[Dave Bulla]

Well, I'm just about physically sick over a deal I missed recently.

There's a local gun shop that I've bought several guns from in the last few years and a former coworker from my last job now works there. He called my house and left a message for me about a Mauser rifle that they'd gotten in or something like that. I didn't get the message personally, just that my wife told me about it. I called them a few days later and they were closed because of the big snow storm we had. I then more or less forgot about the whole thing.

Went to the store Wednesday just to look around and also to find out what they'd called about. He said they'd gotten in a Mauser custom in 257 Roberts which is a caliber I've been looking for because my Dad can't handle much recoil anymore being on heart medicine an blood thinners. (Causes bad bruising) I perked right up but then he said they'd already sold it to the first guy that looked at it. Back down came the excitement. But hey he says, it's still here. He just put it on layaway. Wanna see it?

Well sure!

He goes to the back and comes walking out with possibly the sweetest, trimmest manlicher stocked custom Mauser I've ever seen in my life. I'm talking better looking than most real Mannlicher-Schönauer or Steyr-Mannlicher rifles I've seen. Superb wood to metal fit everywhere. Obvious quality hand checkering in a unique pattern. A vintage Weaver K4 with the target dot reticule. I was instantly in lust but also more or less instantly figured I'd never have been able to afford the thing anyway. This was something that I'd expect to see a price of a grand or better on. Then I reached up and looked at the tag and kinda spit up in my mouth a little.... Get this, the price? $375. I'm still disgusted with myself.

Oh well, win some and loose some I guess.

 

[broom_jm]

Buddy of mine was given a pre-'64 Model 70 in 30'-06, as a high school graduation gift from his dad. He hunted all over California, Alaska, Arizona and parts of New York with that gun, but then he got hard up for money and made the decision to pawn it. He said he thought about asking me for a loan, but his pride got in the way and he took it into a pawn shop. Well, needless to say, he didn't keep up on the payments and when he finally told me where it was, we rushed down to the shop only to find it had been sold about 2 weeks before.

I would have paid full price to get that gun and just hold it for him, til he could pay me back. So, maybe that's not the best deal I've ever missed out on, but I sure wish he'd told me about his dilemma a little earlier.

 

[FNMAUSER]

I went to a gun show and this older guy a quite the spread of pre 64 Winchester model 70's. The two rifles that caught my eye immediately were a 264 Win Mag and a Safari Grade 375 H&H. Both rifles were 90-95% condition. I hagled with this guy for a while and we couldn't come to a final price. I told him that I would be back later that afternoon. When I got back both rifles were gone. I could of had them for a combined total of 1200 dollars. Thats the same price I saw on the last 264 that I have seen for sale.

 

[Harry Snippe]

I have not much use for any one trying to Hagle down a price when the add says so much firm . If you would take less then you would not say firm after the price .
This is just a practice my father used on the farm where he could some times get a better price on a cow . Usually the better price came when he bought the lot not just one .
If I was willing to Hagle then the asking price would be a lot more than I needed and I hear then the asking price was way out of line .

 

[MontyF]

Guess part of my problem is when I see something I've been wanting, I buy it. Sometimes I've paid more than I should but don't have many could've, would've, should've in my life.

 

[Davers]

A few years back, when I liived In Evansville, Indiana; I attended a gunshow where I found a Winchester Model 75 Sporter in almost perfect condition. Well the price made me want to think about buying it so I walked around the show for awhile and decided to go ahead and buy the little Winchester .22 LR sporter. I went back to the area where it was and someone beat me to it! I should have went ahead and bought it the first time I saw it BOY WHAT A MISTAKE!! I also had a chance to buy a Weatherby Mark V in .460 Weatherby Mag. with two boxes of factory ammo all for under $600!!!! I passed that chance up too as I really didn't know what I could use it for since there are no Elephants running around Indiana. Been a neat rifle just to own and shoot occasionally though.

 

[Tnhunter]

It's probably been 8 or 9 years, but I still recall looking at the used gun rack in a Connecticut gun store and finding a mint Marlin 336 in .35 Rem made in 1954. Just the type older lever rifle I've always wanted in .35, but I decided not to buy it since I already had a 336ER. The price..... $250. I ain't as bright as I ougtta be sometimes.

 

[Davers]

It's probably been 8 or 9 years, but I still recall looking at the used gun rack in a Connecticut gun store and finding a mint Marlin 336 in .35 Rem made in 1954. Just the type older lever rifle I've always wanted in .35, but I decided not to buy it since I already had a 336ER. The price..... $250. I ain't as bright as I ougtta be sometimes.

Back in the late '60's; I saw a well used Marlin 336 in .219 Zipper at a gun store. I didn't buy it as there was no .219 Zipper ammo being loaded at that time (1969).

 

[tnslim]

About 20 years ago a guy had a 3 barrel Kreighoff drilling that was the most beautiful firearm I had ever handled. I offered him $2000 and he turned it down. The next week he sold it for $1800 to a guy who let it rust in his basement.

