May not be the greatest buy, but greatest story. there was a 4003TSW on gunbroker, had 8 shells through it. I was watching it, and it was at about $300. Then it disappeared. I waited a few minutes, then searched again and it was back on with a buy it now of $425. Needless to say, I hit the button. Called the guy and I was correct, someone talked him into changing to the buy it now, but I beat him to it. Love the gun, and still smile every time I see it and remember

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God, country, family.

This was a gift from my Cousin who bought it in the 70's and got out of the hobby in the 90's. It's a mid 50's vintage Colt Cobra.

I put two of them in the first picture. The S&W that is standing up is one I got for free on this forum from a fellow member. It is signed, "HUTCH" on the left side of the barrel. The one I'm using as a prop rod, is a Model 37 manufactured in 1968. I gave 200.00 and a Raven .25 that I had nothing in. It's kind of rough but nice mechanically and I carry it nearly everyday. The second picture is of a 1908 Colt vest pocket hammerless.
.25, Made in 1922. Numbers all match and it has the correct magazine. The grip panels are worn but solid. It shoots great unless you try to shoot Blazer ammo. I traded an old Honda SL125 dirt bike and had 40 dollars in it.





peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

I bought a stainless Ruger Ranch Rifle from a guy aways back. As we were wrapping up the deal he offerred me a Colt Army Special .38 that was original finish about 80% made in 1910 and a High Standard Double Nine in .22 for $100 for the pair. I sold the High Standard for $200 (it was mint), so I was paid $100 to keep my Army Special!

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I don't get lucky often, but 2 S&W's that jump to mind:

1. A 19-3 for $300 at a gun show 2 yrs. ago
2. A 39-2 for $320 at a little local shop just 2 months ago

Non-S&W:

I bought a Hi-Power Practical for $375 15 yrs ago that looked like it had never left the box, and about 7 0r 8 yrs ago I ran into a pristine 3rd generation Det. Special for $300.

For the most part though, I usually end up payin' what they're askin'...

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Because of the metric system?

This year I bought a "like new" Browning Hi Power (1994 model), with aluminum case, 3 mags, 50 rounds of fmj, a Desantis OWB paddle holster, and delux cleaning kit - all for $250! Bam!

Found this early 70s c commander at a gunshow for 650 a few years back.


This 4 screw pre 29 was wearing 70s era targets on gunbroker at 700 about 1 1/2 years ago

Mine was 2 years ago at LGS had a 39-2 smith customized the tag said $375 picked it up guy says will take $325 for it out the door if interested. Told him I would take it that was my introduction to the ASP pistol !!!

My recent purchase of a little used, nearly new looking, Model 457 for $395.

That's a bargain!!!

Complained about $580 for Colt Mustang 380 a few years back but going for over 1000 now. But this is Massachusetts and our prices make no sense to the rest of the world....

Five collector-grade Lugers, including a Simson, for $2,400 at a country estate auction 10 years ago.

A friend called me up had a lady who was selling a couple guns, one was a "westerner" .22 lever action the other was Remington shotgun he said they were old and kinda beat up. I told him to tell her I'd give her a hundred each sight un seen. The .22 ended up being a 1966 Uberti yellowboy built off original Winchester blueprints imported by Westerner, the other was model 11 Remington sweet 16 copy, that was a GREAT day. I also bought a 3914 for 295.00 at gun show.That was a good day to.

I've just been buying guns since they have went up the last couple of years. But I think my best buy was a s&w 469 like new which I love to shoot and carry.

My CS9 now a CS9D

Two of my best buys came at the same time. About 20 years ago a friend of mine was the executor of an estate that included numerous guns. I bought several without knowing much about them as they were all in either new or almost new condition. It was only later that I learned how rare they are in new condition.

1. Colt Ace, .22, NIB, 1932 production. I sold this one for 10 times what I paid and I still regret it.
2. Sig P210, NIB, 1952 production. Regarding fit and finish, I think this Sig is the finest gun I have ever owned. There really is something about Swiss precision.
3. My third best buy was a Pre Md. 27, 1950 production, 3.5 inch barrel in factory nickel. $250.00 in 1995 or so.

Here's the Pre Md. 27.

Reply With Quote

HA! And I thought I got a steal! S&W ASP 9mm built on a 439 in Appleton, WI. Asking price was $795, and listed as a "customized S$W." $695 ODT because the LGS didn't know what it had. Same gun sold on GB about 2 years later for $3995.

ASP Smith Wesson with shoulder rig and 3 mags for 275 . Saw it at a show and kept going thought it was 2700 but went back and g looked again it was 275 . guy did not no what it was but Iam old enough to know . Took it home

I also looked at a colt 4inch diamondback with pacmyer grips all summer at a shop for 499 . I did not buy that one

That is an easy one for me. It was a non-gun buy actually. I was shopping for a gun safe and fate and footwork came together to present me with a brand new, right off the store floor, gun safe for the sum of 1 Benjamin. I was dancing with glee! It would be hard for me to beat that.

