The ones that got away . . .

We've talked about the guns we got rid of, only to realize too late that we had goofed, big time. I've had a couple of these.

Now, let's talk about those guns we could have acquired but didn't, for one reason or another. I'll start off . . .

For the longest time, I went to a big-time show in Dayton, Ohio. At one of the really big dealers there was a pretty nice Hawkeye, with box and everything. Asking price was $1100 (this was quite a while ago). He had that gun in the same spot in the display case every time I went to the show for a couple of years, dusty because no one even checked it out. I dithered over it, as that was a lotta money at the time. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I scratched up the cash and went to the show early one bright Saturday morning and went straight to the dealer's display . . . to discover that he had sold the Hawkeye about a half-hour earlier. Gloom.

Same show, a year or so later. Spotted a beautiful, mint OM Blackhawk .45 convertible with the 4-5/8" barrel . . . box, papers, etc . . . all like brand new. Surprisingly, the price was right and I had the cash on me. For the life of me I could not make the deal happen. Show is in Ohio, I'm a Kentucky resident, and I couldn't find any Kentucky dealer on-site to be the go-between. I tried to give him the money to hold the gun until I could come up with a way to complete the deal, but no. Despair.

I still fret over those two to this day. Agony.

.......as my wife said "wasn;t meant to be....."
Old man came to Laura years ago , looked at her display , over and over, and for a few different shows...finally asked if she had one of them "engraved" Ruger Single Sixes, he did, shot it , carried it for years, and said if she wanted it , it was hers for $1600, said "OK" bring it up sometime,,,,,he did NOT want his son to have the gun, was in and out of jail on drug charges,etc. did not see the guy for years, one day a scruffy looking "kid"?? came to the show, had an RSSE no case, was shot , and a LOT, he wanted $3000 for...his Dad died, he found the gun, and went "on line"..........we told him to "sell it on line, not interested...." not meant to be she said...............and I can recall DOZENS and DOZENS of "old models & red eagles" coming to the show, and either the 'promotor' (Conrad & Dowdell) bought them or the "floor whores" got 'em coming in the door....."wasn;t meant to be........." she says............. :roll:
we don't fret or lose any sleep, sometimes you get the bear and other times the bear gets YOU....... 8)

Easy to say when you have "DOZENS and DOZENS" of opportunities at shows every weekend throughout the year . . .

:roll:

It's OK, Ale. We've all been there. I FINALLY learned how to get the good ones. If I spot a "prize" on a table I pick the gun up and look it over. If it's what I want I do NOT set it back down until the Seller and I make a deal. I held a NIB OM Super at Tulsa for over an hour one afternoon before the table's owner returned.......

The gun is still in my collection after 20 some years.

flatgate

PS Dan, I know where a "shot a lot" Spanish is..........and I'd give $3K in a heartbeat!

Heck Yeah! I did the same last yearin Tulsa ! I left the table to go potty & I am just about to the bathroom & my phone rings & it was the Potato Farmer telling me to get back here before this guy leaves. So I rush back to look @ the gun! I could not believe it was a 3 digit Consecatve to my Super Blackhawk Long Frame with Case!!!!! I did not put it down until I owned it! :? :? :?

I got 2 PM's to finish the story! :roll: :roll: :shock: Now I have 2 pair of Consecative Long frame Supers! Serials # 376, 377 & # 340, 341. After 31 years!

NOW---- ya'll are intertaining me keep it up great events in the days of our lives :lol:

well as noted above and certainly the 'truth' one must get their hands ON and continue to "hands on" till the deal is done...its getting to the gun or the gun getting to YOU...as to the "dozens & dozens" that is "some" of the times folks will say they have this or that " in the car, or at home.." and we tell them to bring it in, and it NEVER makes it...just gets 'scarfed up' and yes, two of them were a red eagle rst-4, in the salt cod box..................and yes, Lauras 'all blue' RSSE ( third one done by the way) was 'held' (fondled??) and an offer made, the guy said he could get MORE money, took it around the east coast for two months, came BACK to the OGCA two months later, and the guy said NO _ONE?? wanted to buy this gun out from under Laura, the word got out??? and we got it for the original offer...see that happening today.....HA , fat chance......................so as she said, "it was meant to be.........." :wink:

When I read the OP, my first thoughts were of the Hawkeyes I saw & was unable to get over the 35 years I had to wait until I owned one.
We all have "missed" something, and as Dan has pointed out, "it wasn't meant to be."

