The One That Got Away

[C-grunt]

I know there are a lot of you out there who narrowly missed a chance on a great buy. Lets hear some sob stories. Ill start.

When I was 18 and still living at home my friend called me up one morning and asked if I wanted to go to a pawn shop he heard of that had a lot of good used guitars. I was getting paid that night and wanted to see if I could find something to blow my paycheck on. We get to the shop and tucked away in a little corner ( the owner wasnt very pro gun) were about ten rifles. I asked to look at a beautifull custom made rifle. It had some sort of tactical OD stock with adjustable length and check pad hieght. It looked like a Rem. 700 action with a fluted bull barrel that was about 24in. It was chambered in .25-06 and had a very nice looking scope ( probably a Leopold). It looked in very good condition and he when I asked how much he said "395.00". I nearly fell over dead. I quicky drove to my work, and pleaded my manager to give me my check before 5 o'clock. Being only noon, he said that was way to early. I finally convinced him at 4:30 to give me my check and by the time I got back to the shop, the rifle was gone.

I found out later that the original owner had put the rifle as colateral for a 200 dollar loan and didnt re-pay it.

 

[stevelyn]

A couple years ago I passed on the opportunity to own a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 for $250 because it had a Miro-Groove barrel and I didn't think I could shoot cast bullets out of it.
I know better now and have been kicking myself ever since. :banghead:

Lesson learned: Jump on the bargins as soon as you find them. If they don't work out as intended, pass them off on some other poor bastage for a profit.

 

[LoadedDrum]

Clark Pinmaster based off a USGI 1911A1, with a comped bull barrell, 2.5lb trigger, bomar sights, all for $850. I waited two weeks too long, despite the fact that the gun sat there for over a year.

Also, a SRH 44 mag with the coolest looking Magnacast bull barrel I have ever seen.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Not really a sob story but one that I stuck to my guns on (no pun intended).

I was at a gunshow 2 weekends ago shopping for another 10MM when I ran across a Springfield Champion for $400 and passed. I should of picked it up but decided to stay the course and keep looking for a 10MM.

 

[bogie]

Earlier this year, at the Supershoot, I had the chance to buy Mike Walker's #1 40X.

And I didn't.

 

[MikeIsaj]

Even worse, have you ever made a good buy and then sold it off?

Many moons ago I bought a flawless Ruger Blackhawk .45, with a Bianchi Western form fit holster and belt. Paid $200.00 to a guy who needed to get rid of it. I then sold it two years later to a good friend for the $200.00 I paid. I was not using it, he was drooling over it and at the time it seemed like the thing to do. I have regreted that sale every day since. At least I still get to visit it occasionally.

 

[pbhome71]

British Enfield L8 for $99.00

I held in my hands a genuine Enfield L8 a couple of years ago. This was when I first started collect C&R.

The L8 is a No1 Mk IV with 7.62x51 chamber instead of 303Brit. The stock was great and it looks unissued. I didn't know what it was and thought that it was a bubba enfield. I did not get it since I want to check out if it is a fake or not. I checked it out and it seems to be a real one.

When I went back, it was gone.... :banghead:

 

[Justin]

I once passed up a Broomhandle Mauser for $250. It was pretty well worn, and would have required some gunsmithing work, but still...

 

[XavierBreath]

Hong Kong Model 10 S&W's at every gunshow for a year or so. I can't remember the prices, but they were plentiful and cheap. I didn't buy because I was into semi-autos. I should have bought.

German Makarovs at every gunshow for a year or so. They were plentiful and cheap. Again, I did not buy. The caliber was not plentiful then. I still kick myself. I did buy a Bulgy a couple of years ago.

 

[auschip]

Stainless Colt Carry Magnum. in .357. They wanted $299 for it. I hemed and hawed and decided to sleep on it. Called the next day, and it sold already. :banghead:

 

[MSGT9410]

Remington 1100, $200.

I slap myself in the face at the thought

 

[Battlespace]

I was at an estate auction last spring where there was a Model 12 in 16 ga. It looked to be in great shape. Since guns were not to be auctioned for a an hour or so I sort of wondered around on the other side of the house looking at the other things I could not live without. When I came back around they had just sold the Model 12! $100.00 I offered to buy it from the new owner, but he knew he had a bargain and would not even talk to me.

