Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Guns you should have grabbed, but walked.

I have walked away from more than one butt kicker, but the one that hurts the most was not exactly a walk away. Growing up my step grandfather had a SAKO RIIHIMAKI L46 in 222. He and I would go coyote hunting together in his ford ranchero. when I got my drivers license at 14 he let take it and hunt coyotes with it. When I was done I would clean it and take it back to him. He always told me that when he died I would get that gun. Fast forward to my senior year in high school and he was diagnosed with lung cancer. During my first year of college I would come home every other weekend to see him in the hospital. In the spring he passed away and after the funeral my grandmother told me that I had better go up and get that rifle and to take his gun case that all of his guns were in. I had finals so I told her I would get it next trip down. So when I went home I stopped by my Grandmothers and told her I was there to pickup my gun and gun case, she told me that my step uncle had come and took all the guns and gun case with him. She said that she requested he leave the 222 but he responded that I did not deserve it as I was not blood. My Grandfather had been married to my grandmother since my mom was a soph. in high school and he was the only grandfather I had. Both of my real grandfathers were killed in separate farming accidents.

So I went to my uncles and explained to him that grandfather wanted me to have the Sako and he gave me the same response as he did to my grandmother that I did not deserve it because I was not blood. So fast forward 45 years and I run into my cousin and in conversation I ask him if he would be willing to let me have the Sako that was Grandfathers. He did not even know what I was talking about. He said he had never seen any of Grandfathers rifles. He said he would go to his mom's and get in the safe and see if he could find it. The next day I get a text from him with the pictures of the Sako asking if that is the rifle which I confirmed. About an hour later I get a text asking me if I know know the value of the gun which I said yes, but I want it for other reasons. Now my cousin lives extremely comfortable and does not shoot guns very often if ever anymore, but his response to me was no he would hang onto it because it is a family heirloom and I am not family. Timing is everything.

Ruger 77 Varmint in 6.5 BR, this was back during the late 90's. It had the laminated light brown stock. The barrel looked exactly the same as the factory Ruger stainless. Just didn't feel like doing the brass work.

In high school, I was at a local hardware store and they had a new Winchester 61 in .22 WMR. Man, I wanted that gun, but it cost $125 and I couldn't come up with that much money.

Price one today....

DF

When I was active at Ft Carson years ago I went to a local gun show and spied a custom Mauser rifle. Great clean stockwork and just a great all around rifle in an old classic style. $450, and by the time I was able to get the cash, it was gone. Years later I read the Petrov books and learned that an excellent custom stock maker named Minar lived in Co Springs, and the rifle I saw was a dead ringer for the few examples in the book….would have been a wonderful rifle to have and study, not to mention use.

I got a few most regrettable being a stainless LH winchester mod 70 in 300 win mag for a very good price.i also passed with intention of hopefully going back for a jap 8mm Nambu just kinda thought was a cool little piece.and back in the day passed on some python's and anaconda's if i could go back for those i could finance another rifle build

I just walked away from a really nice Marlin 336SC "waffle top" in .35 Rem. for $700. Might regret that someday

Swedish AG42b Ljungman 6.5x55

A Coltsman Sako for $350 in the 90's.
A Sako in 223, same.

A S&W M-15 about 2007 for $125.
PD trade, it had been then stolen and used in a home invasion in Baltimore.
The returned to the LGS it was stolen from. Scratched a bit, wore,
perfect mechanical, bore. A user's dream. Stupid.

The biggest mistake investment wise though.

Remember those crates of SKs, and AKs at the shows in the late 80s
early 90s? I was buying the occasional nice user Sako for $500.
That would have bought a case of Skis. Or several AKs.
The spam can cases of ammo for them? Can't remember, but it was cheap.


If my Sako money would have been spent on that "junk", I could trade them
for a lot more SAKOs today.

Who,
In the Hell
Would have ever imagined that!

NAGW, but
Back in the late 70’s or early 80’s I frequented Harry & Joe’s gun shop in Philpot, Ky. quite often. That’s where I bought my first Redhawk and a Roy’s Hidden Thunder holster to carry it (which I still use). They had a good selection of handguns and rifles to browse through, and I did a lot of browsing, especially at a Browning M92 lever action in 44 magnum to compliment my new Redhawk. That rifle was on the rack for several months for, IIRC, $450. It had beautiful wood and bluing, and called out to me on every visit. When I finally decided it was time to buy, it was gone with no more available. Still a regret to this day………….. Oh, did I mention that they also had the first stainless Colt Python that I ever saw?

Winchester M70 Featherweight in 280 Rem, made before they went to the FN plant.

I should have walked away more often than I did🥴

They only one that really sticks in my mind was a deluxe 1873 Winchester in .38-40 that a guy wanted to sell me but the $$ amount was just too much for me at the time. I had a few friends that could afford it and one bought it. That was/is a cool gun and I keep after my friend on this one……so maybe I’ll still have a chance not to walk??!!

PennDog

M71 Winchester.

I answered an ad in the paper that read, "hunting rifles for sale". The gentleman had a Pre64 FW in 308 and an M71 - I could not afford both. Took the featherweight. Both were a bargain....

Remington 600 in a 6.5 for $600

"I should have walked away more often than I did🥴"

Ain't that the truth!
My problem is impulse buying.

Boxcarman: Yes!
In my 60+ years of gun buying/gun trading I have done that at least 1,000 (one thousand!) times.
So many guns - so little time.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Used to be my problem. Not anymore

Another one was one that I should have grabbed was at LL Bean’s store . They had a mint H&K 630 in a 223 for $400

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/922390742

Several years ago I passed on a mint condition HK P7 for $600.

[quote=zcm82]Several years back I saw a Marlin in 375 Win at a gun show and passed on it. It was $500, so really kicking myself in hindsight
Had a friend of mine who is now dead and gone help nudge me into buying the same marlin 375 It was on a table at a show $400 with 4 boxes of ammo He told me the way you are looking at that if you don’t buy it you WILL regret it Steve has been gone 18 years now I still have the marlin and those same 4 boxes of ammo Never forgot him pushing me into getting What are friends for Steve Thank you again I still miss you buddy

Probably 20 years ago I did it twice in one day...........

Two buddies and I picked up my uncle and did about a 450 mile gunshop roadtrip one day. We ended up in central PA. At Shuman's, I almost had a spotless Weatherby Athena Grade III 20 gauge to the register and I put it back. I believe the tag was $850. Today they're north of $2k. Then at the Walking Quail, they had a, likewise, spotless A-Bolt Medallion .375 H&H for very good money. Again.......... I left without it.