The best deal you have ever gotten on a firearm?

I paid $6 for an RG .22 short revolver in it's original box with a small section in the box that fit perfectly a box of 50-Federal .22 short rounds. An older gal we knew found it in her mother's sewing chair seat where you would keep thread and buttons...she said to me I'll sell you the gun but it won't be free, how about $6?
It's never been fired by me and the federal box of rounds remains..I just smile about the story, an RG is a very cheap gun, but a fun novelty for me...
Also, a few years ago, I bought a combo from a friend consisting of a Daisy lever bb gun with the match peep rear and hood frt sight, an original fine working Red Rider from 1940's, and a Remington model 33-.22 lr single shot (Remington's 1st bolt rimfire) all work well $75 otd...
Paid $268 for a S&W model 58 in 1992...even then, that was quite a deal.
 
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Most the guns I bought more than 10 years ago now seem like bargains, but here are a couple stories I hope you find amusing:

Maybe 15 years ago I'd already walked around a gun show once, and see a 4 screw 5" S&W Model 27-0 in 99%+ condition I missed on the first pass. It's now about 11am and I ask the old timer behind the table how much he wants for it. He says "$350". I know this is a great price, but as standard practice, I ask nicely if he would take $325 for it. He almost explodes at me, angrily saying the gun is $350 and not a penny less. I say no problem - I'll take it for $350 and put my money on the table.

As we were doing paperwork, 3 different guys came up and said they were coming back to buy the gun. Apparently, the whole morning everyone that looked at it offered less than $350 for the gun and walked away when the seller wouldn't budge.


Another good story happened at Gander Mountain before they closed down. It was a Sunday evening in December right before closing time and there was a like new 4" S&W Model 66-2 with Target grips marked $149.99 in the display case. I did a double take and asked the guy I knew behind the counter if the tag was correct and was that gun for sale at that price. He said yes, so I looked over the gun and bought it.

The counter person that sold me the gun was a good guy and I'd bought a few guns from him already. When I picked up the gun after our mandatory waiting period, he told me that Gander Mountain was having an employee appreciation sale after closing the day I bought the M66 and another employee had just put it out expecting to get and extra 25% off the gun during the sale. Evidently, $150 was too much for the guy, he wanted the extra 25% off.
 
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SW Regulation Police .32 Long at a pawn shop. They didn't know what they had. It was marked $350. It was the first I-frame I've ever seen in person. Told them to write it up. Got home and looked it up in the SCSW 4th Edition (over 4 years out of date) and they said it was worth $1k in like new condition. No box. A couple of weeks later I saw an identical RP .32 with box at Larry's in Madison marked $1000. It sold within a couple of weeks.
I found another SW .32 Hand Ejector at another gun store for $399.
Bought it, and it is valued at $900. Those are my two best buys.
i also have a SW 66 snub that I only have $150 in, but that involved a partial buddy deal to make it happen.
And, there was a 9mm HiPoint for sale by a local deputy, no one was interested in it. He finally said make me an offer! I said twenty bucks and he said sold! I flipped it for $75.
 
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In 1971 I bought a 3rd issue Colt Woodsman 6” barrel, 2 magazines, private sale for $50. Sold it a week later for $75.
I immediately had sellers remorse.
Fast forward 32 years. Hadn’t seen the guy that bought it since I sold it to him and he shows up at my office. Chatted about old times, then he asks if I’d like to buy the gun back? Said he had never fired it and his wife wanted it out of the house since they now had young grandchildren.
Tried to put on the “ cool, might be interested” look. Asked what he wanted for it, said “ oh, I don’t want to make money off you, you can have it back for $75”.
Got the gun, two magazines and an unopened brick of .22s for the $75. Yep, still have it.
 
Two years ago a $20 raffle ticket from the local VFW lodge won me a new Savage bolt action rifle, 6.5 Creedmore with factory installed Bushnell Engage variable power scope. A nice rifle.

The best actual purchase was a nickel Model 10-5 4” from 1979 for $300 several years ago. Seller had $400 price at Gunshow but took $300 cash.
 

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Some Norwich made single 12 ga. Parted it out for 10+X what I paid for it.
 
I traded a Webley single shot .177 pellet pistol that had lost most of its power and $10 for a possibly new condition Chinese SKS packed in cosmoline with the red fiberglass stock, milled trigger guard, and all matching numbers.
 
