stupid cheap money), and a semi-auto 50 cal rifle for about a grand. *sigh*

 

[.308 Norma]

I don't have expensive tastes though, and I'm not a collector. Just a hunter. So given the chance, my safe would probably contain the same rifles I have now. And that's a good place to be, I think.

I also think "that's a good place to be."

 

[bannockburn]

G_O_F

Told the wife about it. I guess I moaned too much.

Went back to buy it, it was gone. He had sold it another guy that likes oddball stuff. I moaned to the wife a bunch more.

My wife calls my buddy, has him buy the rifle back, and then she gave it to me as a Christmas present.

Behold the power of moaning to the right person to correct a major missed opportunity on your part which in turn made for a wonderful Christmas present for you!

And you have one incredibly thoughtful wife and friend!

 

[Nature Boy]

I regret not buying 10 ARs 4 years ago when prices were 40% of what they are selling for today

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

There are too many to list.

Yeah, that about sums it up...

 

[gotboostvr]

I regret not buying 10 ARs 4 years ago when prices were 40% of what they are selling for today

They're back under $500 if you don't mind a PSA

 

[3Crows]

The first Ruger Marlin that I passed on at full MSRP. But, they are making them now and I will get one but not at MSRP plus. The dust will settle.

3C

 

[mgmorden]

Any of us buying guns in the late 90s- early 2000s remembers mosin nagants for under $100 with piles to choose from. Now they're way more. I had one and hated the stupid thing but I wish I would have bought a truckload just to sell now to buy proper guns .

Oh well. Ya don't know until you know

Yep. There are few that I missed out on completely, but man oh man I wish I'd have bought LOTS of them rather than just 1. Now a ton of what I bought has appreciated in value but I can't sell mine because then I'd be left without one .

It was less than 20 years ago when (Turkish) Mausers were still here and there for $39, Mosins were $49, SKS's were $79, Schmidt Rubins were $79. Hell I didn't think they'd ever run out of $89 Nagant revolvers.

The prices on those today certainly have outpaced normal inflation by a great deal.

Number 1 lesson in firearms if you want to collect: if you want something that's surplus or someone is jumping through hoops to import, then so long as it isn't' going to break you buy it NOW. Prices only go up after they're only available on the secondary market.

One thing I'd highly recommend is if anyone hasn't gotten a CMP M1 Garand - trust me if you ever think you might want one get it now. Once that well runs dry you likely won't be able to find one for less than $2k-$3k.

 

[SwampWolf]

In 1962, I was stationed @ the Andersen Air Force in Guam and was in a hardware store in Agana, where I spotted a new Winchester Model 71 rifle, replete with the WW yellow and red hang tag (why there was a rifle chambered in .348 for sale on an island where the biggest "big" game were deer no bigger than small collies, I'll never know). The store was asking ninety plus dollars for it and, being young and dumb at the time (I'm not so young anymore but still dumb on occasion), I passed on the deal. I ended up ordering a Winchester Model 88 rifle, chambered in .358, from the Base Exchange (BX) for even less money (another story). That missed Model 71 still haunts me...

 

[herrwalther]

I didn't know much about them or what they were at the time. But my brother and I used to see old, non sporterized Mausers and Carcanos at one of our local stores. In that part of NY, ARs were rare and old bolt actions were the kings of deer hunting. Hovering right around 50-100 bucks. Wish I had picked some up then.

 

[troy fairweather]

I regret not buying 10 ARs 4 years ago when prices were 40% of what they are selling for today

Bca has complete rifles for $350 right now.

 

[Archie]

The one I remember was only a year or three ago. A properly assembled sporting rifle based on a '98 Mauser action and a gorgeous wood stock in 7x57mm Mauser. Thought about it and it was gone the next day. I could have afforded it.

No doubt there were others, as well. Have probably suppressed the memories in self-defense.

Sorry for your loss, Dr. T.

 

[greyling22]

vz-58 back when they were like 400 bucks.

 

[greyling22]

I remember when Bass Pro had new Remington (Zastava) 798s and 799s in various chamberings with laminated wood stocks for $300. That was maybe 15 years ago. Now you can barely find them anywhere. I would have liked one of those mini-mauser actions to build something custom and fun.

no you don't. they're not great. I have one. bolt is sloppy, the handle tiny, and it's hard to get scope clearance.

 

[EIB0879]

Remington 788 in .308 when I was in HS. Ended up with a Rem. 742 in 30-06 because everybody in our family had those.

I had a Ruger 77 in 7mm RM on layaway in the early 80's but got tight on money and couldn't make ghe payments.

 

[db_tanker]

When I was still in the Army...more years ago than I care to count...folks were buying CZ75's left and right there in Germany...now...yeah...I'm angry.
There were a few Sako and Sky Mosin's I passed up because they were "MOSINS"....again insert anger here.

NOW...with the benefit of the interwebs I let much less pass...but aw lawd the rifles and pistols I've not bought probably kept me from going into the poor house lol

 

[I6turbo]

I posted the same answer to a similar question a year or two ago, but I regret not buying a particular Winchester Model 52 heavy barrel target rifle from Robertson's Trading Post about 40 years ago. I did finally buy a similar gun, a BRNO Model 4, a few years ago, and it was immediately one of my favorite guns to shoot, probably my #1 favorite. I am perfectly happy with the Model 4 and don't wish for the Model 52 so that I'd have a Model 52, but I wish I'd discovered the joy of a big, super-accurate 22 LR Target rifle 40 years ago. If I had, I'd have enjoyed 30+ more years of shooting this type of gun.

 

[.308 Norma]

I am perfectly happy with the Model 4 and don't wish for the Model 52 so that I'd have a Model 52, but I wish I'd discovered the joy of a big, super-accurate 22 LR Target rifle 40 years ago. If I had, I'd have enjoyed 30+ more years of shooting this type of gun.

Oh, yeah! I understand completely. The Model 52D Target in the 1962 Winchester Western catalog I have sitting in front of me listed for $145.00. That catalog was one of the gun catalogs my folks had in their country store/gas station, and the Model 52 in the catalog was one or the rifles I so lusted over when I was 14.
Of course there's no way I could have afforded it back then. I mean, it took me 2 summers working in the apple and peach orchards to pay off my first car - a '55 Oldsmobile. I only paid $350.00 for that car, but the insurance premiums for a 14 to16 year-old boy were real killers.
At any rate, I bought myself a "super-accurate" Kimber 22 LR bolt (I can't remember the model number right off) 15 or 20 years ago, and I really do like it. It's the rifle that makes me wish I'd have been able to afford one of those Model 52s from the catalogs in my folk's store.

 

[1948CJ2A]

no you don't. they're not great. I have one. bolt is sloppy, the handle tiny, and it's hard to get scope clearance.

message me if you're interested in selling it

 

[mgmorden]

vz-58 back when they were like 400 bucks.

That one ate at me too. They were available again briefly more recently for more like $800 and I went ahead and got one. The new batch did have the regular stock whereas that earlier cheap batch had the thin folding stock. I like the stock on the one I got better but I don't think I like it $400 better .

My main initial delay in getting one is that before I did any research I thought they were just another AK variant. Once I learned that they were completely different designs (like, completely completely different) I wanted one much more.

 

[Captcurt]

Back in the 70's I ran across a 280 Ross Sporter that had an gorgeous piece of fiddleback walnut. I think that it was $250. I was newly married and had a kid on the way so money was tight. After a little research I found that the rifles had a reputation of not locking up well and fired while out of battery. I declined, but that was one beautiful piece of workmanship. I would give 8 times that amount now.