The Gun That Got Away

[cash_tx]

What is your story of the Gun(s) That Got Away? For me, I can think of three examples:

1. In about 1992, my dad and I were at a gun shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma looking at a pre-owned Remington Model Seven in 7mm-08 with a Burris 3-9X scope on it. It was in perfect condition; and if memory serves, they were asking about $450 for it. We handled the gun for a long time and discussed the pro's and con's of buying it; and for reasons that escape me now, decided not to buy it that day. I have thought about that gun ever since, and still have never owned a Remington Model Seven, nor any other rifle in 7mm-08.

2. In 2019, I was at my local Scheel's store looking at a pre-owned Smith & Wesson 1500 in .270 Win.; which had a very scratched up wooden stock, but the metal looked really good both inside and out. For a price of $299, I thought it might make a neat project to refinish the stock in some sort of oil-rubbed finish. Again, for some unknown reason, I decided not to buy a rifle that I didn't need; but to this day, I think it would have made a great finished project (not to mention the renowned accuracy of those Howa barreled actions).

3. The one that really gets to me is a JC Higgins Model 50 in 270 Winchester that I spotted on ArmsList about 3 years ago. It was for sale locally for about $450 and had a beautifully figured aftermarket walnut stock. I should have jumped on it more quickly; as not surprisingly, it was sold within a few days. Oh well, at least I have one in 30-06 with a similarly beautiful aftermarket walnut stock as a consolation.

What is your "Gun That Got Away"?

 

[BourbonTrail]

Barrett M99, 50 BMG for $3500 with 200 Rds of Ammo.

 

[GeorgeGibbs505]

4 Bore double rifle at the Las Vegas antique arms show for $25,000. Tried like hell but couldn’t get the funds.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Two years ago, Sabatti 9.3x74R $2700.00 at a now closed gun shop…. Asked myself “and do what with it”? Still kicking myself over that one….

 

[JimP]

A pair of Automags in 44 magnum with 2 357 Automag barrels with consecutive serial numbers, loading dies for both cartridges.

All for $2500 way back in 1980

I'm still kicking myself on that one.

 

[baxterb]

1) the Mini-menacer full-auto bb-gun. Just never had the money as a kid to get one.

2) an old Ruger 1A 7x57 that shot lights out. What a moron I was to sell that.

 

[Safari Dave]

2 that comes to mind:

- A pristine, original, M-1 Garand "Tanker" at a gun show in Houston in 2000 for $200. - My brain just wouldn't engage and I left the place without it.

- A Sako 85 in 7mm Remington Mag, stainless with "Soft Touch" surface treatment on a synthetic stock with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10 x 50 scope mounted with Sako ring mounts for $700 at a local gun store. It stayed in there for at least a month. I was stricken with "paralysis by analysis".

I was sitting in my office, 2 miles away when it finally dawned on me that that was one heck of a deal on one heck of a rifle and I went tearing across town to find the spot on the rack bare...

(6 years later, I still look there once a week to see if it will, magically, reappear)

 

[Tom Leoni]

It was about 15 years ago that I had bought a *mint* Jeffery Mauser in .333 Nitro Express--didn't even pay all that much for it, all things considered. If I recall correctly it was in the $3,000 range. It came topped with a lovely Lyman Alaskan 2 1/2X in German claw mounts. I had also acquired the dies and components to handload the cartridge, and just days ago in my basement I found an unopened box of Woodleigh 300 grain bullets for it.

Well, long story short I sold it to finance the purchase of a 17th-century fencing treatise (one of my other passions). The only reason why I'm not still kicking myself is that I have gradually drifted away from bolt actions and towards single-shot falling blocks. Still, though.... Hey, at least I still have the treatise...

 

[sestoppelman]

Frankonia 98 Mauser Sporter 7x64 BEA Corp marked barrel. Pure foolishness, been looking for it ever since!

1890 Winchester .22 WRF. Gift from grand dad. Broke, needed cash.

Savage 99 .303 Savage. Gift from great uncle. As above.

BRNO 602 .300 Win mag, worst trade I ever made, bar none!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

A pre war M70 30-06 in fair shape. They only had $1100 on it. But I didn’t need 3 30-06s.

 

[Newboomer]

Frankonia 98 Mauser Sporter 7x64 BEA Corp marked barrel. Pure foolishness, been looking for it ever since!

1890 Winchester .22 WRF. Gift from grand dad. Broke, needed cash.

Savage 99 .303 Savage. Gift from great uncle. As above.

BRNO 602 .300 Win mag, worst trade I ever made, bar none!