Found this one in a gun shop in Huntsville, AL some years ago. He didn't know what it was. I paid $150 for it. It's a Mauser zig-zag revolver, the solid frame variety, in 9mm Mauser revolver caliber, DWM # 6. Only about 75-100 solid frame revolvers were made, and this is the only one in 9mm I've been able to locate.

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About 60 years ago I bought a matching numbers Luger in a drugstore for $20 that I'd saved from caddying. I was about 14 years old, no ID, no paperwork, cash.
Caddy pay for 18 holes was $1.25/bag, carry double, usually $0.25 tip per bag = $3.00 take home pay.
A few years later I sold the Luger to a friend for $40 and was happy at the time.
Live & learn.

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60-10,640-1,G30,G41MOS,1911

Ruger Single Six .4-5/8", SS, .32 H&R Mag, factory fake ivory stocks. The Vaquerito. $195.00 OTD. NIB. After they quit making them.
They sell for an obscene amount more than that.

31-1, 98%. $200.

36 no dash, 95%, $300 OTD.

15-3, 98%, $400 OTD.

Ruger MkII 4.75", blue, NIB $195 OTD. Right after the MkIII came out.

Beeman R9, like new $119 OTD.

A 1987 Ruger Mini 30 with scope, ammo, soft case, and a bunch of mags.
It only had a couple of boxes of ammo run through it.
Bought it from my girlfriend's parents in 1994, for $250.
You couldn't even get a (then) cheap, Chicom AK for that.

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What would Jim Cirillo do?

All these in 2008 from an estate sale:

Mossberg 590A1 with Sure fire forend, Davis speedfeed stock, and Vang Comp porting - Shoots pie plate size 00B patterns @25 yds. - $125

M60 no dash w/ banana grips, bobbed hammer, and action to die for - $165

Glock Gen 2 19 with aftermarket steel sights - $265

Got these for $300 each:

Lew Horton 29-3 with combat grips - bad finish
SA 1911A1 .38 Super with MOP grips
Kimber Custom (Clackamas OR) .45 - bad finish

I picked up a 1960 6'' colt python in 90%+ con. 5yrs. ago from my LGS for $400.00

While I was waiting for two friends to meet me for dinner on a rainy evening (about 12 years ago), I get a call that they were stuck in traffic and would be about an hour or so late. No problem....... there was a LGS 1/4 mile down the road. I go in and find a NIB (original red box too) Baby Chief's with a 3 digit serial number just sitting there. The gun was marked $175.00 and so when I said to the salesperson are you sure that gun is only $175 - he responded "yes, but it's been there a long time and no one is buying those old things anymore so I'll give it to you for $140.00. I had all to do from acting like a kid in a Candy Store and drew out my wallet faster than Matt Dillon to pay for it.

When I finally met my friends for dinner they felt so bad that they kept me waiting, my steak and lobster dinner was on them! Now that was a GREAT NIGHT OUT!!!!!

A Winchester model 1892 Trapper's Saddle Ring Carbine for $50. Caliber 25-20. Yes, fifty bucks...

A friend was handling the estate of her rich grandmother, and found two guns in the house. The Winchester, and an old beat up Colt .25 Auto.

She called me because she knew I was familiar with guns, and she just wanted to get rid of them. She asked what her options were. I told her that I could check on the value of the guns, and help her sell them legally, online. I emphasized that the guns MAY be very valuable... but at the time I would need to see them, do research, and let her know. Or, there were some local gun/pawn shops that I'm sure would be interested.

My friend asked if there were any OTHER options, as she wanted this issue resolved asap. It was a multi-million dollar estate, and she was NOT interested in spending effort on what MAY be just a couple of thousand dollars at best.

I said well, you or I could surrender the guns to the police when they have the occasional public "Gun Buy-Back" events... and you will receive a $50 gift certificate to Wal-Mart for each gun.

Her decision was prompt and clear, "Either you take these guns away from me for disposal to the police, or you can buy them for $50 each." I wasn't trying to rip her off, so I REEMPHASIZED that she was underpricing them. "That's no problem for me" she said. "Are you going to buy them or not?"

Out came the wallet, and home came two sweet guns.

Best wishes to all...

