Anyone else seen that poorly refinished .44 Russian DA on Gunbroker?

[twaits]

I wrote the guy and respectfully told him that the gun is refinished. He's trying to insinuate the gun is worth $5000.

No response from the seller and no change in the auction.

 

[SDH]

twaits,
Unfortunately there is lots of that on GB. People believe what they want to believe regardless...
The vast majority of GB guns are not realistically priced.

 

[Ed45]

I agree. Has that just been spray painted with blue/black enamel look.

 

[sugarae]

The side plate screams refinish!

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

The side plate screams refinish!

Yup. Looks just like mine. The side plate that is.

 

[Bronco48]

..........and the "engraved" box is a dime a dozen made in India "special".

 

[Oyeboteb]

Hard to know whether to laugh or cry...

Guess I will do a little of both...

 

[rhmc24]

It's a below average prep job refinish. The $800 posting price is too much. $5000. As someone said "believing is holding an idea without supporting evidence and ignoring evidence to the contrary".

 

[Thuer]

I like to see the offers on antique guns on Gunbroker.
But, I wont buy anyting any more. This becouse the price for a good piece extends the risk I am willing to take that I get a poor piece.

So, I do buy only the guns I can handle and examen closely .

 

[glowe]

I feel that I should offer a little defense of Gunbroker here. This site is well run, easily searched, and overall one of the largest online gun resources out there.

I have sold many guns on this site. All have been totally described with extensive detailed photos and NO RESERVE! I have sold every one in my first listing and at a price I felt was fair for both buyer and myself.

It is not the site that bothers me, but some of the sellers that do not know what they are doing. Many are gunshops who list their guns on the site at a high reserve, while trying to sell the same gun in their shop for the same price as their reserve. I think that many sellers are trying to sell with reserves that are over-priced, but the good news is - those guns do not sell.

I have also purchased guns on this site, but I only search for guns without a reserve and have not been disappointed with the buy. I recently purchased a NIB Model 22A and a NIB Sigma there that were better prices than anywhere else I could find.

If a gun does not have detailed photos that are in focus and no reserve, I will not buy, but I must say that there are good honest deals on this site. Let the buyer beware here, same as with all gunshows, auctions, and other online sources.

 

[twaits]

So far 99% of my dealings on Gunbroker have been positive. Both buying and selling. When I list anything I give as detailed photos as I possibly can and disclose all information positive or negative about the gun.
Unfortunately not everyone does.
Some of my best deals on guns have been through gunbroker.

 

[ralph7]

I feel that I should offer a little defense of Gunbroker here. This site is well run, easily searched, and overall one of the largest online gun resources out there.

I have sold many guns on this site. All have been totally described with extensive detailed photos and NO RESERVE! I have sold every one in my first listing and at a price I felt was fair for both buyer and myself.

It is not the site that bothers me, but some of the sellers that do not know what they are doing. Many are gunshops who list their guns on the site at a high reserve, while trying to sell the same gun in their shop for the same price as their reserve. I think that many sellers are trying to sell with reserves that are over-priced, but the good news is - those guns do not sell.

I have also purchased guns on this site, but I only search for guns without a reserve and have not been disappointed with the buy. I recently purchased a NIB Model 22A and a NIB Sigma there that were better prices than anywhere else I could find.

If a gun does not have detailed photos that are in focus and no reserve, I will not buy, but I must say that there are good honest deals on this site. Let the buyer beware here, same as with all gunshows, auctions, and other online sources.

what is the advantage of no reserve?
i would think everyone would have a minimum just for protection.

 

[delta-419]

GB

The start price is what determines a good auction without the need for a reserve. I will not bid on a reserve auction. I always ask a number of questions about the piece, no answer, no bid. 2nd the emotion on good quality photos and lots of them. I have made some great buys on GB. Its about the only place in my neck of the woods that has what I buy, besides Tulsa, Louisiville, and Birmingham.

 

[ralph7]

i have never really looked at the online auctions, other than to compare prices w/something to see a real world price.
the start price serves the same purpose as what i thought the reserve was for. thanks for clearing that up.

 

[glowe]

For those who have not used this site extensively, a great feature of GB is the ability to search for only completed auctions. You have to log in and then go to Advanced Search. There is a pull-down box for completed auctions and also use your search terms. After you receive your results, you can sort by number of bids by clicking on the "Bids" header. Click this column twice for most to least bids. You can see what has sold and what did not in order from top to bottom.

This method reveals the price that someone did pay for an item, which should be close to "the real world price".

 

[Tom K]

Sold for $1425. Now that the auction has closed, here's a link to it:
S & W First model 44 Russian Revolver : Antiques / pre-1899 at GunBroker.com

 

[SC_Slowhand]

$1425???

Sold for $1425. Now that the auction has closed, here's a link to it:
S & W First model 44 Russian Revolver : Antiques / pre-1899 at GunBroker.com

I'm glad you posted the link. I was curious what it looked like.

The "Winning' Bidder has 139 wins so far. I was expecting some newcomer with a lower number. Unless he's a collector with some bucks to blow I'd say that some where down the road someone is going to get a "good deal" on a Russian for a bit more that $1425.

Looks like a refinished job to me and that hand made box is a real joke.

I've bought several antiques and replicas over the years on Gun Broker. It's a Buyer Beware thing all the way. But none the less there are some good deals to be had. In this case someone spent about a grand more than I would have.

I was an interesting thread. Thanks for posting twaits.

 

[Memphis]

Good-gobeldy-goop that sideplate looks like a train track for seams. With that much (over)polishing you could turn a lump of coal into a diamond.

Roger

 

[Warren Sear]

I can't stand refinished guns, especially poorly refinished guns. I will never understand why people re-blue worn guns. I like the "been there, done that" look.

My advice to anyone considering a re-blue is "DON'T". It never improves the gun.

 

[rayj101]

Hi All, In Re the box. These are massed produced overseas and sell for $15-25 or so. Actually, they are nice "cases" for a pistol, antique or otherwise. You wouldn't be ashamed to have one, containing your favorite Colt Goverment Model, sitting on your desk. Of course to leave the modern provenance of the case, in question, unsaid could be construed to be misleading.

Anyway, for a nice desktop/bookshelf location, these cases (with some lining as in this one) are OK and do display the handgun very nicely (and economically). Ray

PS: I said Colt Gov Mdl because what else would you have handy. LOL

PPS: I made a decent case for an S&W 1st Mdl .32 using one of these imported cases. Came out decent for display - not for collectability etc.