Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Unicorn list?

I think all of us gun nuts have a few different guns in our head that if we ever run across at anything close to decent price we know we'll buy it.

I found another today picking up a used Win model 70 extreme weather 30-06. Ive been wanting a stainless M70 30-06 for a while but havent been bidding them up on auctions etc. Just happened to find one at a shop i frequent.

Others that over the years I waited patiently for and eventually found include a kimber montana 7 wsm I found over a dozen years ago. A nice blr in 358 I found last year. Several JC Higgins model 50s and 51s. And I recently got a savage 99 take down in 250-3000. It's rough but I've wanted one for 30 years.

So I guess by unicorn I mean guns you don't often find while doing the gun store or show circuits but ones you'll likely buy if you see while out and about. Not something you're actively trying to buy at gunbroker and willing to pay any price for.

Some I'm still watching for include:

A kimber montana in 223.

A S&W scadnium 44 that had the stainless cylinder and about a 2.75" or 3" barrel. I can't remember what's it called right now but maybe Alaskan backpacker or something like that. I've only ever seen one. I own the 4" and have carried it a lot over about 15 years but I really want that one with the stainless cylinder.

A CZ 550 fs in 9,3x62

A Blackhawk stainless convertible 45 with a 4.625" barrel in the dealer exclusive flattop medium frame. The one that weighs 36 ounces.

A nice 94 big bore in 375. Always wanted one and now that I'm casting again it seems like a good one for hunting with cast bullets.

An m77 Alaskan in 416 ruger. I had one in 375 I should have never sold. It was great with the 20" stainless barrel but I figured I didn't need two so I sold it and kept my African for sentimental reasons because I used it on my last Africa trip. I'd really rather have the shorter ss one and since I still have a 375 African I'd love a 20" alaskan.

Pretty much any Barrett fieldcraft short action for under around $2000. I love my 6mm Creedmoor and 7-08 and often regret not buying more when Whittakers cleared them out.

I have more on the list but that gets me started. Maybe some good can come of this and we can watch for each other's unicorns and help each other out. It was a fire member that found my 18.5" Barrett fieldcraft for me because he saw a post where I mentioned I wanted one. I've found several things for friends and fire members after hearing they were looking and then stumbling across one by chance.

What are your unicorn guns?

I know this is the rifles area but include any gun. I would have posted this under the hunters campfire but I was hoping to keep it more positive like the old fire days and thought the odds of that happening are better here.

Bb

Remington Model Seven in 35 Remington. Any of the KS Sevens and the stainless fluted AWR or is it ACR in a Seven.

Not a unicorn per say but one that I regret not buying. A few years back a LGS had a mint Ruger M77 from 1976. It had the 200th year stamping and I walked away when he wouldn’t budge on his $500 price. Even had a scope. When I wised up it was gone. I’ve casually been looking for one since but none have had the grain or condition of that bargain.

Burley - Have three of your unicorns in my safe. I might be convinced to part ways with a new (no box) Big Bore Win 375, have a 100 pieces of new brass and dies and even some ammo that could go with it.

I'd been looking for a deal on an old blue/walnut 257 Roberts for several years and found one this past summer. Also for a number of years was looking for a deal on a Win 375 H&H and found a heck of a deal just randomly one day.

Wasn't looking but found a Fieldcraft in 6.5 creed last winter that was unfired for 1k. It also came home with me.

Nothing currently in particular on my wishlist, but always looking for something to jump out.

Montana in 223
Talkeetna in 375
Blackhawk in 45Colt
One of them fancy Uberti 1886's in 45-70
#1 in 7x57 Mauser

Remington model 14 in 25 Remington

Savage 1899A in 32-40.

Marlin 62 in 256 Mag.

Not really in the market atm, but any time I peruse a shop I keep my eyes open for one of those.