I bought a Sears-Roebuck 12 ga pump gun about 1977 or so for $99.00. That was a good buy even then. I think it's a High Standard but I'm not 100% sure. It came with two barrels, a 24" rifle sight (smooth bore) slug barrel, which I've never used, and a 28" modified choke barrel. Both with 3" chambers of course. That 28" barrel was really good with Number 1 buckshot.

Then when I had a C&R back some years ago, I bought three Chineese Mosin carbines for $54.00 each, shipping included. I think the guns themselves were $35.00. They were filthy and took some major cleaning but seemed OK. I never did fire them, but eventually gave them away or sold/traded them.
 
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Smith and Wesson 617 10 shot 22lr revolver, Ruger Sp101 3 inch revolver in 357 and Ruger PCC in 9mm with some extra glock mags all for $550 in total when a range was closing down for three guns.
 
2019 I bought a Model 13 3" P&R, no box, no papers, from a hunter's estate, through a german online platform for private arms trade. Could only see some photos, description said "used, good condition". When I inspected th gun after delivery, it obviously was only fired once or twice by the previous owner and had spent about 40 years in the safe. I paid 230 Euro (shipment included), which ist less than 250 $

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regards from Germany
Ulrich
 
I guess this one counts. A 4", blue, 1964, Colt Python in the early 2000's for $800. Looked a little rough at the store, but I took it home, gave it a light Flitz and Ren Wax bath, and it looked a LOT better. Shot just fine too. $800 was a pretty good price for a Python even then.

Alas, I hit a period of "personal economic downturn" a couple of years later, and had to sell it for $1000.00.
 
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In 1999 I was in a pawn shop with my wife looking at a 4” stainless Colt Python. It had sat there for over a year at $475. I had $200 on me and my wife said just put it on layaway and I did. I’m not fond of stainless so didn’t buy it earlier. Later I was thrilled to discover it wasn’t stainless but the much scarcer Electroless Nickel/Coltguard, only done for a short time. The price was probably normal at the time, but it went up a little since then.
 
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How do you define "Best Deal"????

It depends what you mean by a best deal???

Is it just about a low price?
How many guys bought a gun they really didn't need or want just because it was "too good of a deal"? OK, so then when something you DO want comes up maybe you don't have the cash any longer!
Why fill your safe with junk you don't really want?
Does anyone REALLY "want" a lousy RG .22???

As far as the "dollar amount" goes, so what? With the $USD collapsing in value like it is, along with inflation, the sticker number becomes arbitrary and perhaps meaningless. (See Picture!!...is that where we're headed?)

My idea of a "good deal" is a fondly memorable purchase. I have purchased items for a fair price from folks who then ended up becoming long term friends! That's pretty cool, isn't it?
Every time you pick up that gun, besides enjoying it for what it is, you're reminded of a good buddy. Should their time come, and they are long gone from this world, trust me....that will make it even more special.

I see lots of folks who not only bought what they wanted, but ended up being pleasantly surprised that it exceeded their expectations. (That 27-2 turns out to be an RM! Yay!!!)
That's pretty cool!!!

I bet most everyone has their idea of a "grail gun". You may look and look for years and never find it. Then, one day, either your efforts pay off or Lady Luck steps in, and you make the deal. Maybe that "wallflower" that nobody wanted turns out to be your "dream girl". Awesome!
You'll feel great and treasure the "chase" as much as the "catch".
Now, that's a Great Deal!!!

Best wishes in finding yours!!! :cool:
 

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clang444 said:
Most the guns I bought more than 10 years ago now seem like bargains
Click to expand...
truth!

15/25 years ago was a great time for buying. before online gun buying got popular...and big local gunshows were still a thing...the era of shotgun news & gun digest

back then...a 547 for $315, 16-4 for $325, 610 for $400....these were just average deals.
 
The Big Score

I hit the Mother lode around 2002 with the huge influx of "Commie Guns. An 03 license and a Credit Card and I was off to the races. CZ's, Makarov's, SKS, Walther, Enfield's, Mauser's, Chines AK's, Tokarev's, M-1 Garand's they all fell into my greedy hands. My Wife's only complaint was the basement smelled of cosmoline. I'm just glad I didn't have to say "I coulda bought .......
 

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