So what is the ONE firearm you regret NOT buying?

[tank_monkey]

Mine is the HK SR9TC.



Which is weird because I have the gun ABOVE it and BELOW it on the HK scale but that's the gun that always eluded me. Now it's way way WAAAAYYY overpriced (even for HK standards) because it's no longer imported. And I live in California, so the EBRs that I got into the state before the ban deadline are the only ones I got Even so, the examples I see for sale are really up there in price, even in 'free states'......

So what's the one gun you regret NOT getting when you had the chance? Either availability or price point?

[Schuetzenman]

Just one? That's a tough question to answer. Probably that M16A1 NIB at my Insurance / Class III dealer for less than $400 (fed tax not included).

[ltorlo64]

Colt Trooper Mk III, blued, with a 4" barrel in .357 mag. I actually bought and paid for it when I was about 19 and was home on leave. Had to wait for 7 days from purchase to actually picking it up and changed my mind before I picked it up and bought a 12 gauge pump instead. Thought it would be more useful. While the shotgun was more useful I wish I had kept the Colt now.

[Richard Simmons]

Colt Trooper Mk III, blued, with a 4" barrel in .357 mag. I actually bought and paid for it when I was about 19 and was home on leave. Had to wait for 7 days from purchase to actually picking it up and changed my mind before I picked it up and bought a 12 gauge pump instead. Thought it would be more useful. While the shotgun was more useful I wish I had kept the Colt now.

My first handgun purchase was a nickel version of this in 1978. Sold it later to pay the bills. Picked up a NIB blued version from about the same time frame and will try to keep this one.



The one I regret most was a 1941 Johnson. Summer of 1978 before enlisting my dad and I were in a small gun shop in Oregon and they had a 1941 Johnson. It caught my eye and I still remember it because of it's some what odd appearance. Seems like it had a price tag of a couple hundred and I can remember dad saying something about "What do you want with an old army gun like that?". To be honest I had no idea, just thought it was neat.


Though you only asked for "the one" I have a couple of others that I regret just about as much though they might not match the price of the Johnson today:


Perhaps 6-8 years ago a local shop had an 8" nickel Python Target model in .38 special for something like $800. Went home and did some research and found out they only made around 3500 of these and only 250 in nickel. It was gone on Monday when I went back. Same shop, not long after had beautiful S&W M29-2 with coke bottle stocks with case and correct tools. Looked to be new or like new. Price was $1,200. Waiting about a month, checking every Saturday to see if the price would drop. Finally decided to go back and make them an offer but figured if they wouldn't budge I'd pay the asking price. It too was gone when I went back the last time.

The last one that got away was a S&W 627 UDR "Bloodworks". This is the 8 shot snubby Performance Center model that Clint Eastwood used in one of his secret service movies. Guy didn't know what he had as it was priced at $750 new in the case. Asked if he would take $700 cash. He agreed and since the shop was closing I told him I would be back on Monday with a check. Couldn't get off work until nearly noon that Monday and the other guy at the shop sold it to someone else. At the time this model was selling on the secondary market to collectors for around $3000 so I really lost out over trying to save $50. Hasn't happened since and won't happen again.

[Krupski]

Mine is the HK SR9TC.



Which is weird because I have the gun ABOVE it and BELOW it on the HK scale but that's the gun that always eluded me. Now it's way way WAAAAYYY overpriced (even for HK standards) because it's no longer imported. And I live in California, so the EBRs that I got into the state before the ban deadline are the only ones I got Even so, the examples I see for sale are really up there in price, even in 'free states'......

So what's the one gun you regret NOT getting when you had the chance? Either availability or price point?

There's nothing that I regret not buying, but there are two rifles still on my "gotta have" list:

* An M1 Garand from CMP
* A WW-II era Mauser-98


(edit to add): Come to think of it, there's one firearm that I should have bought and don't know why I didn't... at a gun store about 5 years ago I saw a 10 shot revolver which came with two cylinders... .22LR and .22 magnum. It was used, but in fairly good condition. They wanted $99 for it and I didn't buy it. Now it's gone.

[imanaknut]

Used to have a friend that ran a Gun/Jewelry store at a local mall. He had an M16 that the owner just wanted to get rid of. I couldn't see spending $250 on a rifle that I would also have to pay a federal blackmail fee of almost the same amount.