Roger aka Mr. Wonderful

I have mentioned this before - it's still my Model 19 that I bought in the BX at Guam for $105. The guy who special ordered it expected to pay $95. He balked at $105 but I didn't.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Several years ago, I went to the local gun show that's held 4 times a year. Went looking with the intention of buying a Model 41. Found two there. One with 7 3/8" barrel, cocking indicator, original box and two mags. The other was a 5 1/2" barrel, in a plastic hard case with two mags. The seller said "it comes with an extra barrel that's under the foam in the case." That extra barrel ended up being a 22 Short conversion kit. Complete with the recoil spring and guide rod, correct ejector, correct slide and 1 magazine. Paid him $850. I was as happy as the tooth fairy in a trailer park full of meth addicts.

Bought a Taurus 605(chrome) from a guy who needed money in a bad way for $150.
Bought a Marlin 1894C in .357mag from another guy who was going into Navy for $100.00 and gave to my wife(at the time for her birthday)
Got divorced and she insisted that she get the Marlin. Fine.
6 years later she asked if I still had that little Taurus pistol,
and would I trade her for the Marlin rifle.
Needless to say, I now have the Marlin
Best trade ever ( for me)

It was my third 1046, found on craigslist for $600.00

Thats an easy one! :-D

Sig Sauer P229 with a .357 sig barrel, .40 cal barrel AND 9mm barrel. 6 mags total, 4 .357/40 and 2 9mm. In 90% conditon, with night sights!

Paid $465 after tax :-D

Shes a bute

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Just scored a Behlert custom S&W 39-2 for $550

1960's were good years:

2 M1 Carbines through the NRA, one for me, one for the wife, $10.00 a piece.

1911 military issue Colt 45 - $40.00

New In Box Model41 - $163.00

So about 7 years ago I got told that a man at a gun club was having a sale. So I called and he emailed the flyer. I might have been the second person to show. The table, couch, chair seats and floor held triple what I bought.

I came home with

Beretta Stampede Inox 45LC NIB ...... $162
Colt 2nd Battle of Marne in the case .. $312
Colt Super 38 1935 slight frost ........ $350
Colt Golden Spike in Display .......... $175
Colt 1849 -1860 36 cal worn stagecoach. $440
Colt Frontier Scout some pitting ....... $147
Replica Arms -1849 in display ......... $100
German WWII officer dovehead ........ $300
Samurai signed dated late 1400s...... $300
Samurai signed dated late 1500's...... $300

and sadly, I was low on funds and passed on a NIB WWII Europe and Pacific Colt set. Regret that now.

About 5 years ago I decided I needed a 4" Anaconda to go with my small collection of Colts.After a long search I thought I was going to snatch one of off gunbroker for $700. I finally went to $800 to get it...and it became my fishing companion whenever I was around Yellowstone.It's a little beefier than my 29 or the 629 it replaced,but it's a great shooter and a little weight doesn't hurt with full power loads.Last week I was offered $2k for it :-O

My best gun buys have been the guns for the price that I have told my wife when inquiries have arisen.

Several years ago I answered a Craigslist ad here in Las Vegas
for some reloading stuff. At the seller's house, I was offered
a very nice late 70's S&W model 67 with no box or docs for
just $300.00! And, it had a trigger job, and it is a tack driver
to boot! Needless to say I jumped on that deal like a hungry
man on a just grilled filet mignon.

My best buy has been a Military and Police First Model Hand Ejector which was probably made in late 1901 or perhaps early 1902 based upon the serial number. It is about 90% and I was able to find the comparable original grips a few months later that fit like they were made for the gun.

I was looking for a "truck gun" and wandered into a small dealer who seemed to exist on FFL transfers. He had three revolvers in his entire store.

This revolver had some cheap plastic simulated stag grips. The dealer had no idea what he really had and in fact, was thinking he might put some better grips on the gun to see if it would sell.

The dealer had picked up a manufacturer number instead of the serial number on his inventory records. That is because the grips were concealing the butt number engraving and he did not know any better.

$325, no tax or tax included depending upon how you want to view it because I paid him cash.

Still had to go out later and find a truck gun. That second gun ended up costing me a little more than $325 because I still wanted something in as decent or slightly better condition than my first find.

I have been Pretty Blessed or Lucky over the years,Most Recent Finds-Super Nice 3913 $349
Remington 512X .22 Rifle $80 with hard to find Original Sights
Browning A5 Magnum 20 $500
S&W 60-7 Like New $269
Older finds-
Stainless 4" Python $500
HK USP 9 $365
Ruger Flat Gate Single 6 $129 Nice Condition Too

About 4 years ago,I stopped in a lgs to have them check a revolver that was all bound up.I noticed a dirty model 60 sitting in the used gun case,so I offered $270 cash and brought it home.The gunsmith was very nice,only charged me $30 and kept a straight face when he explained what was wrong with my 586 :-) Boy was I surprised a few years later when these guys starred in a reality tv show :-O

So, what was wrong with it ?

