I can think of three I let pass that I would like another chance to buy

Ithaca 4e Ser. No. 400000
This is the Registered Magnum No. 1 of trap guns
Was up for sale on GunsAmerica in about 2010

Bill Ruger's personal No. 1 in .308 Winchester
Was being sold by Ruger on Gunbroker about three years ago

A three digit Winchester Model 70 with a Stith Mount
Was sold on GunBroker about three years ago

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What I would rather do is have back many of the guns I have sold.

I have previously mentioned my missed opportunity to buy Ian Fleming's documented Ruger .22 pistol at an outrageously low price.

I can't even imagine seeing something like that. I've seen a few guns with historical value but none were at prices I'd be willing to pay.

If I could go back the only thing I'd do differently is buy up more police trade-in revolvers when they were cheaper. I used to see Model 28s for around $200, I should have bought every one I could afford!

Ian Fleming the chemist or Ian Fleming the author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

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The latter. And a few other works.
And I would also have liked to have purchased a few dozen each of the Lugers, P-38s, and M1911s back when you could have bought all you wanted for $25 or less each.

I thought so

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The one I wish I hadn't passed up was the S&W 686 CS1 revolvers that hit the market in the early 1990's. You know, the ones the US Customs department turned in when they switched to auto loaders. I can't recall how much they were going for at the time but it seems like it was around $300. I used to walk past them all of the time at gun shows and thought they were pretty cool but never thought to pick one up.

Years down the road we will be saying the same about the huge number of police trade in's that are on the market now.

My all-time favorite shotgun was a cheap Stevens (labeled Sears) twenty gauge side-by-side. Modified/Full twenty-eight-inch barrels, double triggers, extractors only. I absolutely loved that little double. Never had a shotgun that pointed so naturally or swung so smoothly for me. Took a boatload of doves and rabbits with it before, needing money, I sold it for way too little.

I haven't been able to hunt for some years due to health problems, but I would dearly love to have that fine little cheap gun back.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Six or seven years ago, my local Gander Mountain was asking $240 for a CZ82. I wanted one, but kept reading they could be had for more like $210. I never did see a $210 CZ82. If I wanted to buy one today, it would cost closer to $400. If I saw one right in front of me, I would jump on it if I had the money.

In the meantime, I still kick myself every so often.

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Not in jail.

Missed out on a custom Krag with huge checkering, like 10LPI. It was beautiful, I really should have bought it. Also a Marlin 336 in 350 Remington with beautiful engraving. It just got a little out of my price range. Both gonebrokers.

In 2005, I had the chance to buy a 2.5" Python, blued, with little wear, for $700. I passed! It still hurts!

1986 passed on getting anything full auto, M-16 $600 a piece, HK g3s $900, Uzis, all the stuff that you have to sell a kidney to buy now. Also Pythons at $600. who knew.

Sako Forester with a Mannlicher-style stock chambered in .308 Winchester. Had one in college and ran into a fellow with a lot of cash on him. Still kick myself.

I started buying guns in early 60s. You have to factor in that dollar was
worth a lot more back then. It was a time when the average guy started
having a little disposable income. They were trading in the old classic guns
and WW2 bring homes for the latest and greatest new models out. I was
only a kid but the number of what are now collectors items that went
through my hands is mind boggling. There was so much of that stuff it
glutted the market. Colt & S&W revolvers, M1s and 1911s, Krags and
Trapdoors. 98 Mausers & 03s were $20. Just to mention a few. Hind sight
is always 20/20.

A Dan Wesson .357 with the 15" barrel I let get by me....

In 1982 I bought a double rifle from a dealer in N.J. at an OGCA show in Columbus. About a year later, I stopped by his table to see if he had brought some loose ammo for doubles for my collection. On his table was a like new Holland & Holland double in 4 bore and all the ammo I could want for it. That ammo was $50 each, the rifle was $40,000.oo! I passed on the rifle and that winter bough our farm for $33,300.oo

But what a gun to behold! That day I did buy about 8 rounds for the collection, none of the 4 bore ammo. That was $150.oo and I slept good that night!

In about 1990, I was tossing and turning in bed. My wife wanted to know what was my problem. I told her that a gun dealer I knew had a German Army sniper rifle for sale (Not the famous and overpriced GSG5 German Police sniper rifle @ $5200.00) with the 6x mounted Zeiss scope for $4000.oo. She said no problem, we have the money in the bank, we didn't save it for that, but go buy the rifle and get some sleep! I told her that I hardly used the 2 sniper rifles I already had and passed on that one. (I would pick it up if I had that chance again!) (I could get almost $3000 for the scope now!).