 

[spitfire_er]

I missed out on a real Dragonov rifle a few years back in 7.62X54R. It was the real deal, not a PSL. They had it at Cabelas for $1,300. I should have bought it, they were selling for $6,000 plus at the time.

 

[spitfire_er]

Back in the late '60's; I saw a well used Marlin 336 in .219 Zipper at a gun store. I didn't buy it as there was no .219 Zipper ammo being loaded at that time (1969).

I've seen one of these, and it got picked up by a co-worker at the time when I worked in the gun dept. I think he paid $350-$400 for it.

 

[Oberndorf]

None ever got by me

If I saw something that I really liked at a decent price, I either bought it or put it on layaway. I learned long ago from listening to others say how they almost bought, could have bought or should have bought something. Not everything interests me, but if I see it and really want it I strike like a cobra. Take care...
Oberndorf

 

[M1Garand]

A couple of years ago I went to a gun auction from a collection where most guns were fired only a few times, if at all. I picked up my 348 Win for a pretty good price and was going to bid on a pre '64 M70 in 300 H & H. I want to say it was made in the 50's. I put in a few bids and it went a little higher than I wanted and quit...looking back it wasn't that high and I should've tried a little harder.

 

[bruceissippi]

Last year a woman was selling her ex-husband's stuff since he was/is in prison for a long spell ( and won't be able to own firearms after he gets out ). There was a Rem 700 is 8mm Mag with a Schmidt & Bender scope that was going for $650. I told her what it was really worth but she said $650 was the set price - I went to work, thought some more about it, called her back but it was to late. There was also a Honda Rancher 4 wheeler - new on a new trailer - for $1000 - it went away fast, too.

 

[Jakeway]

I haven't seen any of these exotic deals. The one that comes to mind most often was a dandy Browning A Bolt (original style, not the A Bolt II) in .284 WIN for around $350. I didn't know anything about the .284 at the time, so I didn't bite.

The other was a sweet little SKB side by side 12 guage choked Improved and Modified. It would have made a fantastic rabbit gun. I mentioned it to my brother, who had the exact same gun, and he said I must be mistaken on the chokes, because he had to special order his in that configuration. He paid double what this gun was being sold for. But, I was newly married and in college, so there was no way I could spend any money at all on guns.

 

[Brotus2]

This is a story of a gun I didn't loose!

Back in the early 80's, when I first started collecting, I was totally into old Winchester levers - 73's, 86's, 90's, 92's amd 94's. I must have been a cowboy in an earlier life. I saw an ad in the paper for an '86 and went to see it. It turned out to be an '86 that had totally been refinished. It was absolutely beautiful but I was not interested in anything that wasn't original. The price was $800.00 and I turned it down. Back then you could get a REAL one for that price.

I gave the guy my phone number in case he came across an unfinished Winnie. A couple of weeks later the guy called and said the gun was still for sale and the price was now $600.00. I turned it down again. A week later he called and said $400.00. I couldn't pass it up. I bought it. It was just too **** beautiful to turn down at that price.

The '86 was a 45-70 with half octogon/half round barrel and 2/3 mag. It was a 4 digit serial number. The wood (stocks) were the prettiest wood I have ever seen on a Win lever and the finish was magnificent. The blue was like a royal blue Colt. Checkering so deep and pure it would cut your palms. Case hardened to the ninth degree.

I put it in the safe for the next 25 years and only took it out to clean and oil it. About a year ago I really looked at it. On the barrel was the name W.H. Hobaugh. I figured he must have been the previous owner. While doing the gun forums I saw that name in reference to a renound (spelling) barrel maker who often teamed up with a stock maker named Al Beisen. Beisen was known to sign his name on the stock under the buttplate. I took the buttplate off and there was Beisen's name.

I know guys like Turnbull get really big bucks for their refinishing (restorations) so I figure I have an '86 that has to be worth more than 400 bucks. I have since started reloading for it an shooting it occasionally. I'll tell you, it draws a crowd at the range.

 

[nvshooter]

Failing to go through the rigors to register my original Colt SP-1 as a machinegun way back in 1983. I could have done it for a measly $200. That was big money to a guy making about that much a week after taxes. I had another chance in 1985 to register an SGW lower with push-pin takedown, but didn't. I was in college and $200 was a lot of money. Then, as we all know, it all came to a screeching halt in May of 1986...

 

[magnumitis]

Probably a Colt Mustang PocketLite for $250 a few years back.

 

[land&groove]

Once Upon A Time, some years back, I had the chance to pick-up a .44 Auto Mag. The Gun was in the mahogany red felt lined case with an extra magazine, Dies, the whole package. The Guy that owned it didn't want to sell it, he wanted to trade it for some backpacking gear I owned!. I really had no clue at that time what it was, or what it was worth. Sometimes lookin' back, ya' just have to laugh.

 

[jack j]

I missed out on a NIB Ruger #1b -300 Wby mag, dealer looking for $700. I was going on vacation and wanted to think about it. By the time I got home it was too late.