True Bargain Stories

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Within last 4 years-

S&W Military & Police .38 Special for $65 from a pawnshop.

S&W Model 14-3 off AuctionArms for $100.

Colt Diamondback .38 from a pawn dealer at a show for $180 (OK, 6 years ago but still cheap).

S&W Combat Masterpiece .38 made in 1951 for $135 off GunBroker.

Same in .22 from same source for $265 (not as good a deal but not terrible).

Colt Metropolitan .38 in almost new condition for $150 off one of the auction sites.

Colt Police Positive Special (c.1922) for $85 from auction site.

S&W M27-2 in unfired condition with case and all for $321 from auction site.

S&W M57 4" nickel in nice shape for $325 at auction.

S&W 2" M10-5 for $150 (auction site).

5" nickel M27 c. 1959 for $299 from a pawnshop.

For me part of the fun in gun buying is getting a good deal. I rarely feel like I paid too much.
 
A few weeks ago I picked up a ~1967 S&W Model 19 in near mint condition with no drag line for $240 at Gander Mountain.Kid told me he thought it was a Taurus
Click to expand...

Nickle plated 19 (-3 I think), pinned and recessed. $200. Definatly used, but a sweet shooter.

No other deals quite that good.
 
Marlin 39 something Pistol grip carbine no gold trigger $100.
'03 Springfield cut for pederson device $100
New stock and hand guard for '03 Springfield 4 boxes of 1-1/8 oz #7.5 shot (reloaded)
 
Until I read snarlingiron's post, I just thought I got a good deal....:D

In about 1995, I walked into a local pawn shop, and spied what I thought was a SAA clone, due to the price sticker. Some unknown person had done an outstanding pro -quality job of buffing off all of the blue. :confused: . The lady who runs the shop handed it to me, and told me " It was some sort of fake, cause it was not a .45". I paid 125.00 and walked away with a 2nd gen. 5.5 inch, .357 mag. SAA, made in 1962, (I think). I paid a local gun smith 35.00, for a re blue, and it looks wonderful. Only 1 person in all the time I've had it, has noticed the blue isn't quite correct. He said I killed the value by reblueing it. :D :D
 
About a year ago I went into a pawn shop and saw a Colt Officer's Model Match revolver in about 90% condition for $389. Average price. As I examined it, I realized that pulling the trigger would only rotate the cylinder, not pull back the hammer.

This one was one of the few Single Action Only Colt OMMs made. This puts the value around about $1000. I bought it immediately. It shoots great!

-John
 
Some time back, a fellow gave me a trunk full of spent range brass from a police range. I kept the .38 Specials, but the .32 S&WL's, which filled a gallon ZipLoc bag, were declared as excess and given away. After all, I had enjoyed .45 caliber for nearly four decades, having never touched a .38/.357 revolver until 9/03. Some years back, I bought a few 1895 Nagant revolvers - and tried some .32's - neat little round, although the cases were ruined by the tapered chambers of the Nagants. Hmmm, now I wanted a .32... I began modifying .32-20 cases to reload for the Nagants... I wanted more!

All the el-cheapo old .32's, even the break tops, that once graced every pawn shop's shelves were suddenly gone. I thought too long over the S&W 432PD - it was gone. Then the Ruger .32's were axed... but I did get a new BHG 4.6" SS SSM on closeout last February. Horrid example, it took some time to clean up the burrs & tool marks - poorest QC of any new Ruger - but what a fun shooter. I lamented the passing of the SP101's in .32...

YESTERDAY found me meeting a cross-town friend at my pusher's - they had a levergun he wanted. I glanced over everything - then the used case... A LNIB 4" .32 SP101 for $275! I got it for a little less, cleaned the drool from their display case, and went home for a change of pants. Diligence. Perseverance. Blind luck. Credit card.

Stainz

PS Where the heck is that bag-o-.32's??
 
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hmmm... last fall a lady in my church's chior decided to sell one of her old duty guns. I had asked her if she had any guns she wanted rid of earlier that year. She had a smith .357 I offered 200.00 sight unseen if it was at least "decent" well we had the deal untill I remembered an associate pastor friend of mine was lookin for a centerfire- his first. Well , I went back to her and said I could not but Ken was needin it -and if he decided no I would take it. Well it ended up bein a really clean modell 66 4 inch and she only wanted 180.00 ...:what: He loves it. Well this spring my friend and her husband decide to move out of state and go to bible school. She says that she wanted to sell her last two guns- an old 38 and a magnum... I did not know what they were but I said I'd give her 250.00 - based on the fact that I got a BRAND NEW 19 6 inch for 150.00 a year and a half before and not really knowing what she had... well I get to the house and there was a SW model 10 4 inch taper barrel holster worn but great mechanical... AND a 90-95% 2.5 19... I told her she could get alot more.. she would only take 220.00 for BOTH so....

The 6 inch 19 I had gotten before those was a gun a buddy's dad had. He wanted a crossbow and the guys would only give him 150.00 for it. I told my friend to buy it! He PASSED! I told his dad to keep it and he would not. I said before he traded it I't take it. It had a box ot two through it tops. A trigger job later by an old friend ex police chief and it is just SWEET...

those were the most recent... not counting outright gifts I have recieved from friend who just did not want them. :)
 
Yes I know it's not a revolver but, I recently picked up a Winchester Model 12 "Heavy Duck" with a 30-inch barrel & fixed full choke in about 95% NRA Condition for $395.00 from a medically retired motorcycle police officer. It belonged to his grandfather, who passed away a couple of years ago and left to him - but this person had no interest in "old fashioned" pump actions and just wanted to "get rid of it since all it did was hold down the carpet in the bedroom closet" (his exact words).
 
