I let one get away yesterday…

[shovelhead]

As I’ve mentioned before in other posts I work part time in a LGS. I have a proclivity to acquire revolvers, mainly S&W prior to 1980.

Sparing all the details, a pre Model 15 Combat Masterpiece came in on Friday, circa 1955 range from what I found. I was going to buy it. About the same time as it was sold to the shop we received some gun rugs that a friend has wanted. So I called him and when he came in I showed him the CM. He too is a retiree albeit several years older than I am, we’ve been friends for about fifteen years or so. I showed it to him, I could tell he really liked it.

As we hadn’t put a number on it for retail sale one of the managers gave him a attractive price on it. My friend thought about it, made a little joke on how “I needed to make another bad decision” as he and I refer to our gun purchases and he was going to pass on it. And before he left he asked me if I could replace a couple light bulbs in his garage, he’s too unsteady on his feet and while I’m in my 70’s I’m better off than he is. Told him I’d be over Sunday as I wasn’t working.

Well, later that afternoon he called me, both he and I had something come up on Sunday, I got “drafted” to work. He also asked me if I had bought that CM yet. I told him it was his if he wanted it, I was giving him first dibs.
He declined but I could tell…

long story short, he showed up Saturday morning asking me if I had bought it yet. I purposely held off as I had the feeling he would want it. And I was right.

I’ll just have to console myself with the circa 1950 K-22 I have in layaway…

 

[Buford57]

As I tell myself repeatedly: you can't own them all.

 

[greenwellg]

I have always had a soft spot for friends who had a hole in their collections and I had found the plug for that hole. I guess some of us measure our worth by how we value friendship. To see your buddy glowing when they look at the empty spot above the door to their living room now occupied by the first gen Mauser of which only 60 k were built in England in the 1870's, the see the sword bayonet he acquired earlier just waiting on the gun it would fit where he could see it where he spent most of his time relaxing.
That's priceless.

 

[mh51]

That's why you call him a "friend".

 

[JohnRippert]

I have slowed down on my buying of revolvers except for if I find one that is needed to fill a hole in my collecting 'niche'. I also have a new hobby resto-modding electric guitars. So I have passed up a couple decent buys lately myself. Once the economy turns the corner I will likely be selling some of my accumulation. I would not feel bad at all if I were you, especially since it went to a friend.

 

[shovelhead]

I have slowed down on my buying of revolvers except for if I find one that is needed to fill a hole in my collecting 'niche'. I also have a new hobby resto-modding electric guitars. So I have passed up a couple decent buys lately myself. Once the economy turns the corner I will likely be selling some of my accumulation. I would not feel bad at all if I were you, especially since it went to a friend.

Oh I have some regrets, this I’ll admit. I’d be lying if I said different.

My first handgun purchase was a 15-1 in 1974, sold it in 1976 at the urging of an ex-fiancée. I’ve since acquired a 15-2 a couple years ago.

The gun was one that I wou.s have definitely lettered. I was the initial contact via a phone call when the owner called about selling it. His story was that he was moving into senior housing and he didn’t want to take it with him. He bought it when he was a hospital security guard and according to him it was a deputy sheriffs duty gun prior to his ownership.

In the grand scheme of things I think I made his day.

 

[Teddydog]

Yeah, I've done that. Passed a deal on to a friend who had a good "fit" for it when I would have been happy to have it myself.

Rob

 

[jaguargolf]

I passed on buying a gun when the young man behind me in line at the counter stated out loud, with disappointment in his tenor, "I came here for that gun".
I wished him Good Luck with it