Guns I wish I had . . .

[Muss Muggins]

My father was a prolific collector/accumulator, along with being a prolific list maker/record keeper. When he died in 2014, my brother and I had the benefit of an iPhone app upon which he had documented his current collection, and this helped immensely in liquidating the guns for my mother's benefit.

Prior to the iPhone age, Butch made lists. Sometimes he used the Bianchi published Personal Firearms Record (I've got three from him). Sometimes he'd use a legal pad and ink pen, and sometimes he'd type it. I've got a manila folder full of various lists, and I can track the comings and goings of his collection by what's missing and been added. He usually did this about every year or so. Mom just gave me a couple more lists and a firearms record, and I got to thinking about things . . .

Guns that he owned that I wish had still been in the office in 2014, in no particular order:

S&W 27-2 3 1/2" barrel

Snake Charmer II

Springfield M6 Scout Survival (He once owned two at the same time)

S&W 29-2 6 1/2" barrel

Remington 870 Wingmaster in .410, 25" vent rib barrel

Winchester Model 12 Riot Gun, 12 gauge, pre-1964

Valmet 76 .223 rifle

Ruger .44 Carbine

Springfield M1 Garand (he valued this at $350 in 1987)

Charter Arms AR-7

S&W 25-2 6 1/2" barrel

Oh well. I hope the present owners are enjoying them . . .

[raljr1]

some nice pieces there....Wouldn't mind having a couple of those myself.

I keep mine all logged in a spreadsheet with serial numbers, date purchased, price paid, any added costs for upgrades or what not. And I add a column for current value updated annually. I hope it helps my wife and son when that day comes.

[ColbyBruce]

Why the Snake Charmer?

[Chuck24]

I want a GyroJet and some ammo.

[6518John]

That gentleman had some incredible taste in guns—I wish I could have met him. Sounds like many of my dad’s old friends.

[Old TexMex]

Yep. That’s some good ‘uns. There must’ve been a lot more if that’s the way his tastes ran.

[Golddollar]

I found a handy way to kept records of my firearms is to save the return envelopes from NRA, GOA etc. funding requests and put the sales receipt and any other paperwork for a particular gun in its own envelope. Using those particular envelopes creates a connection to firearms, and I put an identification of each firearm on the outside of the envelope. If I dispose of a gun the whole envelope goes into a separate container just for transferred guns.

[Ivan the Butcher]

Originally Posted by ColbyBruce

Why the Snake Charmer?

The snake charmer, was the most worthless hunting or target gun in existence. The Snake Charmer was the most useful firearm ever devised to use from any sized tractor or riding mower! You could make a scabbard out of anything; a piece of drain pipe, cardboard, an old pants leg come to mind in about 10 seconds. If it got dropped, dinged, or scratched not one person ever cared!

The Springfield M-6 Civilian model was a nifty gun (Real Military M-6's were 14" and NFA and stolen!) My best friend eventually bought one of each; 22LR, 22 Mag., & 22 Hornet. We traded the 3 back and forth for a decade. The Hornet shot terrible with 45gr soft point commercial ammo, but was great with the Canadian Military Surplus FMJ ammo! The long rifle and Magnum were OK, but the sights were not good enough for much beyond 25 yards! The 410 barrels were Cylinder Bore, and should have been choked Modified or a little tighter! My friend ran trap lines in High School, and found that the 22 Hornet was the smallest cartridge wet, frozen fingers could manipulate for reloading, and that is probably why the Military used it! Yes we sold all of them, yes we both wish we has any or all of the now!

Ivan

[Muss Muggins]

Because I like .410 and they’re an interesting gun . . .

Originally Posted by ColbyBruce

Why the Snake Charmer?

[s&wchad]

I think your dad and I would have got along well! Assuming excellent condition, those guns would have brought about 9K more for your mom. You don’t know exactly what they morphed into and all can be replaced.

I had a Valmet...
They’re pricey today, but you’re not missing anything. The Valmet was one of the first AK variants to hit the US market and was nicely made, but it didn’t handle the 5.56 NATO round well. Mine jammed regularly and mags were hard to find, so I trading it for a Springfield Armory M1A.

The M1A didn’t last long either. I jumped on the chance to trade it and about $500 to a guy who was moving to Australia and couldn’t take his FN LAR with him. The FN was a grail gun for me and I was thrilled to get it. I suspect the M1A ended up in the crusher, but the FN is still in my safe 40 years later!

