Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors How to find “deals”?

After successfully negotiating my local Cabelas down 15% on what might be an unfired classic and finding another nice deal online on another classic that came with 9 boxes of ammo, I kind of got the bug to expand my Model 70 stable.

Does anyone have any advice for finding good deals? My usual protocol is:

Favorite gun stores are on my Facebook for consignments.
Daily perusal of forums like this and the classified section
Straight up pulling off the road in Pawn shops I drive by wherever I am.

Are there any other methods y’all have had luck with?

I don’t NEED any rifles, which makes negotiating super easy.

I’m specifically after CRF rifles. My current GOAL is a 26” CRF 7mm RM with walnut stock. I havnt found one but thats my unicorn right now. I’m also looking at the new FN models in 7 PRC, if I can find them.

Anyway, any advice on finding them aside from just wait?

One of my older buddies used to always tell me one will come along, you just have to be patient. He's definitely right, but you have to put one foot in front of the other and hit up some shops along the way too. I always find deals. A lot is also in how you present yourself. Point out things about the rifles that are wrong, or unoriginal and be confident and don't be afraid to throw offers out, or ask how low they are willing to go on the price. There's things that I've seen, like dust on a rifle that tells me it's been on the rack for a long time. Those rifles are always easy scores, and the shop owner/worker is always willing to drop the price if they know it's been there for a while. Develop a relationship (first name basis) with certain shops you like and know to have good deals. Finding good deals is actually pretty easy..

Thanks for the advice!!!

My battle is finding the rifle at all. I’m probably just not shopping out and about enough. I know of a couple right now that have been for sale locally for several months. I havnt pursued them because they aren’t models I’m after but maybe I’m looking at this collecting thing all wrong. Maybe I need to find all good deals in order to resell and in the process, the ones I’m after will come along and I’ll have funded those. Lol.

Using your “local gun community” cannot be overlooked either. Talking to close friends and family that are gun folks can help turn up a rare item as you have more eyes and ears working on it. My friends know my tastes and periodically I will get a link or photos or a text/email saying “not sure if you’re interested but there is a _____ available for $X!”

I have been able to find more than one gun this way myself.

Troll the local bingo hall for fresh widows.

Damn, son.

Must be my friend Mark. He would do that.

Not gonna lie, it’s solid work. 👍

The trick is to have a pocketful of cold, clean, cash. When you see a deal you are in the position of acting on it right then and there. Also waving cash with your price has a greater effect than "would you take". I don't know how many times people have asked me "would you take"? I almost universally tell them I don't know, hand it to me, you never know.

Bottomline you never know when a good deal will arise. Be prepared at all times. My friend, R.I.P., always had a lot of disposable income (until the economy tanked in 2008) in his pocket. He bought a complete 03-A4 action at a yard sale for $50.00; another time he bought an original US Krag carbine for $175.00 at a flea market. He was having a yard sale one Labor Day. I asked him what he had good. He replied you would probably be interested in that Springfield action; you can have it for $75.00. I took one look at it and told him not to dare sell it for less than $600.00 until I find out what it is really worth. We got $1,000.00 for it. I got him $1,600.00 for the Krag carbine. He slipped me $100.00 commission on each. He was a good friend, who I would not take advantage of before anyone asks why I didn't buy them cheap.

Nice when the ‘deals’ find you

Stalk BSA.

That's what I'd do.

Same here. I just circle till he’s ready to sell.

I'm holding one rifle for you, but it's not a Winchester...

Just my 2 cents, but I think its all been said, hit everything you have time to hit. Small lgs and pawnshops are the best. Dont overlook local local ads. But, like bsa said, don't be in a hurry, a good deal on what you want will come, just takes patience. Buy a good deal when ya can, I think we all do this to fund our addiction. Nothing wrong with turn and burn if you can do it.

Good post PSH. I agree. If you get in a hurry, it will end up biting you in the azz. I don't like to get in a hurry. I know what I have on my bucket list, and if I happen to run across one at the right price, I'll buy it. But every once in a while, a rifle will come along that catches your eye and you buy it. It doesn't even have to be a Winchester either. Also, if you are ever in doubt about what a rifle is worth, look it up on gunbroker or gunsinternational. I probably haven't shown you guys this rifle because it's not a winchester, but I had it out the other day admiring it. It's just an H&R 340 that was made for a few years. I managed to buy it for $585.00 at the beginning of this year.



