Most expensive firearm you ever bought or almost bought?

well, I somehow got into lugers, so got used to saving up and buying less guns

Simson 1926 - this one is in the December Man at Arms magazine :o
 

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I like pre-war Merkel o/u engraved shotguns, . . . .

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My only O/U Merkel is this one:

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Not a shotgun and not pre-WW2. It's a .375 H&H Mag. made in East Germany and test fired February 19, 1986 using Winchester 300 grain factory ammunition. Yes, I said it. Winchester factory ammunition in East Germany well before the Iron Curtain came down.

Here's the test target. Click on the photo for full resolution in which you can read the specifics.

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Curl
 
A friend took in a Luger and wanted to swap it for my 520. I said no way. Another friend bought it and wound up selling it to a Chicago area dealer for twelve hundred, and that guy had bought it for resale... I could have had it for 350, which is what I had in the 520. Mauser Banner Luger, original holster and two matching mags, exc. Cond , no idea what that's worth today.
 
A friend took in a Luger and wanted to swap it for my 520. I said no way. Another friend bought it and wound up selling it to a Chicago area dealer for twelve hundred, and that guy had bought it for resale... I could have had it for 350, which is what I had in the 520. Mauser Banner Luger, original holster and two matching mags, exc. Cond , no idea what that's worth today.

You missed a good one. The "Mauser banner" Lugers, most of which were issued to police, are great examples of late Lugers.

I posted mine on these forums a couple years ago: http://smith-wessonforum.com/firear...-banner-police-eagle-l-9mm.html#post138873225

Curl
 
Merkel SxS 16 ga and a Browning Heritage O/U 16 ga, each about $4500.
 
I have since spent more on a couple of trap guns, but the largest expenditure in relation to my income was a Winchester 21 Skeet. It was $2350 in about 1975. I didn't shoot skeet, but thought it would be a really nice gun for hunting pheasants. It wasn't. I could not think about hunting, just protecting the gun. Sold it back after about six months for what I had paid for it; probably a six or seven thousand dollaer gun by now. I went back to hunting with an 870, and enjoyed it a lot more.
 
$1,125 for a 1943 Ithaca 1911a1, all original military contract pistol. Still have it. Bought about 9 years ago. This was the pistol that started me collecting firearms. Worth a lot more now.
 
The roster kind of skews our values in Kalifornistan. This is DW's entry level 1911 and I bought it unfired for quite a bit more than MSRP.

It's exactly what I like in a 1911 and I'm neither sorry nor disappointed. :D Would like front strap checkering though...

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Model 21 Winchester with 3 sets of barrels and extra fore end, 4A wood. It did help pay for my Daughters Med school, 24 years later.
Glen
 
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There are two contenders for this list: The first would be my Sig P226 Legion DA/SA, which is the most amount of money I've ever spent on one firearm transaction, though it was well worth it. The second, a LNIB 1980 S&W Model 41, is definitely higher in value than the Legion, however I paid a bit less for it, so I not sure it counts here...


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Perazzi MX2000RS 35/34 Combo. $9800 back in 2003. Yes I still have it and shoot it.
 
I was offered a 40X .22 with a Shillen barrel and a Jewell trigger on a custom built for benchrest shooting stock. It was built by a man that has built several record setting rifles. It was worth at least $3000. My sponsor offered it to me for $1000. But it was right after Christmas and I had spent every nickel I had. I told him I'd be back to get it (he had 5 of them) soon but by the time I got to him he only had one left and he said he had to use it himself because his rifle had quit working. Best deal I was ever offered and I messed it up.
 
Wow, and I thought the $1000 I spent on a Winchester 1873 rifle back in 1995 was a lot. That and the $1000 I spent on a Smith & Wesson Triple Lock back in 2009. That's the most I ever spent on any gun ever. I've been lucky in my choices I suppose. But I never really bought my guns based on collector interest, all my guns had to be able to shoot and take out without me worrying too much about them getting dinged or scratched too much.
 
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Mine is an IWI Tavor.



I wanted one for a while. Even though I had the budgeted funds for it, I balked at the price. Purchased it to celebrate after I received test results indicating that a small cranial tumor was benign. I had a "life is too damn precarious and short" weeks.
 
The most expensive gun I ever actually bought was a Savage 12 LRPV with a target AccuTrigger. I was looking to buy one new for around $1200 but luckily found one with about 10 rounds through it for $925. I'm sure I could sell it now for more than I have in it.
 
Matched set of Purdeys-12 ga with case . They were asking $135,000 for the pair
I asked them if they would take a check and they said sure but we'll have to confirm with the bank first - and that was that :rolleyes:
 
Mine is a 38/44 Transitional Sportsman. I got it for $760 in an auction after commissions with rubber grips. Then found a set of sharp shoulder magnas for $175.

I was complaining to a friend the other day about never being able to afford a Registered Magnum, and he pointed out that if I just got rid of the duplicates and dreck from my collection, I'd be able to afford one.
 
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