I bought a few guns last year, more than I'd intended to. A Henry 22 mag, Ruger Predator 308, and a Winchester Model 12 with aftermarket trap wood and Cutts adjustable choke to name the front-runners. But the best "deal" was the last one of the year, and my wife made it. Last Saturday, we went to an antique/junk store we like to pick up a couple things for the farm. He had for (private) sale a Marlin 60 stainless carbine and a Remington 788 in 6mm Remington, topped with a period-correct 4x Japanese scope. I hadn't aimed to ask about them, but Mrs. Mac told me that if I liked one of them and they weren't too much, she'd make me a gift of one. So I enquired, and when the man said $400 for the pair, she stepped up and wrote a check for them! I wound up passing on part of my good fortune to a friend, and gave him the Marlin since he was sort of "down on his luck" and without a 22. Just waiting on brass and dies to show up to shoot the Remington, I have hopes it'll be a crackerjack of a rifle!
Mac