Most expensive firearm you ever bought or almost bought?
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CptCurl
Member
My only O/U Merkel is this one:
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.
Curl
oneounceload
Member
Have you fired it since? Looks like new........
rogerwnuss
Member
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.
CptCurl
Member
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
bigolddave
Member
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.
VaTom
Member
$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.
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
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.
Would like front strap checkering though...
It's exactly what I like in a 1911 and I'm neither sorry nor disappointed.
Would like front strap checkering though...
pinduck
US Veteran
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
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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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.
David LaPell
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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.
JaPes
Member
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.
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.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
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
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
jmace57
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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.
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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How's it shoot?
SweetMK
Member
I wanted to buy that gun museum in Cody, WY,,,, 
but,, the wife left the checkbook in the other jet,,,
but,, the wife left the checkbook in the other jet,,,
SuperMan
Member
Most paid for a gun: $2100 for a NIB Freedom Arms Model 97 .22/.22 Magnum.
Highest almost paid for a gun: 1952 NIB factory engraved Colt Commander in .38 Super...probably the only one of its kind complete with factory letter. It was my year of birth and I carry the identical gun also made in 1952. It was at Amoskeg Auction and I was there. Bidding in-house stopped at $2500 and I was high bidder. A phone bidder then just kept bidding... I finally quit when my next bid with the auction fee would have been $4K...
Most money turned down for a gun: About 2000 I bought a NIB Colt El Capitan for $900...the only .38 Super Colt ever made with an Officers length slide. At the time it was the most money I had ever paid for a gun. A few months ago someone sent me a personal message on another forum saying that he had seen a picture of the gun I had posted and would I sell it...offering $4K. I turned down the offer and he ended up offering $5K. I almost sold it but not having seen any for sale for a long to turned down the offer. A few weeks later one came up for sale on GunBroker...it hit $8500 with "reserve not met". A few weeks later another came up for sale with a starting bid of $7500 but the seller pulled the auction after just a few hours before there were any bids...
Bob
Highest almost paid for a gun: 1952 NIB factory engraved Colt Commander in .38 Super...probably the only one of its kind complete with factory letter. It was my year of birth and I carry the identical gun also made in 1952. It was at Amoskeg Auction and I was there. Bidding in-house stopped at $2500 and I was high bidder. A phone bidder then just kept bidding... I finally quit when my next bid with the auction fee would have been $4K...
Most money turned down for a gun: About 2000 I bought a NIB Colt El Capitan for $900...the only .38 Super Colt ever made with an Officers length slide. At the time it was the most money I had ever paid for a gun. A few months ago someone sent me a personal message on another forum saying that he had seen a picture of the gun I had posted and would I sell it...offering $4K. I turned down the offer and he ended up offering $5K. I almost sold it but not having seen any for sale for a long to turned down the offer. A few weeks later one came up for sale on GunBroker...it hit $8500 with "reserve not met". A few weeks later another came up for sale with a starting bid of $7500 but the seller pulled the auction after just a few hours before there were any bids...
Bob
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My most expensive one was a Model 28 Highway Patrolman. ..... it launched my life of buying more and more guns.
Based on this theory......that first 4" Model 10.........."cost" me.............. well ......... gotta be...... at or dang close to ....... a "big pile of cash" over the past 39 years...........
Well whatever the figure .... collecting/accumulating guns .......... values haven't gone down!
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Gulfecho
Member
A 2016 Browning Citori 725 Sporting O/U new for $2000...worth every penny.
flip flappy
Member
I don't have any real expensive guns but I do like Browning Sweet 16's. My quest to have one to hunt with cost me a pretty penny. I bought one about around 2005 for $900 and decided it was too nice to hunt with. Bought another one in not as good a shape for $600. Then decided to buy another barrel for it and send it off to Briley's to have it shortened and choke tubed. I had over $500 in the barrel alone when I got it back. So I guess I could say I spent $2000 to have a shooter Sweet 16!
Marshal Tom
Member
My CT Brian custom built 1911. it was $2600 when i had it built. Tim recently told me that it is about a $6000 gun now.
oneounceload
Member
In 2005, after the insurance paid for my ruined gun collection from Katrina,
I bought a new Krieghoff K-80 Skeet gun,The gun, case and Briley sub-gauge tube set
ran just shy $10,000
I should have done years earlier.
New ones cost a lot more now.
My Browning only cost me $1000 to buy, but those 300,000 targets I shot through it cost me closer to $150,000...................
Tied at $1500
Bought back my fathers M1 Garand Type I National Match that I sold about 10 years earlier for about the same price. NOT LETTING IT GO AGAIN!
Remington 40XC KS position rifle for the same price($1500) of course it needed a $800 Sightron 8-32x60 scope. It did not disappoint! 1/2" groups at 200yds
Bought back my fathers M1 Garand Type I National Match that I sold about 10 years earlier for about the same price. NOT LETTING IT GO AGAIN!
Remington 40XC KS position rifle for the same price($1500) of course it needed a $800 Sightron 8-32x60 scope. It did not disappoint! 1/2" groups at 200yds
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