It never fails. Whenever I've got one gun on layaway, another one will come along.

I've got a Colt MK III Official Police on layaway at my favorite dealer. I stopped by today to make a payment, and they had a 6" M&P, single line address, s/n, S 99xxxx (actually I forget the rest of the numbers)... 1948?. For some reason I never think to count the screws, but I'm reasonably sure it was five. Diamond Magna's, Blue was very good. Almost no wear at all.

"You can have more than one on layaway you know." I was told. Well, yes...I know I can, but I don't like to do that. I'd sort of feel like the dog who saw his reflection in creek and lost both his bones, if I tried that.

I left it for someone else. (sigh)

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John 3:16 .

Go back and put it in layaway. You only live once.

Don't bones float? I can't remember...

What's a Colt?

Sorry. With that SN the M & P is likely one of the few thousand S prefix short actions, not easy to find.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

True statement. It wasn't a target model was it?
If you don't want it, maybe you can tell us what gun shop is holding it . . .
JP

No, it was a fixed sight.

The dealer is Greentop's in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Green Top Hunt Fish | Outdoor Hunting Equipment | Fishing Gear Shops

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John 3:16 .

Would the shop switch the Colt for the M&P? I doubt they would mind as you'd still be buying one of their guns. It don't hurt to ask if you prefer the M&P over the Colt. The Colt OP is a nice gun, no doubt, but a M&P one liner would be my preference.

Rod

Rod

the mkIIIs had problems. best to wait and get the OP before they marked them mkIIIs.I think it was around 1969.

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God save the SOUTH

Just pay off the Colt and put the M&P on lay-a-way. Simple.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

yes indeed...i have scored many beauties from greentops....it's not quite the same since it sold a cpl.years ago however

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Yes, Rod, they would, but my wife wants the Colt for herself. I've got a couple of the older Official Police 38's (1939, 1950). Great guns. I'm sure the MK III will be also. I have no idea why she wants it, she just suddenly decided she wants a 38 "of my own" and she wanted the MK III because "it's really pretty" (it is).

I'm just going to pay the Colt off in a couple of weeks. I'm not really worried about the Smith. If someone else gets it, so be it. If it hangs around long enough, I might make an offer. It's probably something a serious collector should have, not a guy who just "likes old guns." To my untrained, uneducated eye (remember, I didn't even think to count the screws) it's really nice. I thought someone here might be interested.

Kenny, it might not be the same, but it's still the best game in town.

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John 3:16 .

si--------

Early guns had some problems, I bought one of the first. The firing pin bushing came loose from dry firing, the action never smoothed out. After a few thousand rounds I traded it for a 28-2 and became a much happier camper.

I'm reasonably sure Greentops has a space in the back with my name on it for my layaway of the month.

That MK III 22 is a beauty. The OP looks about like it. Just no underbarrel lug, and it has fixed sights. I'm looking forward to getting it out.

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John 3:16 .

It just occurred to me… I was confused on the name of your Colt. I own an Official Police and I have seen Trooper Mk III’s but I never knew there was a OP Mk III. I don’t know if I will ever understand S&W’s model numbering system or Colt’s confusing name and alpha numeric labeling. Sigh.

And I agree, pay one off and slap some down to hold the next. Been there, done that.

Go put it on hold.

If it wasn't important to you, you wouldn't have bothered to post it here.

Clearly, it's on your mind.

Buy it and get your mind clear.

I doubt you'd have a hard time off-loading it if you felt the need. Set a price for yourself that would be a no-brainer. If they take it, the act becomes effortless.

Now that point alone is darn good. I was being silly over buying a 64 and that point alone would have shut me up.

If it's still around when I pay the Colt off I might do that. It's not important enough to back out of a deal for something my wife said she wants or to break my self imposed rule "one at a time."

If someone else gets it first, there will be another along shortly. There always is.

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John 3:16 .

Nice to hear that I am not the only one who fumbles around a little from time to time. There's nothing wrong with being the guy who "likes old guns."


The thing about self-imposed rules is that there are self-imposed exceptions. I would reason this way:
Since there are times I have no guns on layaway, if I were to go ahead and put two on layaway now, it would still average out ... (Close enough for me anyway!)

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You're shy a few manners.

When I was down there yesterday. It had been sold. I didn't think it would last long.

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John 3:16 .

My two cents worth, go for the Smith sir. I do own a Colt OP in 38-200 1941 build, Australian martially marked, shoots superbly. But that Smith serial is scarce, you may not see another.