Last weekend I bought an 1100 Remington for $160 and a free background check. This summer a 650 Mec reloader came home with me for only $5, 500 AA hulls and a 1000 wads included!!!
 
my best buy on a handgun was when i traded a used but not abused s&w model 13 that i paid $150 for a few years earlier to a guy at a gunshow for a 1968 pinned s&w model 27 in the box and around 98%. i gave him my mod 13 and $100 otd for the mod 27.. that was probably 16 years ago i still have the model 27 that only cost $250!
 
S&W Model 10 I bought from a guy walking around a gun show for $135.
Turned out to be a 1905 Fourth Change worth $400 or so.
Of course I found that out after I sold it for $200.
 
My first tour in Viet Nam, I brought a Colt M357 and a few hundred rounds of handloads -- 148-grain hollowbase wadcutters loaded backwards and more Unique than current manuals recommend. A friend of mine, going home, gave me a little .38 snubbie and a pot full of ammo for it -- mostly GI FMJs and wadcutters.

One day, in the TOC of the 18th ARVN Division I saw a Viet Namese Air Force Lieutenant with a cowboy-style belt and holster and a very interesting revolver butt sticking out -- yep, a 2 1/2" Colt Python. I went over and admired it. In the course of our discussion, he said, "I can't get right ammunition."

So naturally, I said, "Ah, Thieu Uy, I have the right ammunition for that gun -- come tomorrow and I'll give you some."

The next day, I took a couple hundred rounds of my .357 handloads to the TOC, and dropped the little .38 snubbie and a few dozen rounds of powder-puff wadcutters into my pocket.

After the lieutenant thanked me for the ammo, I suggested, "Let's go shoot our guns." He was all for it, so we went out to the berm and he cut down on a bamboo stalk with one of my handloads. A ball of fire engulfed his fist, and he stood there stunned, with the front sight kissing his forehead. :p

I pulled out my snubbie and fired a few rounds -- he flinched at each one, then realization dawned. "You want change guns?"

"Oh, I couldn't do that! This gun was a gift from a friend."

"But you big man, have little gun. I little man, with big gun."

"Well . . . no, I can't."

"But I pilot! Maybeso I get shot down! Need good gun!"

"Well, since you put it that way. ":D
 
Single Six with both cylinders for $50 a couple of years ago. I had been looking for a used one for over 3 years before that. They're scarce as hens teeth around these parts.

Scott
 
Recently picked up a Marlin 989 (22lr semiauto) with a nice leather sling and a Bushnell scope for $70. ;)

Maybe not the deal of a lifetime, but considering prices in MD.......
 
This Smith & Wesson target with letter off Gunbroker, delivered for less then 300.00 dollars.
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Not long ago, like June, I picked up a Russian Makarov and an old Smith Model 10-4 for right at $320. Not super, but not too bad either....
 
I wish I had a story like that on a great revolver!
My only time to find a bargain was at a pawn shop about 5 years ago. they had a semi-auto shotgun that had been painted green, sorta a home made camo job. It was tagged for $89. As I looked it over, I realized that it was a Win. model 50, it turned out to be a 1961 model.
The paint cleaned off easily and I had a beautiful old Win. 12ga.
 
my best was at a yard salei was looking at 2 old fishing rods when i noticed this old holster i walked over and noticed that there was a pistol in it i asked if it was for sale and shesaid it was and she wanted 300.00 for it i looked in it and i nearly fainted it was a colt bisley 45 i paid the lady and grinned all the way to the safe
 
I have a friend in the funeral business who had a little old lady in his office who's husband had just passed away and she was making funeral arrangements and didn't have much insurance or money to pay. She asked if he would consider taking a revolver as part of the payment and proceeded to pull out a 1930's S&W box with an unturned S&W .357 still in the brown wrapping paper it came with, 3 digit serial number. He recognized that it was going to be a rare pistol and excused himself for a few moments and went upstairs and called S&W and gave the model number and description, the person he talked to at S&W offered him $1500 for the unseen pistol, more if he was truly interested in selling it after he could look at it. He still has it stored in the same box in his safe.
 
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Here's my pawn shop "rescue" favorite.

I found this in a S.Ga. gun/pawnshop about ten years ago. Story was an older gentleman who had a propensity for "firewater" would pawn this S&W 49 Bodyguard and a few other firearms near the end of each month.. After his check came in on the 1st of the following month he would redeem them all, just to start the cycle over as the amount of money left at the end of each month couldn't cover his booze bill.

For some reason this month he failed to redeem the nickel Bodyguard.. I redeemed it for ME for (I think) $250.00

The Bodyguard is not perfect as there are a few minor "flecks" in the nickle on the left side, but very minor. My theory is that it spent a lot of time laying on it's left side in a drawer someplace.

I love the older pre-lock J-frames.

Best Wishes,

J. Pomeroy
 
2 deals come to mind....

Guy at a gun show comes to my table with a gym bag o' Smith. 6" M&P, 4" M&P, and 4" blue M13, P&R. I asked him how much for the lot, and he replied $400. Not a hard decision to make.

Next, I bought FROM A GUN SHOP a blue 4" 29-2 in the wooden presentation case for $265 OTD. Interior of the case was ratty, (as usual), and some of the flocking was adhering to the grips. Cleaned up okay, tho'.
 
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