Different than the ones that got away. I could have bought a Ruger Standard for $37.50 in my high school days.

Any you should not have passed on?

A dozen Stainless Left Hand Win M70's with .473" bolt face...

MP-5 before they got so expensive.

DF

Model 70 .22 Hornet.

Colt SAA

Remington Model 37

Might be 15 years back I paid around $300 for a new-in-cosmoline No. 4 "Irish" Enflield.

Just recently I gave it to a nephew, he googled it up, now they're going for like $1,500.

I have other nephews, I shoulda bought three.

Ruger 44 mag carbine.

Don't need it, just want it.

A pristine 1899B 30-30 savage 99 for 500 bucks about 10 years ago. Still hate to think about it!

Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight 6.5x55 Swede

I should have bought a couple Colt Diamondbacks in .22LR when they were available.

Every single USFA I could have gotten my hands on! The only guns I have ever made that much of a profit on.

An AH Fox 16ga SxS last fall.

More milsurps when they were available cheaply enough.

I wish I'd bought a AR 15, course, I did not know I needed one till I read all about them here.

Ten years ago was an early 50s Ithaca 37 in 16 gauge for $300. It was pristine. Came back the next day to buy it, too late.

Blackpowder Colt SAA 3 digit serial number. Probably a cavalry gun as numbers didn't match.

Matching pristine Luger rig. Broomhandle rig. Etc, etc. Different world back then.

Going back to the 1990’s

All the pre-lock S&W revolvers that I could have gotten grubby mitts on, especially j’s and k’s.

All that great post Cold War surplus that flooded in: k31’s, Swedes, brand new no.4’s, etc.

2000ish..... An 8" stainless steel Colt Anaconda .44 Mag for $400. Guy I worked with had it. He couldn't get rid of it.

His buddy at work finally ponied up months later. We all kick ourselves now.

Dumbass drilled and tapped it for a scope.

A Ruger Single six with an extra Magnum cylinder for $125

A Remington Model 600 in .350 Mag. I was torn between it and a Winchester Model 88 in .308 Win. I ended up with the 88. I loved my 88, but sometimes 14 year old# make poor decisions! memtb

I went into a CAL Ranch one day in Utah, and they had just gotten in 3 dozen Mosin Nagants that were in seemingly unfired condition Their bores were perfect, with not a hint or wear or even fouling anywhere. They were selling them for $89 bucks apiece. This was in 2010. I told the wife we should get a dozen. She laughed and me, and I clarified that I wasn't joking. We didn't have the money at the time for a lot of reasons, and I decided to give her a day, and explain why it would be smart. They were all gone two days later. I could have held them for 5 years and sold them for 5x what I paid without haggling.

Almost any firearm would have been a good money investment.

HK P7 back in 1985.

This, plus a few 1970s Pythons, and some Lew Horton S & W's in 44 Spcl.

Hindsight is of course 20/20

Whole bunch of model 96 Swedes when they were 100 bucks each

More of those Weatherby Vanguards that were on clearance at Walmart, along with some of those $79 Remington 700's.

Smith & Wesson model 53, and model 17.

About 5 years ago. There was this Ruger 77 RSI tanger in .308.....

I went to a gunshow in Pensacola with my Dad around '95 or '96. He bought a new Russian SKS for $80. Seller had boxes of 'em at that price.

I remember the ads in the American Rifleman back in the 1960's advertising Mausers for $25.

Smith M15.
About 10 years as ago in LGS.
A So Cal police trade, it had been stolen and recovered.
Scuffs, a fair bit of wear, mechanically perfect.

But $125!

Thought about it, went back.
Lost to someone smarter.


Sako Riihimaki's back in the 80's-90's when they sold way too cheap at the
shows. Considered also rans to the others.

AK-47's and SKS when you could get them in condolence,
and even at case prices. F'n cases were cheaper than 1 now.

And I was buying Pre-Garcia guns, not perfect, just nice ones.
Coulda had a case of SKS's for each one.
AK's for each two.

A Winchester model 70 in 30.06 with a Mannlicher stock . Kimber SVT 22 but I did buy the ULA 22 the guy had . Should’ve just bought both .22s

Well, obviously, all kinds of guns I wish I had bought 25 years ago... but more specifically recently, I should have bought the 2" Colt Lawman Mk III at the pawn shop a few years ago for $375. It had an ugly screwdriver mark on it, and that scared me away... shoulda got it anyway.

