Best deal you ever got on a firearm

[CLT65]

About 20 years ago I mentioned to a friend that I was headed to a gun show. He asked me to keep an eye out for a good usable and inexpensive pump shotgun. I happened on an old 1950's Ithaca model 37 for something like $125.

I typically wouldn't buy a gun for another person (definitely won't now), but he was a good friend. It turned out that he didn't ask me for himself, but for a friend of his. That guy turned out to be a weirdo, tried to talk me down on price, when I wasn't asking for a profit. I got a bad feeling about the guy so I just kept it, refused to sell it to him at all. I found out years later that the guy ended up going to jail for some shady wheeling and dealing. I learned long ago to stay away from shady weirdos.

Anyhow, I kept that old Ithaca, and after I shot it a few times I wouldn't have sold it for double. Nowadays I just wouldn't sell it at all. It's my favorite shotgun.

 

[jbett98]

At a gun buy back in SE Portland a few years ago, a woman walks up the sidewalk with a large cardboard box in her arms.
I asked her if I could see what she was bringing into the buy back and when she opened the box there was a minty vintage Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum in a cowboy holster.
She took one look at the long lines and asked me if I would pay what they were giving out in Fred Meyer gift cards.
I handed her double the gift card value and she then told me that there was some ammo in her cars trunk and I was welcome to it.
There was 10 full boxes of ammo, all factory made.
My cost was $100.00

 

[2DaMtns]

At a gun buy back in SE Portland a few years ago, a woman walks up the sidewalk with a large cardboard box in her arms.
I asked her if I could see what she was bringing into the buy back and when she opened the box there was a minty vintage Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum in a cowboy holster.
She took one look at the long lines and asked me if I would pay what they were giving out in Fred Meyer gift cards.
I handed her double the gift card value and she then told me that there was some ammo in her cars trunk and I was welcome to it.
There was 10 full boxes of ammo, all factory made.
My cost was $100.00

I think we have a winner!

 

[cigars]

Uncle Sam: sign here son.
Me: uh, ok.
Uncle Sam: Here's your M16.
Me: {big grin}
Uncle Sam: Now here's a fork, go assault the mess hall.
Me: Yes Sir!

 

[solv3nt]

A few months ago I traded a 1942 M1 mutt for a sweet 6in Python.

 

[Kruel J]

Does free count? My dad has hooked me up a few times.

Notably a 4" GP100 stainless and a 77/22 WMR all weather with the laminate stock.

There have been others, and that's why every weekend I drive out to his place and do his chores or whatever he needs done.


A better man, I've never met.

 

[FireArm]

I traded 500rds of 9mm for a Charter arms .38spl undercover back when a thousand rounds of 9mm was $99. So I got it for $49.50.
It was in great condition.

 

[CLT65]

Not my good deal, but a relevant story:

Long ago when I was young, there was a small local gun shop I used to frequent. One day the owner was openly bragging about how he had completely ripped off a couple of young guys.

It seems they had come in with several nice, older hunting rifles and boxes full of hunting and reloading gear that they wanted to sell. As he was looking through it all and doing a mental appraisal, they were talking amongst themselves about how they'd inherited Grandpa's junk and how much beer they could buy with the money from selling it.

It made him angry so he gave them a ridiculous low-ball offer. They were so clueless that they took it. He said he figured if the respected their grandfather so little that they'd sell his prized possessions for beer money, they didn't deserve much, and if they were stupid enough to take it he didn't feel bad for them at all.

 

[Mygrainman]

$80 got me a brand new Savage FVSR and scope...


Craigslist ad said simply...

"Bersa Thunder $80"

I cold blued the slide, sold it for $280 just before 594 passed... and bought my son a Savage FVSR and a BSA Sweet22 scope with the $$.
I was incredibly broke at the time... it saved Christmas!

 

[DeanMk]

Just before FTF sales went away.

I met up with a guy to buy a shotgun to cut down.

$100 quick deal in a parking lot and I headed home.

The action had a little catch to it so I took it apart and very lightly sanded the bur. Smooth as butter.


Come to find out that it was farmed out from JC Higgins in 1951 to high standard, had a jeweled bolt, vent rib barrel with an adjustable choke. As well as it's in 95% condition.

Still probably my favorite shotgun and is one hell of a shooter for clays.

Joe,
Is that the ol' Model 20 pump?
I've got one of those, too.

Dean

 

[FireArm]

I completely forgot, I bought a Winchester 1896(pump action 12ga with a hammer that gets charged by pumping it) off a guy walking down the street in NE Portland on 14th and Killingsworth with it over his shoulder, I paid $10, I traded to a FFL in Seal Rock for a Intratec Tek9.