Guns I didn't buy or sold, women I didn't date or did, jobs I didn't take or quit, cars I didn't buy, ones I did, ones I sold. What a great life. My mistakes have made it much more interesting. If I would have lead the perfect life I would have never joined the Marines and all that went with that, made it to the dump in Dutch Harbor Alaska, ate fresh King crab, saw a killer whale catch a seal, had the thrill of being high speed chased, handcuff and a couple nights in jail, figured out to leave beautiful, but crazy women alone, seen animals doing weird stuff, got the snot beat out of me, to meet a cute nurse in a hospital. etc etc etc. Would have missed the laughs made better by having known misery.

I still think of the absolutely perfect Colt Cobra in the box for $235 I passed on around 2000. Remember a few 1911s and a few K98ks I missed in the 70s. I think they were like $100 or so. Now I'm depressed.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

I passed on just two that I regret not buying. Both were used .

1.) A Ruger Blackhawk in 41 magnum , three screw . for $75.00

2.) a model 27 , 357 magnum , 3 1/2 inch barrel , nickel plated . I'm still kicking myself after passing this one up over 40 years ago....$100.00! I don't know why I didn't buy it.....had a job , no wife, no kids...yound and dumb !
Gary

I remember 1961 at a store in the little upstate NY farm town (village they called it). The store was aptly named The Outdoor Store but everything in there was Mil-surp. Their "good" stuff was on a wall with price tags hanging off the trigger guard. Example of "good" stuff was a 03-A3 or a .303 SMLE that had the sights milled off, Lyman peep and a ramp front, refinished with a Fajen Monte Carlo stock. Price? $29.99, 4X Tasco scope (or equal) mounted for an extra $4.99.

Their "**** stuff" was in barrels!!!. Yep...you got it 03-A3 at $9.95, maybe 20 sticking out of a large barrel(s), 30-40 Krags, K98's, SMLE's including what I thought was the coolest of all in those days...The SMLE 5 Jungle Carbine with the bad looking flash hider. Your choice.
The M1's if I recall, had their own specific dedicated barrel and a sticker at $29.95.

The real "**** stuff"....where me and my buddies had to hang out was "piles"....no barrels, no crates or boxes, just piled on the floor were Mosin Nagants priced at $4.00 each or 3 for $10.00.....no body, but no body would be seen dead with a Russian rifle or pistol in 1961!

I was not old enough to buy from the pistol/revolver barrels but the manager always let us kids drool and handle those 1911A1's priced at $12.00 each.....hand select for $14.00, Lugers for $9.95.

And the helmets, stacked like plastic lawn chairs at Lowes now days....sitting in the corners of the building at least 10 foot tall stacks, German, USA, Jap, some with bad looking holes, some with liners, some with "blood on the risers" as the Paras use to say. All at $1.00 each, and if my buddy and I would clean the cosmoline out of his latest haul of 03-A3 or Ariska's we could take a helmet and a bayonet (who knew what they fit, where they came from....they were cool). I know I had dozens....all gone (probably trashed) when I got through with basic/AIT years later.

Anyway.....like posted above my gas pump jockey job (thankful to have it in those years) paid a whopping $0.25 per hour and I tried to average about 20 hrs/wk so not much left for surplus.....not when I had an image to uphold as a teenager, hunting and fishing habits that had to be fed, and girls (that's what did it for sure)

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Follow Up

I know......I know...... no pics it didn't happen so check out the "good stuff" from the Outdoor Store, circa 1961 for $29.95!

British SMLE with Fajen stock, Lyman peep, ramp front, .303 British, shoots great, still is heck on wheels for whitetail.

Attached Images

	303 British -2.jpg (216.4 KB, 111 views)
	303 British -4.jpg (210.9 KB, 91 views)
	303 British -5.jpg (108.9 KB, 87 views)
	303 British -8.jpg (126.5 KB, 75 views)

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Several years ago, I went into a small gun store not expecting to see much. Well I was sure surprised when I spotted not one, but two HK P7s. Both had been consigned by differed people and both came with box, docs and tools and both were priced the same, $600. It was basically a toss-up as to which one to pick. So I chose one, paid my money and went home happy! However, after just a couple of days, I began having regrets about not buying both of them. Well, you know the rest of the story, I went back to store only to find the other one gone. Since then, I have never seen a P7 being offered in any of the LGSs and pawn shops that I frequent. But I'm sure glad I have the one I have.