I ain't tellin :-D

My best buy was a Japanese Type Zero Take-Down Paratrooper rifle. I paid $110 for it and turned around and traded it for a 9mm Mauser Military rig and Inglis Hi Power rig. Both pistols had correct and in the case of the Mauser, matching wooden holster stock and 1917 dated leather harness. Both of the pistols were in excellent, like new condition. The Hi-Power had a matching magazine also.

The second one was a M1917 S&W revolver. The person who had it said he was told that it would shoot .45ACP ammo but every time he tired, the round was just pushed into the chamber by the firing pin. He was very unhappy with it and wanted to sell it. I asked him what he wanted for it and he said, "For 25 bucks, its yours." I paid him his $25 and bought some half-moon clips on the way home and I've never had a miss-fire since.

I still have the three pistols in my collection.

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Bill

In the S&W department, I have a few I consider good buys but the best is probably a 2-1/2" Model 66-4 I bought on GunBroker four or five years ago. The seller described it as being in "average" condition and had posted a minimum bid of $416. This was of course during the current snub-nose craze and while not a fan of those guns, I watched the auction to see how crazy high the gun would go.



It looked more "like-new" than "average" in the photos, one of which is above, so after several days with no bids, I placed the minimum bid just to help the seller out by getting things rolling. Three days later, there were no other bids and I was the proud owner. The gun truly is "like-new" and looks good wearing Combats in this photo with its Model 66-2 kin.



My other "best buy" is a Remington Model 700VTR. The VTR is that goofy looking "varmint/tactical rifle" with a triangular barrel. A young man won one in a gun raffle but was only interested in shotguns so he posted it for sale on trapshooters.com for $450. A friend of mine had paid over $600 and waited three months for one just like it - a .223 with an integral muzzle brake and the Desert camo synthetic stock, so I bought it with intentions of turning it for a few bucks profit.

After it sat in my safe for a few months, I decide to shoot it. I mounted a 4-12x 40mm A.O. Leupold VX-2 scope with their target dot reticle and did some handload development for it. Long story short, here's how it shoots at 100 yards with nothing done to it but replacing the trigger group with a Timney.



Another Remington is a Model 700VLS, the varmint rifle with a brown beavertail laminated stock and a 26" barrel in 6mmREM. A guy's wife bought it for him but he didn't think the 6mm was a good cartridge, so he put it up for sale brand new in the box for $600 at a gun show. As any savvy rifle guy knows, the 6mmREM is an excellent cartridge that lives under the shadow of the slightly lower performing .243WIN and now is not chambered in any Remington standard production rifle. It shoots fairly well for me and that load chronographs at 3,710 feet per second.



This a fun and very interesting thread - thanks for starting it!

Ed

I have a few but the one that comes to mind is a Colt Trooper in 22lr in pristine condition nobox
The day before Thanksgiving 2011 Cabelas Hammond IN marked 279.00 and I had a 20.00 coupon in my pocket

The action on that gun was not made on this planet its fantastic

Hank

Last year a model 65 for 350. this year a 1905, 4th change 38 spl. for 300.both in great shape

Hello all:

I was blest to stay with an old couple for about three summers when I was doing my resident work on my doctor's degree (academic not medical). They took me in and treated me like "I was their very own son." Heck, they even referred to me as their son on occasion.

The old gentleman and I got to be very good friends. He use to be the 1/2 owner in a Western Auto Store back in the day. When it when out of business he had a bunch of weapons that were not sold and he just kept them. (Do you remember when you could go into your local WA and purchase a gun?!).

Fast forward: He died a few years back. His daughters knew of his fondness for me and contacted me about "daddy's guns." They asked me if I would be interested in some that he had kept?

When I went to see them, lo and behold--there was a Ruger Security Six 357 4" barrel. It was pristine. It was manufactured in 1979. Had a more expensive rubber grip to help with the recoil. It is indeed a beautiful weapon.

Bottom line of the story: they asked if I would be willing to pay $325 for it. Of course I jumped at the chance.

Forgive the "trip down memory lane," but I thought you might appreciated the story that goes along with the gun?!

Cheers!

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"That is all!"

My best deal was for a 1919 model 1905 4th change in .38 Special. I bought it based on an incorrect description, and extremely poor photos from an on-line auction for $175 about 2 years ago. It turned out to be engraved and used by one of the US Army competitors in the Inter-Allied Games of 1919 in Paris. Confirmed by Roy Jinks in a letter which ended by saying "This is a great collectable revolver".

my last few pick ups:
a 627 no-lock v comp w/pc case etc 750 otd pawn shop find
686 w/scope barrel cutouts ( only 1100 made ) w/burris scope and factory combats...600.00
smith model 36 snubby,as new 300.00 from the same guy.
these in the last couple weeks.