Several years back, when I had no discretionary funds (and a wife) - gun show. Winchester M70 Westerner, immaculate - $800. Should have borrowed a knife from one of the tables and removed one of my kidneys as payment.

Still have both kidneys. Still don't have a Westerner.....

Kaiser Norton

Very often the thrill of the hunt is better than finding, and buying!

I had wished for a '94 in 444, so I got one. Then I shot it and wished I hadnt bought it.
11 round to discover the thing kicks like a mule and its sat in the safe ever since.

One of the few shops left in this
area had a pile of stainless Smith
and Wesson police trade ins they'd
got somewhere.
For some reason I only bought one,
and I should have bought a dozen.
I'd have to find the receipt to be
sure, it was a little over $200.00
out the door

Mauser 98 in 8x68 S that was only priced at $200. I had the cash in my pocket but didn't have the intelligence to grab it. Went back the next day and it was gone.

Last gunshow I went to before Papa Andy and his royal shutdown decree.... There was a Swedish made Husqvarna single shot .22 bolt action rifle. 30's or earlier, I guess.. don't really know. Beautiful little thing. The stock was shaped the way a stock should be shaped. Real cheekpiece and everything. I decided I did not NEED it, so I walked away.... dangit.

I went into a very small LGS w/ my friend, who knew the owner. I bought my 1st big game rifle, a Winchester 70 Classic in 270 w/ a Leupold 2x7 that day. As I was shopping, the owner showed me a new Dakota model 10, in 7x57. He offered it to me for $1400- which was exactly twice what I had available (and spent) that day. Haunts my dreams...

Just a couple.

One: A brand new Garand at Sportsman's Whse, assembled from left over parts found in an Italian basement warehouse. I think it was about $800. It would have been a stretch, but I could have covered the cost at the time. I left it on the display, because it was in 308 rather than '06.

Two: A Smith and Wesson 357PD. For those not familiar, 4 inch 41 mag in Scandium. Also at Sportsman's, it was priced at $500 on clearance as S&W had discontinued the model/cartridge combination.

ETA: I suppose a dozen or so 30 Carbines could be added to the list, back when they were going for surplus prices.

Not having a crystal ball, I can't look a todays prices & wish I'd bought something years ago that's sky high today. That's way to much "wishing" IMO.

Struggling the buy one of the Barrett Fieldcrafts that were on close out earlier this year & putting it off, but I was gonna do it. And just like that, snap! they were gone. That's a current regret.

Thought about a Mousegerg Shockwave, just for the novelty. At Buds they were $290. Handled one several times, laid it back down, & said, maybe next month. I damn sure ain't gonna pay $500 for one now.

Back when the ruger 77 boat paddle stock rifles came out they almost couldn’t give them away, my dad and I bought 4 of them for $200 each new in box. Should have bought more.

I go thru guns like grass thru a goose.


Para Ordnance P16/40 LDA with beefed up extractor.


Seen one at a Gunshow about 2 yrs ago for 800.
EXC condition.
Walked away from it.
Tempted........


Buncha guns I would like to have.
Needs and wants are 2 different things.

Probably a lot more of them that I should have passed on.

I'm not sure I shouldn't have passed on these, but they stand out in my mind as guns that I'd probably have boughten or traded for had I been more flush with cash at the time.

Was begged at the big gun show by this guy to come over to his pawn shop. I drove about 140 miles to do so and he wasn't there so I bummed around town looking at other gunshops and pawnshops and by coincidentally happened upon the guy who had been partners in the other guy's pawn shop. For some reason, this dude took a liking to me and lead me back to his vault. He had rows upon rows of fancy African double rifles and the like. Stuff I didn't even know enough about to know about. He also had what were literally brand new Winchester model 1873 muskets...originals that were unfired it appeared, with cosmoline in the barrels. Had some handling marks only. I think he wanted $2300 for one but I couldn't get him to trade for the stuff I had and I just couldn't swing one without running low on bill-paying cash. I think these were from the Australian Army, supposedly. It's not every day that you see a new Winchester 1873.