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I'm gonna grow fins.

I just want another chance to buy a new 952 for $1500. Any chance of that happening?

That's true although most of the police trade-in semi-autos are not nearly as interesting to me as a classic S&W revolver.

One thing I have seen lately are a bunch of Remington 870s being sold by police departments, great guns. But when they run out a new 870 is not that expensive.

About 1962, a 1950 Target for $65. Put some money down, and began to pay on it. Dad became terminally ill with cancer, so I sold my interest in the gun to a friend. I knew that under the circumstances, I had to save every penny I could if I wanted to go back to college.

Not too terribly long ago, maybe six years, I bought a Second Model HE, and passed up a Third Model, because I liked the longer barrel on the Second. If I recall, they were about $350 each.

Had a chance to by an original Jake Hawken rifle many moons ago for only $500.00.
Back then if a nickel woulda bought me a bus ticket around the world, I couldn't have afforded to get out of sight.

Now, buyin' the bus might be cheaper.

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Eccentric old coot

While I couldn't afford it I would have liked a chance to help sell my grandfather's extensive Winchester collection. He died when I was about 16. My grandmother needed the money and sold the collection for pennies on the dollar before the estate sale to some "friend" of the auctioneer.


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I would have liked to picked up on the cheap some preban AK's and SKS's at double digit prices. Would have liked to picked up on those early Norinco clones that were so well made, like a 1911 and a model 97.

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In 1994 I had a chance to buy a 1919a4 for $2,100, wish I'd done it.

I was picking up a Parker Trogan I had on layaway a few years ago. I had to hit the men's room, so I told my wife to go tell them to get it out of layaway for me.

When I got back I could see her holding a gun that I KNEW from halfway across the store was NOT the gun I expected. She handed me the gun, and I have no idea what grade it was, but it was the prettiest Parker I've ever seen. I looked at the tag and saw $500.00. That didn't make sense to me...the one I was looking at wasn't this nice, but cost more.

Another look at the tag and you guessed it. Not 500.00...it was $5000.00. I very gently carried it back and carefully handed it back to the clerk..."Uhhhh....wrong gun."

But man, I wish I had been able to afford to even think about buying it for a few seconds. Man it was, well, nice doesn't begin to describe it.

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John 3:16 .

Likje Dwalt there are many I'd love to have back, prewar 3 digit 1st year Mod 70 Super Grade in '06.
Long list of pre 64's both SG and standard pre war and transitional, Parkers, English, AH Fox, model 12's, pre 64's, Colt and S&W revolvers, pistols.

1st Python, pre war SG in '06, 1st pre mod 27 in 3.5", matched pair of Mod 12's marked sk 1 and 2, 1st Parker and 2nd Parker in 16 gauge would be my short list.

Maybe a Colt Woodsman Target and a Winchester 9422M. Seems the one's that are worth the most today got away. My bad!!

Colt revolvers.Not because I want some,but others are paying crazy money for them.

Ruger #1 in 6mm
Ruger #1 in 444
Elmer Kieth Classic Model 629 S&W

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Riding, Shooting, and Truth

Back in the town I grew up in, they had sidewalk days in the summer. The local sporting goods store which allowed me to come in and dream but everything in the store at 50% off. My dream gun was the little Remington 600 Magnum in 350 Remington Magnum. The normal price was $149.00 so it could be had for $75. This was after I had purchased some new skin diving equipment at the beginning of summer and was broke. Then does anyone remember when Winchester took out a two page ad with a picture of every rifle they manufactured in every caliber. The caption read "Can't make up your mind? Buy them all for $3223" or some number like that. Dreamed for a while about being able to buy one of each.

Why is it when I see a really nice one it is priced above the budget. 1980/81: One of the shops where I knew the owners and frequented often they always seemed to have something special in the case. They had a fully engraved Luger in pristine shape with gemstone inlayed grips in a presentation case. It was the most beautiful gun I had ever set my eyes on. It was definitely BBQ grade plus. It had come in earlier in the day as a trade for a fancy rifle of some sort. The owner of the store was showing it to me and he said he really had no idea what it was truly worth. They had given as a trade value $650 for it and had tagged it to sell quickly at $750. It was twice what I had budgeted and then some so I let him slide it back into the case. I moved on to the selection of big N frame revolvers and fondled them until I settled on a 4 inch Model 28 at $250. I plunked down a deposit on the gun planning to come pick it up on the weekend. When I came in to pick up the revolver I took a peek at the Luger again and saw a new tag with $1000 written on it (a Horrendous amount of money at the time). The owner told me the bumped the price up maybe to high the next morning after looking prices up on value. While I was there filling out my paperwork and selecting a holster an older gentleman came in and plunked the grand down for it .. cash... Looking back I know it was a safe queen, but it was one beautiful gun I should have nabbed at first sight.