Well I wish I had a story BUT I don't .....well maybe sorta :lol: :lol: :lol: the boxed and shippered LWAC S gun that I didn't hit the BUY IT KNOW button trying to get it a little cheaper :roll: :roll: :roll: well I did get it several weeks later but it cost me 50 bucks more :shock: :shock: :shock: or maybe the Mahogany box Super with the shipper for $600....I let a good friend buy it who later sold it to me at minimal profit :wink: :wink: :wink: there is a little more to that story BUT I promised him I wouldn't speak of it EVER 8) 8) 8) Moral to my story is don't give up......if you REALLY NEED IT :lol: :lol: :lol: RR.

One I really recall is a MINT Hawkeye, box and all a bunch of years ago. Tagged at $1200. Then it was some serious money for a young early-20's fella. Was about thst same time I had to pass up a real MP5 for around $5000. Yeah it was a real one, full auto and all. *sigh* Oh well...still alive to that's a plus regardless.

One recent example. In 2006 Lee (El Numero Uno) sold me an Orvis SE Red Label in 12 gauge. Well, I just had to have the 20 gauge to go with it. At a gun show, 'bout a year ago, I spot one for $500 more than I'm willing to spend. After walking the floor another hour, I stop by an ATM to withdraw the extra for the gun. But by then it's already Gone! Chalked it up as "wasn't ment to be."

Last month Matt (BB45Colt) lists one for sale here on the forum; so I jump on it. Then I find out it dosen't have the "Made for Orvis" rollmark on the receiver. C##p, that means there's 3 Orvis configurations, the 12 gauge (without rollmark) and two 20 gauges (with and without rollmark). And that 20 gauge at the gun show is the only one of the three I don't have in the collection.

All I've got to send Chad for the RENE is a cell phone pic of the rollmark, I'm still looking through my notes to see if the serial number is recorded. A display of all 3 configurations would have been nice for the WAC show in January. :shock:

Ted

Oh, I've missed a bunch over the years. However, the one I regret most was in the late 50's at a little gun shop in San Francisco. Can't remember the name but it advertised in the gun mags. Left side was a pawn shop & right side had guns Anyway, they had a Stoeger American Eagle .30 Luger in mint condition with a long (6"?) barrel and checkered genuine ivory grips for $100. Since I had just bought a 1917 9mm Luger with all matching parts for $39.95 I thought the price was way too high. Dumb me!! Oh Well.

radicalrod said:

Well I wish I had a story BUT I don't .....well maybe sorta :lol: :lol: :lol: the boxed and shippered LWAC S gun that I didn't hit the BUY IT KNOW button trying to get it a little cheaper :roll: :roll: :roll: well I did get it several weeks later but it cost me 50 bucks more :shock: :shock: :shock: or maybe the Mahogany box Super with the shipper for $600....I let a good friend buy it who later sold it to me at minimal profit :wink: :wink: :wink: there is a little more to that story BUT I promised him I wouldn't speak of it EVER 8) 8) 8) Moral to my story is don't give up......if you REALLY NEED IT :lol: :lol: :lol: RR.

Click to expand...

RR I am :lol: :lol: :lol: you ain't never missed anything you posted about finally getting stuff later :lol: your are good for my soul--I love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Americal, the 'radical One' doesn't let them "get away"...he's like a bulldog on a meat wagon....... 8)

I've let a few pass me by. Nothing like a couple of motorcycles in the '70's though...

Where they these two Cholo my uncles and their Harleys about 1948

Hey Dan, Bull Dog...ME :shock: :shock: :shock: maybe a long time ago.....now I am like a neutered puppy :lol: :lol: :lol: I just wait for the crumbs :roll: :roll: :roll: RR.

I walked into a gun shop about 14 years ago and saw a Nice Flatgate Single Six in the used rack. Asked to see it and it was a 99% gun, looked unfired. They had the box and all paper work with it for the princely sum of $100.00. I had just bought a S&W Model 19 from them and my gun buying cash was shot,No layaways I went back the next week and it was gone. as Rugerguys lovely brides says, it wasn't meant to be.

One that comes to mind for me was a nice 96/22 in 22lr for $200 at a local pawn shop. I kick myself eveytime I walk back in there.

I have one that still sticks in my mind...about 1984 or so as I was looking through Gun List (I noticed it had come unusually early that time for the print date that was on it) I saw an add in there listing an engraved Single-Six. I hemhawed on it until later on in the afternoon and after calling found out it was a Spanish Engraved gun, serial number 5108. but it had sold just a couple hours before.
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