Semi sporterized 1917 Enfield 30-06. Bought it at a flea market in 1962 for next to nothing. It shot one holers at 100 yards with anything I stuffed into it. Years later I sold it. Been kicking myself ever since.

 

[BourbonTrail]

It was about 15 years ago that I had bought a *mint* Jeffery Mauser in .333 Nitro Express--didn't even pay all that much for it, all things considered. If I recall correctly it was in the $3,000 range. It came topped with a lovely Lyman Alaskan 2 1/2X in German claw mounts. I had also acquired the dies and components to handload the cartridge, and just days ago in my basement I found an unopened box of Woodleigh 300 grain bullets for it.

Well, long story short I sold it to finance the purchase of a 17th-century fencing treatise (one of my other passions). The only reason why I'm not still kicking myself is that I have gradually drifted away from bolt actions and towards single-shot falling blocks. Still, though.... Hey, at least I still have the treatise...

View attachment 496324

Agrippa?

 

[Tom Leoni]

Fabris--the greatest of all.

 

[Ragman]

There’s two that I let go to fund other rifles. One was a Ruger #1 in .270 that was a real looker. But the one that I regret the most was the first rifle that I ever bought myself when I was 21…a Smith & Wesson 1500 in 7mm Rem Mag. I shot a lot of deer and quite a few moose with that rifle. And it went to Namibia with me for my first African hunt. A few months after I had to go the gun shop to see if I could buy it back but it was gone. To quote Forrest Gump “Stupid is as stupid does”!

 

[colorado]

Well i don't have any guns that "got away", but my 4 best purchases were my BDL in 270 Win that I shot many elk, deer, javelina and bears with and gave to my son. Still looks good and accurate as hell. My CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery, my Springfield V16 LongSlide in 45 Super, and finally my Springfield Pro in 45 ACP.

 

[Trail Rated]

My dad had an M1 carbine that he got surplus from the Detroit Police Dept. when the department converted to AR15s. I believe my uncle, a DPD officer, got it for him around 1970 for $25. My dad hunted with it until about 1980 when he traded it in because “it didn’t shoot well” and got a Remington 742 instead. So I ended up with my dad’s $200 Remington when I could have had a priceless DPD milsurp M1 carbine .

 

[Money d Luffy]

Russian Tigr Dragunov. Still regret not selling something to purchase it.

 

[PerH]

Mauser ,custom built by gunsmith here,laminate stock, safari sights,scope mount, Vektor Magnum action .500 Jeffery,price 1000 US.
Just before .510 were looked upon as " dangerous " here .

 

[wildwilderness]

I had a Barrett Fieldcraft in my cart multiple times in .243 win for $1,100 clearance. Decided I didn’t really need another deer rifle…. A few months later Barrett announced they were discontinuing all Fieldcrafts and prices doubled! Would have been a perfect caliber in that light weight rifle shooting heavies with the tight twist and 2.99” COAL!

(At least I have one in 7-08 )

 

[cash_tx]

2 that comes to mind:

- A pristine, original, M-1 Garand "Tanker" at a gun show in Houston in 2000 for $200. - My brain just wouldn't engage and I left the place without it.

- A Sako 85 in 7mm Remington Mag, stainless with "Soft Touch" surface treatment on a synthetic stock with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10 x 50 scope mounted with Sako ring mounts for $700 at a local gun store. It stayed in there for at least a month. I was stricken with "paralysis by analysis".

I was sitting in my office, 2 miles away when it finally dawned on me that that was one heck of a deal on one heck of a rifle and I went tearing across town to find the spot on the rack bare...

(6 years later, I still look there once a week to see if it will, magically, reappear)

Interesting. I was recently researching the history of "Tanker" Garands, as my late father had one in his collection (my brother claimed it when we divided everything up). Based upon an article published a couple years ago by the NRA, it seems like the military never actually issued any shorter versions of the M1 Garand for duty; although they did some experimental testing with some in the Pacific during WWII (the results did not impress the review board). According to the article, what we collectors know as "Tanker" Garands were actually built by the commercial market starting in the early 1960's using surplus parts. From what I can tell about the one from my father's collection, it was built on a Winchester M1 Garand action dated around 1943; but there is no indication of who actually assembled it. Regardless, it is a cool looking gun and fun to shoot. The one you saw in Houston for $200 sounds like the deal of the century. That price is literally drool-worthy.

PS - that Sako 85 sounds like another deal of a century, and that price...wow. And I too know what it's like to go back to the gun store rack looking for a gun that is no longer there. ;-)

An Official Journal Of The NRA | 'Tanker Garands:' The Real Story

Most “Tanker Garands” were made for commercial sale, but a few are genuine. This is their story.

www.americanrifleman.org