I can understand moving a lot of those guns, but it’s a shame he didn’t keep the Ruger Carbine, the Garand, the 3-1/2” 27-2 and the 6-1/2” 29-2. Those are classics and worthy additions to any collection.

[dockmurgw]

I have one that's on your list...the Ruger Carbine. Great little gun, fun to shoot, and I sent lots of deer to the freezer with it. But for some reason mine has a tendency to jam on follow up shots. Now a days I almost hope it jams, watching them run away is more enjoyable than dragging them to the truck.

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by s&wchad

I can understand moving a lot of those guns, but it’s a shame he didn’t keep the Ruger Carbine, the Garand, the 3-1/2” 27-2 and the 6-1/2” 29-2. Those are classics and worthy additions to any collection.

We sold probably a half dozen that I wish I had back, and I’ve managed to buy a couple of those back. Of your list above, the 27-2, the 29-2, and the Ruger are the ones I’d most like to have. As I recall, the 29-2 was in an original factory presentation case . . .

[Golddollar]

I'm sure we all have guns that got away and we wished we had back. Sometimes it can't be helped. I lost my job in 2009 and had to sell a boatload of guns and ammunition. Happily I kept the ones I figured would be virtually irreplaceable. Some that I sold I determined that I was no longer interested in, but others I have found suitable replacements for. The auction house owners and I still get a chuckle out of the image of me driving in with the car frame almost to the axles with all the guns and shells I brought for them to sell.

[Ivan the Butcher]

Originally Posted by Golddollar

I lost my job in 2009 and had to sell a boatload of guns and ammunition.

I was let go on January 3, 2009 so they could promote a guy at $5 an hour less! I didn't sell guns, I sold my primer stash. A local gun store bought the at what primers cost them. I don't remember how many thousand (bricks) and 5000 (cases) I sold, but I remember it was $810 cash in my hand! That paid my heating bill for a year and a half! (Most of those primers were CCI, from the 80's and early 90's and since the EPA was playing with the Lead in primers, these had a ready market, most were gone in 2 weeks!)

Ivan

[THE PILGRIM]

Way back, I wanted a Whitney Wolverine oh so much!
Later on, I found out it was all show and no go!
As I have posted, down at Roswell, I did buy that pot metal single action.
But I quickly recovered and it did cost me money but I traded it for a Ruger Single SIX!
That put me on the road to high quality handguns,
I ain’t never looked back!
Speaking of Dads- my Dad wasn’t a gun guy.
When he passed, The only gun he owned was one of those Glass Barrel Winchester 59s.
Online, they say barrel wrapped with 500 miles of fiber.
He got that as collateral on a loan.
Not sure what happened to that gun?

[BC38]

My dad was no list maker and didn't have many firearms, but like you I wish I could have had some of the ones he did own.
Remington Sem-auto 12 gauge (model unknown)
Marlin 60 22LR
Marlin 336 in 35 Remington
Colt Frontier Scout 22LR

I wish I had them, not because they are particularly interesting or unusual or valuable, but because they were his.
Thanks to my now deceased step mother I got none of his guns. She gave them away rather than let us boys have them - just out of spite.

[Golddollar]

Originally Posted by BC38

I wish I had them, not because they are particularly interesting or unusual or valuable, but because they were his.

One day I was visiting my dad and he told me to take his Trap Door Springfield home because I was doing Cowboy Action Shooting. That gave me the incentive to start buying good quality safes for my guns. My feeling was that if I lost that gun in a fire, with money I could buy another Trap Door Springfield but it wouldn't be the one my dad gave me.

[pawngal]

Originally Posted by Ivan the Butcher

The snake charmer, was the most worthless hunting or target gun in existence. The Snake Charmer was the most useful firearm ever devised to use from any sized tractor or riding mower! You could make a scabbard out of anything; a piece of drain pipe, cardboard, an old pants leg come to mind in about 10 seconds. If it got dropped, dinged, or scratched not one person ever cared!

Ivan

I sold a lot of Snake charmers to RVrs. At the time those were new concealed carry was pretty much not heard of around here, much less having the multistate permits like now.
Lately I've been selling the Rossi Tuffy to a lot of farmers.