(another) Expensive life lesson - be careful out there

[dobeman]

I am not a milsurp collector. I have, well had, a casual interest in them. Later last year, I bought a Remington 1903 a3 from Dane Baumann (owner of Aloha Surplus). He usually has a table of these things at Hillsboro gunshows. So, for $650 I bought this particular one thinking it a legitimate 1903 a3. I shot it. Hung on to it for a while.

July this year I sold it to a forum member. Got a PM from him yesterday - hey, did you know that 1903 a3 you sold me was a welded drill rifle? WTF! I thought what the hell - I had to google welded 1903 a3 receivers and lo and hehold - there's lots about reactivated 1903 a3 drill rifles. And guess who got duped into one, yep, me. Hell, I could have bought a welded reactivated drill rifle for a lot less than $650.

Because I am impeccably honest to my own detriment, I am making it right with my forum buyer and giving him his money back. I'll see where I get with Mr. Baumann. He claimed to my buyer that he got it in trade and didn't know - so sounds like he's going to plead ignorance.

I'm making it right simply because of the potential liability. And it's just how I am - too late to change, though I probably could have gotten farther in life being less honest. anyway. Be careful out there with what you buy. Another expensive life lesson for me.

Couple of other lessons learned:
- maybe bill of sales on used gun deals aren't such a bad idea afterall
- know what you are buying/selling
- take pictures and document applicable serial numbers etc of your guns before you sell them.
- know the history of what you buy and sell.

maybe stating the obvious - I'm slow.

Read More

 

[Joe13]

Your a good man dobe

I'm sorry to hear about your horror story

 

[thirtycal]

That is pure bullcrap about Dane not knowing. I can tell you he has been selling rewelded 1903's 1903-A3's, and Garands as long as I've seen him at the PDX gunshows (10+ years). The problem is nobody ever calls him out on it. I've had an opportunity to do so; holding an obvious rewelded Garand in my hands at his table - but I dunno... I guess I'm just not confrontational so I just put it back down and walked away. If I would have showed it to him, I don't think he would have done anything other than say "buyer beware". These days, that's pretty much what everyone will say. There aren't alot of really honest sellers at gunshows.

Hopefully this is a lesson for everyone. Definitely look closely at the next Garand you're considering buying that doesn't come with matching CMP authentication papers. If it didn't come from the CMP, then it stands a good chance of being a reweld.

BTW, 1903's are tricky because of the metalurgical problems with the Springfields with serial numbers less than (roughly) 800,000. So you really need know what you're buying when looking at a 1903 - even if it's configured as an -A3. A really popular 'trick' is to stamp a '1' in front of the 800,000, turning the rifle into a 1,800,000 serial number range. I've seen these on Dane's table too.

Again, the takeaway here is Dane is fully aware of all of these issues, and he won't say anything about it since obviously that would prevent a sale. But to be fair to Dane, he's not alone in this respect. Caveat Emptor.

Thirtycal

 

[Just Jim]

We all make mistakes. The measure of a man is how he corrects them.

 

[solv3nt]

Dobe is a good man, he offered to buy it back at the very onset of the conversation, which is way more than I would have expected.

 

[dobeman]

Dobe is a good man, he offered to buy it back at the very onset of the conversation, which is way more than I would have expected.[/QUOTE

That is pure bullcrap about Dane not knowing. I can tell you he has been selling rewelded 1903's 1903-A3's, and Garands as long as I've seen him at the PDX gunshows (10+ years). The problem is nobody ever calls him out on it. I've had an opportunity to do so; holding an obvious rewelded Garand in my hands at his table - but I dunno... I guess I'm just not confrontational so I just put it back down and walked away. If I would have showed it to him, I don't think he would have done anything other than say "buyer beware". These days, that's pretty much what everyone will say. There aren't alot of really honest sellers at gunshows.

Hopefully this is a lesson for everyone. Definitely look closely at the next Garand you're considering buying that doesn't come with matching CMP authentication papers. If it didn't come from the CMP, then it stands a good chance of being a reweld.

BTW, 1903's are tricky because of the metalurgical problems with the Springfields with serial numbers less than (roughly) 800,000. So you really need know what you're buying when looking at a 1903 - even if it's configured as an -A3. A really popular 'trick' is to stamp a '1' in front of the 800,000, turning the rifle into a 1,800,000 serial number range. I've seen these on Dane's table too.

