Gun deals passed by and you're still kicking yourself

B

Brutus

New member
Title says it all so I'll start.
Back in the mid seventies I was on a fishing trip in northern Wisconsin, at the time I was in my mid 20's and on a limited budget. After we all got settled in our resort cabin off to town we went for bait. Typical north woods sporting goods store with plenty of 25 to 30lb Musky, 8 to 12lb. Walleye mounts adorning the walls, as I browsed the store waiting for the owner to take care of other fishermen I spied, in a glass case, the holy grail of semiauto pistols. It was a used Colt match target in pristine condition. Price was $150. Had to take a pass as my budget was dedicated to food bait and beer but to this day I kick myself for not buying it and driving home.
 
Haha, mine wasn't nearly that long ago. I'll guess that it was maybe 2012 or so, at a gun show one dealer had a S&W Model 547, square butt, 4" barrel. This is the 9mm chambered K-frame with the odd extractor/ejector setup. S&W made around 12,000 of these and they were mostly a commercial failure.

I want to say he had it tagged at $400 and I likely could have taken it for $375, but it just seemed like a curio or oddity. So I left it there. No original box or anything but in fantastic shape.

These days, they are "collectible" and some of the actual selling prices are, well, nuts.
 
You snooze, you lose. !!!

Back in the mid-90's, there was a biker that walked in a local GS, carrying a 45/70 Sharps falling block, in one hand and a SS Ruger Old Army, in the other. Asked him what he wanted for the Ruger and he stated that he did not know, just wanted to sell it and to make him an offer. I offered him $80.00 and he took it. Shook hands, said thanks and walked away. I guess I was so surprised that I never asked him what he wanted, for the Sharps ....... :mad:

Be Safe !!!
 
I hesitated on a Colt mustang for $349 for a day and it sold. I stupidly didn't buy a browning sweet sixteen for $375 once. Working at the pawn shop, I can't buy everything, which is just so unfortunate.
 
I mainly wish I had bought a few SKS's. I love my Yugo M59 (non-66) but when they were going for $350 before, they are now at over $600! Incredible!

Even beat-to-crap Chinese models are getting quite expensive, and they're the only real "economy" option left for the SKS anyway... Maybe I'd be smart to grab a couple of THOSE while I'm still willing to pay for them...

The only other good buy I still kick myself for, is the AR-180 I saw for about $600 bucks right after Sandy Hook... I didn't know anything about, and I didn't want to regret it. But at that time, it was still legal in NY, and something that not a lot of people have. Too bad...
 
I was at a gun show a few years back and haggled a guy down to $400 for a pristine old Winchester lever action 357. But I hemmed and hawed for so long that by the time I decided to buy it, the transfer desk at the show was closed down and I lost my chance. Still regret it.
 
During the early years of the Great Obama Recession, basic HK P7s could be had for as little as ~$600-$650. I wish I would have bought 10 at that price, especially the M8 models, which were a bit more then, but drive HK Fan Boys absolutely BONKERS!!! :eek:

If I had bought 10 back then, I would have sold 8 by now and kept one pristine "museum piece" and one shooter/CCW.
 
Regrets....a few. Been a few years ago but these come to mind. Browning Renaissance three gun set for $2000, a Colt Python for $600, and a Wilson Combat Super Grade for $3000.
 
Back when the Colt anacondas and king cobras were new on the market, I wish I had bought both. They weren't much of a bargain back then but a whole lot less than they are today.
 
+1 to T45, passed on a King Cobra for $400 at a gun show in MN back in the mid 1990's.

Round about the same time - Colt Sistema 1911's were readily available and affordable. I watched the owner of Dam Road Gun Shop in Delavan Wisconsin open a crate of 50+ of them. All had unique grips, sights, and finishes...
 
Gun deals past by and your still kicking yourself
Title says it all so I'll start.
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late 80s. Gun shop had a stainless Ruger mark II Target, for the same price as the Taurus .357 I'd ordered. I still regret not getting that.

Mid '90s. Guy at a gun shop was trying to sell the proprietor a Taurus .44 Special snub. They couldn't reach agreement. I still wish I'd tried to catch the guy in the parking lot afterwards.
 
Gun deals past by and your still kicking yourself

Not a handgun deal but still wanted it bad! Couple of years ago saw an M1A Scout, NIB w/3-20 rd mags and leather sling on Gunbroker with a "Buy Now" price of $1,200. Unfortunately, that was the same week my payroll department had screwed up and shorted me one of my runs from the previous week. By the time everything was straightened out, the rifle was long gone.
 
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I was stationed at Ft. Bragg back in the early 90s. I am over at a buddy's house and he is getting ready to get out and selling off a few things. He pulls out a WWII era 1911 and offers it to me for $250. I told him I'd have to talk to the wife. My other buddy right next to me ponies up the cash on the spot. He still has it. Book is about $4500.

Late 90s at Ft. Hood. Hit one of the gun shops and notice three nickle Colt Pythons in the case in 95% condition for $450 each. Someone had just brought in a collection from a deceased relative. The owner wants to flip them quick and offers to sell them all to me for $1200. I decline and buy just one. I get home and can't sleep that night wondering.... I go back first thing in the morning and of course they are gone.
 
Don't get me started on this....

The M1D Garand for $600, the double rifle for $1200, the matched pair of shotguns for $900......kinda brings a tear to the eye, doesn't it?
 
Just one: I had the option of buying a Luger in 2013 for $700.00 always wanted one. I had the cash but was trying to get it knocked down 100 because it had been in the store for a year. Came back a few days later and it was gone... Still kicking myself over that one.
 
Back in the mid 80s I saw a HK 93 for sale for $600. I wanted very much to buy it but passed and have regretted it ever since. Now they don't make them anymore and they go for well over $2000.

Another deal I missed was on a Russian Dragunov. I saw one sitting in a pawn shop and asked the owner if it was for sale but he had already sold it to the guy who just walked out the door. He told me he sold it for $600. If I walked in 30 minutes earlier it would have been mine.

On the bright side, there are lots of deals that I didn't miss.
 
Mine was a sporterized Mauser in 257 Roberts. Nice beautiful walnut montecarlo wood stock. Double set trigger. Jeweled bolt and a Leopold 3-9 VX-1 all for $200. I didn't need it at the time but now I'd like to have it because it was a beautiful gun and would be fantastic for antelope. Not to mention the scope alone was worth the 200 bucks.
 
The one I always bring up is when I turned 21 in the late 70's, I went to buy a 22 revolver. I bought a H&R Sportsman 999,But for less than a hundred more could have had a Smith and Wesson 17.

More recently, about 4 years ago,a friend called and said his nephew was selling a SW 686 four inch for $400. I was just laid off at work and afraid to spend the money. A week later I had another job,but missed the deal
 
Six years ago I passed on a 1949 Colt 1911 in .38 Super for $829. It was in fantastic condition. Regretted it ever since.
 
When I went to gun shows in 1990 or so, they had stacks of Chinese SKS's and Tokarevs for $89 apiece. IIRC, some of the Toks were in 9mm. They also had Russian commercial Makarovs for cheap.

I had already "overpaid" for a Chinese SKS and a Russian Makarov within the previous year or so ($149 each), so I wasn't interested in them.

I didn't really pay attention to the Chinese Toks in 9mm. I guess they would have been Model 213's. Ironically, I finally got one last year by trading two other pistols I didn't want. I wish I had just spent the $89 back then so I could have been shooting it for 25 more years.

I don't recall the exact prices, but the Norinco 1911's were very good deals back then too.
 
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