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John

Back in 1980, the LGS in Danville had a whole case full of 1880 Pat Double Action 44 Russian revolvers for $100 each. There were over a dozen. All the old folks were either dying or trading them in. He got loaded up. I picked out 1 and bought it. Sold it off in 1995. I should have bought every one of those things. Haven't been able to find one to add to my collection to this day except at a stupid high price.

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Dr. B

Like DWalt said, I'd like to have back the ones I have sold: Winchester M9422, Marlin 1895 .45-70, M24-3, Browning M1895 in .30-06. The list goes on and on and on and on.....

Most of my life has been like this-if steamboats were selling for a dime a dozen, all I could have done was run up and down the bank, shouting, "Ain't that cheap!!??"

Nowadays, I seldom run and shouting gets me out of breath.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Several. About 1993-'94 you could buy police trade in model 66-1's & -'2's all day l9ng for $200 bucks. I ended up buying two. One for my then wife, who got to keep it in the divorce, and the one i still have, a -1, 4" barrel. Sometimes you'd find a 2.5" for $250. I always meant to buy two of those as well. Which theoretically, I'd still have one of those, but I don't. If I could go back, I'd buy every one of them, even taking out a loan if need be.

Then there was that sweet little 3914 for $250 about 3 years ago I would go back and buy. Finally, I would go buy one of the flashy high polished and lightly engraved Colt 1911's in .38 super that were runnig about $600. They were named something like "El Diablo" or "La Espesialso" or something a Spainiard would love. I love the caliber, but thought they were too pimped out at the time. They are still around, but they're not $600 bucks anymore. Great looking BBQ gun today. If I only had a brain........

I bought mine for $279 otd and sold it because of the floating hand and have not regretted selling it ever since, nor regretted selling any gun I owned.

There are a few regrettable occasions when I was just a tad too late to buy great guns for reasonable prices but I found that there is almost the next good opportunity coming up.

About 12/15 years ago I "found" a miss-marked N-frame .357 magnum......it was a 98% Registered Magnum.

I'd just like the chance to go back and take a look at all those used N frames I ignored in dozens of Pa.'s LGSs over the years....... I know I missed out on some other RMs.

Some of the guns I let go, I'd like to have back ......... but not at today's prices!

My father said he felt stupid for buying a number of HK auto sears back in the day because the taxes were so high.

Now he regrets he didn't buy them by the pallet load.

The first one I personally regret is I passed on a chance to buy a Japanese Type 99 that saw action on Iwo Jima, with solid provenance, for a relative pittance. There have been others, but that one is the one I really kick myself over.

Back in the 80's, I was in my LGS and saw a 3-inch Detective Special in shiny nickel. I passed on it, because I wanted either blued or satun nickel. Still kicking myself.

A Colt collector I ran into 20 years later swore that such a thing never existed.

Guns I miss or should have got. Stock Enfields and Springfield from local store that had racks of them for $19.95. A semi auto M14 with a "parts kit" for $900, but then the guy who was selling them went to jail for the parts kits, a 25-3 anniversary gun I sold, a Ruger Super Blackhawk I put a 14" barrel on, a 200 year of anniversary Ruger blackhawk in 45 colt I traded for a horse, a model 29-2 I sold and the one that got stolen. My first model 17, a Mohawk 600 in 22 Remington I trade for scuba tanks, another in 350 mag I should have bought for $300, a 16 gauge bottom eject Ithaca, a S&W 32-20 I trade off. etc etc etc.

Warren Page's 1959 mfg Weatherby Mark V Custom in .460- passed on it at $4500 4-5 years ago...wish I'd pounced on it.

I'd like to eventually replace the 28-2 I had. As well as the 22 masterpiece I passed up last fall.


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Talo 686 with long barrel (7.5" barrel?)
Billboard S&W 1911
Mint Springfield 1903 and Model 1905 Bayonet

Not too many regrets, gun wise, but a big one is a SigAMT. The store I worked at in the '80s sold them for $1699 which was an insane amount of money at the time.

I would buy me a M-14 semi auto rifle,as a matter of fact i'm saving up now to buy one.

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