Again, the takeaway here is Dane is fully aware of all of these issues, and he won't say anything about it since obviously that would prevent a sale. But to be fair to Dane, he's not alone in this respect. Caveat Emptor.

Thirtycal

well this really sucks. I don't like being robbed for $650. My reputation at least is intact.

 

[dobeman]

and what really gets me about this is somebody up the chain on this rifle knew exactly what they were doing. They did a really nice job smoothing the welds. The weld doesn't take parkerizing like the rest of the metal, otherwise an unsuspecting person like me would never know. I know Gibbs Rifle has sold reactivated drill rifles. I'm going to email them the serial number and see if by chance they did the work. Though not likely.

 

[dobeman]

Dobe is a good man, he offered to buy it back at the very onset of the conversation, which is way more than I would have expected.

if the thing blew up in your face your blood would be on my hands. I take that seriously.

 

[solv3nt]

if the thing blew up in your face your blood would be on my hands. I take that seriously.

I hope that Dane fixes this on your end as well.

 

[dobeman]

That is pure bullcrap about Dane not knowing. I can tell you he has been selling rewelded 1903's 1903-A3's, and Garands as long as I've seen him at the PDX gunshows (10+ years). The problem is nobody ever calls him out on it. I've had an opportunity to do so; holding an obvious rewelded Garand in my hands at his table - but I dunno... I guess I'm just not confrontational so I just put it back down and walked away. If I would have showed it to him, I don't think he would have done anything other than say "buyer beware". These days, that's pretty much what everyone will say. There aren't alot of really honest sellers at gunshows.

Hopefully this is a lesson for everyone. Definitely look closely at the next Garand you're considering buying that doesn't come with matching CMP authentication papers. If it didn't come from the CMP, then it stands a good chance of being a reweld.

BTW, 1903's are tricky because of the metalurgical problems with the Springfields with serial numbers less than (roughly) 800,000. So you really need know what you're buying when looking at a 1903 - even if it's configured as an -A3. A really popular 'trick' is to stamp a '1' in front of the 800,000, turning the rifle into a 1,800,000 serial number range. I've seen these on Dane's table too.

Again, the takeaway here is Dane is fully aware of all of these issues, and he won't say anything about it since obviously that would prevent a sale. But to be fair to Dane, he's not alone in this respect. Caveat Emptor.

Thirtycal

and karma is a bubblegum.

 

[dobeman]

I hope that Dane fixes this on your end as well.

I'm not too hopeful about that, but we'll see.

 

[dobeman]

Again, the takeaway here is Dane is fully aware of all of these issues, and he won't say anything about it since obviously that would prevent a sale. But to be fair to Dane, he's not alone in this respect. Caveat Emptor.

Thirtycal

this calls to mind... there's another guy always at PDX gunshows who sells replica rifles and he goes way overboard to make sure everyone understands they are welded decommissioned non operable rifles. I think he may have had legal FFL issues why he does this.. but maybe he was sued and does this now in response to that.
Nobody ever calls these sellers out - I wonder why.

 

[bolus]

Aloha Surplus...

Ahh I thought I had recognized that name. That's the building the worst color paint job imaginable. Kind of a burnt urine color.

Thanks for the heads up on why I never need to shop there or look at his stuff at gun shows.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

So sorry that this happened to you dobe! Thanks for the warning! Now shake it off and go scratch that beautiful dog! Once for me too, please!

 

[dobeman]

So sorry that this happened to you dobe! Thanks for the warning! Now shake it off and go scratch that beautiful dog! Once for me too, please!

Done

 

[dobeman]

Dane made it right and gave me my money back. good by me..

the end.

 

[spectra]

That is good to hear! to the guy for doing that.

 

[solv3nt]

That is good to hear! to the guy for doing that.

Kudos to dobeman as well for offering to make it right, even though he had no obligation to do so.

 

[Mongo1]

The right thing to do became contagious!

 

[erudne]

We live short lives
what we make of our lives is passed down to our children
Our actions and values shape our children's lives, for decades, maybe for life
In ancient times these stories used to be passed down in verbal histories
Today you can find real time stories of lives destroyed on YouTube and LiveLeak
I guess I'm saying that parents are the only PPL qualified to steer their children away from such disaster and it will take a very strong family to make it through.
I have learned that only by being a pillar of strength and a pillar of virtue can one defeat the evil upon this land
As the Christians say: pure virtue can begin in an instant, you can become a pillar of virtue and defend the weak at your descretion