Amazing how times have changed since 1976. Imagine walking through a mall with an M16 slung over your shoulder? Then no problem, now every SWAT Team in a three state radius would be converging on you.

[O.S.O.K.]

I regret not buying a crate or two of SKS's when they were going for $75 a pop. Same for the ammo when it was under $100 per case.

[Dan Morris]

Back in the late 50's you could buy barrels of 1911A1's for $500..........lotta bucks then,
Dan

[tank_monkey]

I regret not buying a crate or two of SKS's when they were going for $75 a pop. Same for the ammo when it was under $100 per case.

75 bucks? Around here the price LOW POINT was $53.00. I did pick up a bunch at that price, crappy Chinese ones, then when the Russian ones came out, I picked those up too when they were cheap. It really sucks how things have EXPLODED in price far FAR outstripping the rate of inflation over decades.

[BISHOP]

Back in the late 80's these were under $500 and I was going to spend the "other" 6 months worth of car insurance $$ to buy one. (I only paid for 6 months for a year back then).
But never did and I kick myself now because I wanted to have one as a carry pistol (Yes I know VERY heavy, but they hold 20rds ad that was a lot back then)

these days they are for sale on gunbroker for over $1400.


BISHOP

[skorpion]

SITES Spectre pistol

[s15v8]

Passing up a Norinco for $600 back in 2006

[Helen Keller]

NDM-86 for $600

[tank_monkey]

NDM-86 for $600

Wow. That's roughly HALF the price of that gun wholesale. That price point alone, makes that one a sure thing.

[Krupski]

I regret not buying a crate or two of SKS's when they were going for $75 a pop. Same for the ammo when it was under $100 per case.

For that matter, remember when the good SAR-1 rifles were all over the place, and not all that expensive?

I should have bought a few more.

All I have now, Kalashnikov-wise, is a 2001 SAR-1 and a "pre-ban" Norinco (threaded muzzle, bayo lug, no "evil" stuff removed). Don't know what year the Norinco is.

Do you know if there's a way to tell by the serial number?

[Helen Keller]

in 2002 you couldnt give away a SAR-2 ...


I bought all the ones I had from $200-275 .

[FunkyPertwee]

For that matter, remember when the good SAR-1 rifles were all over the place, and not all that expensive?

I should have bought a few more.

All I have now, Kalashnikov-wise, is a 2001 SAR-1 and a "pre-ban" Norinco (threaded muzzle, bayo lug, no "evil" stuff removed). Don't know what year the Norinco is.

Do you know if there's a way to tell by the serial number?

in 2002 you couldnt give away a SAR-2 ...


I bought all the ones I had from $200-275 .

I regret not buying a crate or two of SKS's when they were going for $75 a pop. Same for the ammo when it was under $100 per case.

All of these.

I should have stocked up on AKs and SKSs in the early 2000's instead of trying to form a diversified gun collection.

[Full Otto]

Around twenty years ago those registered receiver UZI's that came out.
They were never built when registered and then, I think Global? not sure, finished the build and they were going from $2800 to $3400 new
I remember the price to this day could have bought two kept one to sell later and have the other free plus profit at today's prices

[Schuetzenman]

Around twenty years ago those registered receiver UZI's that came out.
They were never built when registered and then, I think Global? not sure, finished the build and they were going from $2800 to $3400 new
I remember the price to this day could have bought two kept one to sell later and have the other free plus profit at today's prices

Group Industries made the receivers. Vector finished them out after the law suit with BATFE was settled and BATFE lost. Yeah, I should of scraped up the money for one as well but at the time I was in NC and you have to sue the leo's to make them sign a form 4.

[tank_monkey]

in 2002 you couldnt give away a SAR-2 ...

That was a couple of years right after California's latest BIG ban where they banned ALL features, not just named guns. Note how the governor who pushed for the AW ban got recalled. Sure there were other things, but all the gunowners volunteered to help the other groups organize his recall. When you lose hundreds of thousands of customers overnight, it makes it a buyer's market for the other states.

How sad that places like Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Illinois are all OUT DOING Commiefornia when it comes to gun ban stupidity.