 

[CAS700850]

Smith Model 19, 2 1/2 " barrel, bead blast finish. Turns out it was a State Department Protective Service trade-in. There were two on the table for $250 each. Best friend bought one, I walked away from the other. Spent most of the money on diamond earrings for a woman I stopped seeing a year later. :banghead:

Years later, paid almost $400 for a new version of the same gun, without the bead-blast finish and the history.

 

[Doug444]

I once passed on a Win. M88 Lever gun in .308 that had a very slight bulge in the barrell about 4" from the muzzle. Was asking $175 for it and I just let it go. Could have easily re-barrelled it in any .308 based caliber for probably $200, and every other M88 I've seen is over $400. Live and learn.

 

[Eightball]

A little while ago I missed an awesome deal on an AK. Someone had already done all the trigger work, put on good furniture, etc, and was offering about 7 30-round mags--all for about 365 . Alas, something came up, and my money depleted before I could buy it :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

 

[captainkirk]

got away

Winchester model 70 African in 458. Looked brand new (don't most 458s) with slight wear where it had been sitting on a gun rack . $300

Didn't feel too bad though- spent the same 300 on a TC contender a few months later with a 223 bbl, 35 rem bbl and a 357 bbl , 2.5 tc scope, dies, brass etc. Not bad.

captainkirk

 

[4v50 Gary]

Left handed Kimber (original Kimber) rifle in 222 for $700. I bought an Enfield sniper instead.

 

[yellowcarbon]

Here is a sorry story: I sold off my only NFA toy, a Cobray M-11/9, for a down payment on a house listed at $215K. I got the money ready but the deal fell through. The house has since appriciated to $315K in one year. So I am out my M-11/9 and house. Beat that!

On the up side, here are some of the deal I have found:

Ruger GP-100 3" stainless for $150-friend needed money
Winchester 1300 Defender for $100-Same friend needed money
Ruger Mini-14 for $250-Same friend needed more money
Winchester 94 .30-30 for $80-found at garage sale
Winchester 1200 for $60-found at garage sale
Colt Official Police 4" for Free-Cousin gave it to me

He givith and he takith away!

 

[Randy in Arizona]

Off the topic of guns, but - -
a Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso for $6000 in about 1971.
Now worth about $200,000 to $250,000.
Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso

Now back to guns - -
The three dealer examples I could have bought from Colt for $600 each, Fully Transferable M16s - - :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
The M60s for less than $2K, other toys I coulda, shoulda, yadda, yadda - - :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

 

[grampster]

Traded my Ithica Featherweight 12 ga pump + an M1 Carbine AND a Beretta Minx .22 for an Ithica Mod 1200 semi auto in .20ga (the pretty one with the pheasants engraved on the polished receiver)with a full choke barrel and a deerslayer barrel, even up. SOB. Why didn't I just buy the new Ithica and keep the others. Woe is me. I was in my late 20's so that may be a partial excuse for my stupidity :banghead: .

 

[RocketMan]

I once passed up an absolutely cherry Rockola M1 carbine, only $300.
And I had the $300. It was worth considerably more then, and now.

 

[Gunwalker.44]

44 mag Desert Eagle less than 200 rounds through it for $500 *sob*
I've since discovered proper guns (Ruger).

 

[M2 Carbine]

I've passed up several good buys at the gun shows with, "I'll think about it". Then when I realise that I should have bought the gun, it was already sold.

The worst ones I let get away was when a NRA member could buy guns from the government dirt cheap.
With most of the guns you could only buy one a year. Since they were so avaliable and cheap most people didn't get many.
I just got one each,
New 1911A1, $20
New 03A3 Springfield, $14.50
New 03A4 Springfield, $14.50
and the used M1 Carbine was a ripoff at $20

Then to, I could buy almost anything, from Lugers to anti tank guns mail order and delivered to the house. How about $30 Lugers?

 

[Eightball]

M2--however you got those deals , sign me up!!!

 

[Brian Williams]

I missed a S&W 10-14 on the S&W forums, They only made 37 of them.