A friend of mine was a serious Colt collector. He had a factory engraved 1st generation that was also really old. I forget exactly how old but IIRC, 1880 or before. It was re-nickeld over the original silver wash. Of course, that killed it for most serious Colt guys, but I really liked it. I can't remember whether he wanted $1500 or $2500 for it.

Another Colt was a parts gun that was missing a couple...I can't remember what, but it wasn't much. Same guy had it in a cigar box. It was an Ainsworth marked. I think he wanted $800 but didn't want to sell it to me because he thought I'd never find the parts. I think I would have but couldn't get him to go ahead and sell it.

The same guy had a Remington Army .44 cap and ball...original. It appeared unfired. The outside was close to being new. I think he wanted $2200.

Same guy had a model 1866 Winchester standard octagon barreled rifle. Not new but in excellent original condition. Orignal bluing on the barrel...close to all the bluing left. The receiver was a beautiful patina'd mustard color. Anybody who's seen many of the old brass framed guns knows what I mean. Just an awesome color that some turds would unknowingly polish off, ruing the collector's value. I think it was $14000 and probably a steal at that price.

I left a Sig Trailside sitting in Great Falls one weekend.

Still not sure why I did that.

I bought a dirt bike on eBay and picked it up at a pawn shop in Gadsden, Alabama. An old man in there offered me a good looking Remington derringer and a box of 41 rim fire shells for $175.

I turned it down because I thought it was broken. I couldn’t get it open. When I got home I learned they broke open on the bottom instead of the top.

Browning Low Wall in 243, years ago before I appreciated the 243.

Not many modern guns I've passed on in that if I wanted a shooter there was usually a way I'd find to buy it.

Right before the prices blew up, I was offered a Colt Python 6" Royal Blued for $1100. I don't even remember my reasoning on it now. It wasn't pristine, but also wasn't a dog. It had Pachmayers on it and I don't like the look. Dunno what original grips would have run...back in the day when Pythons were $400 or so new, every gun dealer had a box of them and Smith and Wesson Goncalo Alves that were $30 a pair or that they'd just give you. Guys were always switching them out for Pachmayers as soon as they bought a gun and just leaving them at the dealers. Hell, they were more likely to keep the box and paperwork than they were the original grips! Kindly wish I'd got it.

if you take advantage of having the foresight to buy at a good price and sell later at a profit the CF socialists will label you a gouger. But if you bought a new Python in 1969, put it in a gun rug and put it up for bid now you would be prescient. Or WW2 era Mausers, or Enfields or Savage 99s or Microsoft, Google or Apple stocks.
Dumb people resent smart people.


mike r

I had a Ruger 77 7mm RM on layaway where I worked one time. Couldn't keep up with the payments. Wish I would have.

When I was a kid, Dad bought me a .22 and a 12 Gauge. The .22 was a Winchester model 270 pump that Dad wanted me to get. If I'd known more about guns I'd have gotten a model 39A Marlin.

On the shotgun, we went to a boat dealer that also dealt guns. Dad always wanted a Browning Sweet 16, but the shells were almost non-existent. They had two Browning 12 Gauges. One was a beat up Auto 5 and the other was a pristine model 2000. I got the 2000 because it looked so good, not knowing it was far inferior to the Auto 5. Wish I'd have gotten the older gun.

The Abercrombie & Fitch (Rizzini) 20ga in the classifieds here earlier this week. Should have jumped on it. Thought it might sit a day or two but it didn’t. That one’s going to bug me for a while.

wabigoon;
Good evening to you my friend, I hope the day's been a good one and this finds you and your fine family well.

If I had the time, I might honestly do a couple chapters worth of "should have" purchases.

The reasons for passing on some of them are as varied as the arms, but here's the first few that come to mind.

When our farming venture was winding down, I did repair work for a local chap who dealt in firearms, stamps and coins. He'd come back from the big Bud Haynes gun auctions and have everything from rare C96 Mausers, Hakims, Ljungmans and then there were the Bullards, Ballards, Whitney Kennedys and Henrys.....

He brought back a Henry that was honestly about 50% or better. Really nice shape anyways for a rifle that was used and he offered it to me for what he paid, which was $1500. Since we were just scraping by, it might as well have been $15,000 - which is what they were going for in a few years.