 

[gmerkt]

I've been "doing guns" since 1965, so some numbers I could recount would sound like real deals but that isn't the entire story. There is this thing called "time value of money," which changes. It would take at least $7 or $8 to buy now what you could buy for $1 in 1967. Because of collector interest, some things have increased in price way beyond factors of inflation. One example of this are K98k Mauser rifles, which in the late 1960's we could buy nice, unmolested examples for $30. Even given an inflation factor of 10, you can't touch a rifle like that now for $300, other reasons have also compounded the price. Young people don't realize it, the value of our money is steadily and increasingly losing value. It takes lots more of it to buy things than it used to. Go to any Ford store, look at the prices of new pickup trucks. Or try to buy real estate. It's not as bad as Germany in 1923 but it's getting there.

As to best deals I can remember getting, they were free. And in a sense, the hardest way to get a gun and that is due to the death of a friend. I've had a few given to me over the years because I've outlived a few friends. My cousin, who is still living, gave me a Smith & Wesson Model 57 once just because he figured he was never gonna shoot it again.

One of the exceptional good deals I can recall is one time I stopped at random at a garage sale, they were selling grandpa's stuff. There I bought a Smith & Wesson Model 1917 .45 revolver for $25.

 

[po18guy]

Several years back, I was visiting with a retired Sergeant from the PD. In talking about guns, I mentioned that I had always wanted a Python. He disappeared into his bedroom then returned carrying a blued 6" Python that he had bought a few years before from another officer. He handed it to me and just said, "Happy birthday!" It was not my birthday, but I gladly accepted the present!

 

[Mygrainman]

Several years back, I was visiting with a retired Sergeant from the PD. In talking about guns, I mentioned that I had always wanted a Python. He disappeared then returned carrying a blued 6" Python that he had bought from another officer. He handed it to me and just said, "Happy birthday!" It was not my birthday, but I gladly accepted the present!

View attachment 451880 View attachment 451881

 

[Andy54Hawken]

My Hawken Rfile copy...
While not the best "deal" money wise ( Although to me , its well worth every penny I spent on it )
I did get the best payment plan ....
The rifle maker let me , take the rifle home with a down payment , a handshake and the promise to pay the balance off , before he died...
The rifle has been paid off . long ago and the rifle maker is still with us.

This rifle has proved its worth by keeping me fed and winning many a match.
Many folks have also had a chance to shoot this rifle , and seeing the grin they have , when the .530 round ball strikes the target , makes for a great time as well...
Sometimes the best deals aren't the "best" in money saved , but with the enjoyment gained.
Andy

 

[orygun]

Right about 1986-87 I new I could make $25 buying one friends Dan Wesson stainless 44 and selling it to another (who changed the barrel and still has it).
I paid $200.

The next year I bought a NIB Ruger Blackhawk SRM (357 Maximum) for $300.

@gmerkt even in the mid 80's $100 was worth a lot more than now.

I bought a couple of used guns from Fisherman's that turned out to be really good deals, but the Marlin 1894 that came with box and manual in 41 Mag for $225 was probably the most recent, best deal I've had (or can remember!) and that was probably 10 years ago. At the time it was worth more than twice that.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

This is probably the best deal I made "money wise".
It is a original .50 caliber St. Louis marked "Plains Rifle" circa 1850.
Shoots well and has the look of a "Upper shelf " sporting rifle of the era , along with both the makers name and a city with fur trade connections....

I traded for this rifle...
The rifle I traded for this rifle was also a original rifle...but was in really bad shape , however it had a good bore , the price for that rifle was around $200 dollars.
After a bit of research and some long weekends of restoration , I turned the wrecked rifle into a good looking shooter....which I kept until the rifle pictured came along...
We were both happy in the trade so....all is good.
Andy

 

[Stomper]

Chinese PolyTech AKM side-folder NIB for $250...



Sold it to my BIL 5yrs latter for $500.... it's worth well over $1,200-$1,500 now. At least it's still "in the family".

 

[coop44]

An anschutz model 54 Sporter, at a pawn shop in Santa Ana CA for $100, "I never sold a 22 for more than a hundred bucks" sold it in days for $800.
A near perfect GEW98 and a few hundred rounds of ammo on strippers for a $100.

Of course this was back in the 80's and 90's

 

[Aero Denezol]

Around 2006 or so I got a 1944 Mosin Nagant M44 on Sale from Big 5 in Albany for $40. It had a cracked stock, which I easily repaired. I sold it two years later for $100. Now it's probably worth $300-$340.