The damn thing shoots pretty good too, from the limited range time I've had with it:







It came with an old Burris fullfield 3-9x40 scope. Eventually I'll sell that scope. I've seen them selling on ebay for around $250.00. If I get $200 out of it, that will bring the overall price on the rifle down to about $385.00. A great old economy rifle in a nice walnut stock isn't bad. This one feels great in the hands and shoots different bullets pretty well. Hard to complain about that.

I can't show them all, but how about a Ruger #1?


One of my buddies really wants it. Not a bad $600.00 buy:

I keep my cash ready. I am 'relatively' versed in M70's, and since I have very little interest in Pre 64's, I have managed a couple of good deals. My best so far is a classic that came with 9 boxes of nice ammo. It was pretty much ready to hunt. LOL. I don't shop LGS or Pawn because I just don't get out much, but I think I need to just make a point to swing by them when I have time and I am there. Never know. I did, one time, respond to a paper ad from a guy selling a .30-06 M70. He showed up with a trunk full of guns. I bought his M70 for 300 and 2 .22 for 50 each. He was older and just wanted to dump everything. I refinished the stock on the M70 and it's been a nice shooter.

Ha,bsa, you and I are very similar, ill look at anything that is interesting and a good deal. I just bought 2 vanguard for 250 a piece. Not cause I needed them, but because they were to cheap. I'm thinking SIL's will end up with them for Christmas. I look at H&R bolt guns every time, same with Ithicas. There were either mauser or sako actions and can be had reasonable. I also look at add on's that others don't see or know. My recent pf purchase was a 280 sporting a 24 inch stainless fluted hart barrel nestled in an older mcm stock with a 4x12 vortex sitting aboard it. I tried getting them to knock 50 bucks off and keep the scope but they wouldn't. I bought the rifle for 550 and sold the scope the same day for 100. All in now for 450. I would buy about any #1 for 600, but one in 25 06, id be all over it. I have bought all kinds of non winchesters to fund this crazy addiction. I've spent money that I shouldnt, but it always seemed to work out, and you gotta jump when the deal is there. Nice thing is now, I can ask myself.... if I buy it can I get my money back tomorrow???? If the answer to that question is yes, IM BUYING!

One thing about private ads and private deals, I always ask if they're selling anything else. You never know what they may have, or what they want. If one is a deal, several may be, but someone with cash, and unloading several at once, can often make it easier for them as well.

Lol, thinking about this post also brings back the ones that got away. While its good to be conservative, don't be too much so either, lol, go with your gut. I remember looking at a 3 inch 66 at a gun show with a 450 price tag. I thought, I need to dicker on that, but it was early so I figured I'd come back. Oh boy did I screw that one up. I went back and it was gone. They are rare enough that it was an absolute no brainer. Another gunshow I was looking for a pre 64 fwt 270 and a guy had one and an 06. A guy was looking at the 06 and I heard him say, im gonna look around, but ill prolly be back for it. My turn was next so I negotiated a bundle of the 06 and 270, lol. Kind of an azz hole move cause I didn't need the 06, but it put me into the 270 cheaper when I sold it.

Damn man, I'll bet we could share stories all day long. I think we are a lot a like too. Some got aways that I kick myself in the azz over. I remember a pair of beautiful Remington Mountain rifles. One chambered in 270 win and the other 280 rem. The gunshop was new, and I liked the guy enough to tell him that his prices were too low!!!!! So, I do have a conscience and I also won't screw over a grieving widow. I know where to draw the line. Anyway, he was wanting $350.00 for each rifle. I almost passed out when I saw those price tags. Ha ha.. He did end up making me a great deal on my 1956 30-06 featherweight, that is all original and a beauty. I did glass bed it, so guys like Pocono are rolling over with disgust. Paid $800 for this one:




That sob shoots too. I search the 1956 model 70's out because my parents were born in 1956. My 270 fwt was also made in 1956, and it shoots better than my 30-06. Someone put a recoil pad on the 270 though, so it's just a shooter, but boy does she shoot!!! I bought that a few months back for $729, and then sold the scope that was on it for $225.00. There's a lot of good deals out there sometimes. Sometimes I have to say no. I also bought a standard weight made in '53 on the same day.. and I don't even like 270 that much. But the deals were right, and that rifle shoots lights out too. Good stuff man..