Kimber Montana 223

Winchester P64 300 Win Mag

Browning BLR Laminate/SS 7-08

Winchester P64 FWT SuperGrade 270 Win

Kimber Montana 7mm WSM

I kinda feel like my kids writing to Santa

I know there’s more as well, just those off the top of my head.

Always on the lookout for steals and deals but I’m over capacity now so been posting them here as I find them. There’s a couple I’d make room for if I found them at a decent price….. a Savage 99 Saddle gun .250-300, a Marlin, Savage or Winchester in .375 Win, and a LH Winchester 70 Stainless Classic in .270. Demand is high and usually when found prices are higher than I’d consider.

KAR98AZ WWI German cavalry carbine.

Springfield Krag Carbine. Spanish-American War era.

S&W M29 Mountain Gun (pre-hillary hole).

Browning BSS Sporter in 20 gauge.

Any English or Scottish SxS shotgun that I can afford.
( This greatly diminishes the possibility of being fulfilled. Ever.)

I'd better stop now. Getting depressed 😞.

1903 M-S carbine in 6.5x54

1903 Springfield with WW1 provenance

1897 Winchester

Those are it for the hard-to-find classics. Anything else I really want can be built in one way or another.

Have been lucky to be able to buy and enjoy a few of my unicorns. The few that remain are both rare and some common run of the mill stuff that never surfaced when I had the money.

Winchester Mod 71 carbine with the bolt peep. Have a browning currently but want an original.

Winchester big bore .375. Have 2 marlins now, an original as a 336 rebored and love the caliber.

Win 1885 in .30-06. Just really enjoy single shots and think this would be fun.

Winchester 1885 low wall in 22lr. The model with the 1/2 round-1/2 octagonal barrel and small game engraving.

Lastly a Winchester model 42 .410. Have a copy of all model 12s plus a few commemorative browning reproductions, would really enjoy potting rabbits with an original 42.

The only one that may sway me is a Farquharson in a classic cartridge. Otherwise I am covered.

Remington 700 classic in 8x57. Had one a few years ago and foolishly sold it, if I come across another at a fair price I plan on buying it.

Winchester m70 featherweight with crf in 7x57- know of one for sale but price is pretty steep.

Winchester 54 in original configuration 270 win or in 30-06.

Lots of them get me all tingly, but I’m trying to be more selective these days as it’s pretty crowded around here and there’s not many I’m willing to turn loose. It’s also a terrible market for selling used stuff- (thanks Joe!), so turning stuff I’m done with into cash is tough.

Among those I fancy are older MS carbines, and some rifles, plus I wouldn’t mind adding another Browning 1885 for some mild round like .357, .30WCF, or .38/55. OTOH, the two I have don’t get out as often as they should, so that tempers my lust a bit.

Swedish Mauser 1894 carbine

Kimber .223 or .204 of one flavor or another

Winchester 94/22 wintuff

Savage model 20 in .300

Blaser K95

Not that I need it or would ever get to use it to it’s potential……A New Haven Winchester Model 70 CRF Stainless Steel .375 H&H re barreled to a .458 Lott SS barrel with express sights. memtb

The list is short these days.

Winchester Model 54 in 30 WCF w/ a Redfield or Lyman receiver sight.

StarchedCover

No short list.

Sharps 1863 Old Reliable Cartridge Conversion 50/70 in shootable condition.

1924 Steyr MS Sequoia in 30/06

Pre-War Model 70 Winchester in 300 H+H Magnum

Sako Vixen 222 and 22 hornet

Savage 1899 B in various calibers

More Old Marlin Lever actions-

Winchester 1886 33 WCF

1 of 1000 Winchester 1873 Winchesters(that will never happen)

I'm no longer in the market, but a friend of mine and I regret passing on a couple of them when distributors were clearing them out cheap. I certainly could have handloaded them to their real potential and they'd have been fine deer/pig rifles around our camp.

Only one at the moment: My holy grail

S&W 629 5” Stainless Classic 44 magnum - Pre-Lock

I could probably go without buying another gun if I had one of these in my collection.