About the same era, so early '80's, I was at a gun show in Saskatchewan and a guy offered me what he believed to be a NWMP issued Colt New Service. Had the lanyard, was the correct .45 Colt, but the stamping on the back strap looked way too sloppy to be the real thing. He wanted $400 and I hummed and hawed, but finally decided to pass.... I figured the guy who stamped it had to be drunk and there was no way it was authentic.

Fast forward a few years, I'm at the local range here in BC and a chap I'm shooting with says, "Hey, you'll like this, it's a NWMP issue New Service". This one was in .455 which was correct for some as well, and there it was - the back strap stamped in a haphazard manner like the guy was drunk!

Years after that I was talking to retired RCMP Inspector Donald Klancher who co-authored the veritable "bible" on NWMP/RCMP issue gear and he said my story wasn't unique among Canuck gun collectors.

The book if anyone is interested in such stuff.
https://gen2.joesalter.com/category/products/Arms-and-Accoutrements-of-the-Mounted-Police-Softcover

Anyway sir, I could go on, but will refrain for now lest I become despondent on a Thursday night!

All the best to you all this fall.

Dwayne

Dumb people are not smart enough to resent all the smart people, just the smartest one in the room, like assclown at AR that could calculate Von Misses stress in cartridge case heads.

I passed on a pre 64 model 64 in 25-35 because it had been Ackleyed.

And I passed on a very pretty Model 99 in 250-3000 for $325, both around 1999.

Dad and I did landscaping and fuel delivery when we first came to Portland.

We met a lot of folks who had guns that didn't have much idea of what they had.

The one I remember most was an American Eagle Luger artillery length. Like new in a fitted wooden case. The magazine was missing but all the other accessories were there.

We could have had it for $50.00 but I went ahead and suggested they take it to a gun shop I frequented to get a fair price. They offered them $250 and put it in the case at $1500. This was around 1960.

Late 80's/early 90's: WWII Mauser sniper rifles. There were a couple available for under $1,000 in El Norte Tejas at local gun shows and I just didn't pull the trigger on a single one, darn it.

I wish I would have kept some of the older Ithaca LSA's I had, or the 20 Ga. SKB side by sides. Bought a couple many years ago in the 200.00 range.

I had a chance to buy a Merkel 47 20Ga for $1200. I knew what the gun shop had into it and I told them I'd pay $1K and they wouldn't budge didn't sit on the shelf long enough for a mark-down. I should've just bought it.

Steyr Professional closeouts @ $400 in the late '90's when the SBS was launched.

3 different 28 ga shotguns came through the gunshop I worked during college. A Quail Unlimited Beretta O/U, a Parker Reproduction SxS, and a Winchester 23. I REALLY wanted them, alas as a poor college student I had to settle for a Franchi AL48 28Ga when we got a bunch on a closeout for <$400.

If I think longer I'm sure there are others, but, those are the "standouts".

I first started going to gunshows late, around 1990. Back then you could've bought all the old conversion guns (cap and ball revolvers converted to rimfire or centerfire metallic cartridges) you wanted for $300-500 unless you wanted one that was pristine. It wasn't too long until the McDowell book on them came out and prices skyrocketed.

Lightenings and Thunderers were always broke. Didn't matter what condition they were in, the suckers were broke and hardly anybody was smart enough to work on one. I bought a few but should have bought one that was really high condition and hung on to it. I did happen to know a guy who could fix them. You didn't ever let him work on the finish. I mean NEVER. Just have him fix it so it would shoot. NEVER let him work on the finish. Words to live by.

Just last year - passed on a new CZ 455 Trainer at a LGS for $289. Wood was laid out correctly for a rifle stock too.
It had been on the rack for a year so I didnt feel rushed. Stopped back a couple of weeks later to buy it and it was gone of course. Doh!

About the same time I passed on a very tightly fit Rock Island 1911 combo in .45/9mm. Adjustable sights too. I think it was $439 and it was new.

German Sig 225 Police trade-ins for around$300+/- back 15 years or so. These were in good condition.
I think that was when they transitioned to a higher cap.
Some of those were loose slide fits, but could shoot 1" at 25yards with cheap practice ammo....5 shots!

A double rifle in .470 or .500 NE.