The Ones That Got Away

[Rich Anderson]

We have all sold off a gun, car etc to buy something else be it upgrading the gun collection, tuition for the kids, the 69 Z28 Camero and so on. This got me to thinking what guns have I parted with and what were the circumstances and which ones would I like back. Well here goes the list.

rifles, it's a short list. I sold two Pre 64 M70's that I wish I had back. One was a Super Grade 7mm Mauser with very nice wood, the other a NIB Fwt 358 with owner's manual and hang tags. I sold these to a collector in Louisville, KY to finance a DHE 20 with 90% case color and all the options and 30 inch bbls. I still have the DHE so I guess I did ok but would like the Winchesters back. Next up is a custom built 257R on a Sako action. It had a Birdseye Maple stock and was short and quick. I used the money for another rifle project. Another Winchester comes to mind this one a M71 348. I never shot the gun and made a fast couple of hundred bucks but now and then I have a hankering for another M71 and prices have skyrocketed since the days I sold that one.

In the Parker catagory is where the pain really begins. At the Southern several years ago I bought a GHE 20 with two sets of barrels and forends. I had this for a couple of years and used it quite a bit. Then the skeet gun virus infected my wisdom and I traded that off for a GHE 20 skeet even up which was a huge economic plus for me. That GHE skeet even had 28 inch barrels which at the time made it even more appealing to me. Time and targets flew by and the gun was heavy to take to the field and something else came up but for the life of me I can't remember what it was but probably bills as I would remember a gun deal but the gun was sold. Another GHE this time a skeet configured 16 suffered a similiar fate as the 20. At the end of the day I don't know what happened to the the money from these two guns so it must not have been overly important but what I do know is I don't have the money, a different gun and I don't have the two Parkers either! Damn I hate it when that happens.

Things come and things go, some stay for long periods of time and grow memories that last a lifetime other create memories by their passing to different caretakers. Once their gone their usually gone forever, the funds dissappear or the purpose that initiated the sale is forgotten by the passage of time but the guns are never forgotten. I'm still looking for that GHE 20 two bbl set to show up :)

I wonder what mundane thoughts will come up in the deer blind tomorrow.

[Rick Losey]

the one that got away - got away -never owned it

wandered into an antique shop shortly after the long bitter battle for custody and divorce, came out with three kids, a less travel job with a 15K paycut and a massive debt. I really had no business going in any really dont need it shop.

there in a booth was a cased with accessories small bore high grade side by side muzzleloading shotgun from a good London maker. good wood and leather case, all the tools and for a steal of a price, which was still out the question at the time. months later I went back and of course it was long gone.

That one got away, the ones I had but don't now, didn't get away, I let them go for a reason

[Dean Romig]

I generally fall asleep in the deer blind and can't begin to say what thoughts pass through my subconscious while I'm sitting there quietly becoming covered up in the pure white sifted snow...

I sold my 1965 GTO a long, long time ago and to this day have this inhumane nightmare that I still own it stored away in some vine-covered garage somewhere in the woods next to a deserted stone mansion that I can't find... go figure that one out - I certainly can't.

Guns I have sold and regretted ever after? - My Dad's wonderfully accurate Savage 99 in .300 Savage. He was well into Alzheimer's and didn't even know he had a rifle much less remember that he had taken his ten-year-old boy deer hunting in Vermont back in '58. I had my own rifle and didn't need his long-barreled Savage that weighed about 8 lbs. and so I sold it and his Lyman hand loading kit with dies, scale, etc., bullets, shells, primers, powder, early reloading books and the military ammo box that held all that stuff all for $300. The guy who bought it left my house with a distinct gleam in his eye making me know deep inside I had let it go way too cheaply.

Parker Double Trap no. 230760. I'll always regret letting that one go but sacrificing that one made way for more nice Parkers - this I don't regret.

As time goes by I'm sure there will be others but in the meantime I take enormous pleasure in sleeping while on stand as the hiss of falling snow comforts me - it has always been my very favorite lullaby. Shhhh... be vewy, vewy quiet :cool:

[John Dallas]

My Dad was a Remington Director in the 60's. The Directors could buy guns at dealer prices, but somehow they always seemed to end up with really nice wood. For some reason, I decided to sell a .22 541S he had ordered. Took it to an OGCA show and sold it to an Amish man for my asking price. He wa going to use it for their Saturday night shoots in a barn. As soon as he paid me, and was walking away, I knew I had made a mistake. Gawd, I wish I had that one back. Bought another 541S a few years ago, but it ain't the same

[Dean Romig]

I feel your pain John.

[charlie cleveland]

my dad gave me a little 410 stevans double and as i reached the age of 15 i thought i had out grew that gun...i traded it to my dad for and over and under 12 ga of some brand..some fellow came along and bought it from my dad thats been 50 years ago and i have wished for that 50 years that i had it back..about 7 years ago i bought me a little 410 stevens just like the one i had but it just aint the same... charlie

[David Noble]

I mentioned these in a thread by the same name before. Repeating it just makes the sting worse, but whats done is done. There was the 32" 12ga Del Greco restored BHE with beaver tail forend. What a beautiful gun it was. But what I regret even more was letting a Parker try gun go, along with the original tools and leather pouch. I sold it way to cheap even for that time period. It makes me ill thinking what it's value is now. A couple of others that hurt was a T latch serial number 72. The barrels were cut to 25 inches but the gun was in remarkable shape otherwise. The other was a 30 inch 12 ga CHE. It had been recased colored with a torch and the goose engraved on the floor plate had a stupid looking smile on it's face, but it was my CHE and I loved it.
I thank God that better times came around and I now own some nice original guns, but I'll always remember those that got away.

[Larry Frey]

I take enormous pleasure in sleeping while on stand as the hiss of falling snow comforts me - it has always been my very favorite lullaby. :cool:

Now I understand why you never shoot any deer!!!:rotf::rotf::rotf:

[Dean Romig]

:confused:Wow Larry...

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I have been blessed to own some nice Parkers, high grades and low grades, but the one I miss the most, and wish I would have never sold was a 12g a P grade Hammer gun in fantastic condition. At the time I did not care for old hammer guns! My how time changes the way one thinks, The one I wish I had bought back then was Ron Kirby's 200.00 and 250.00 grade guns that were consecutively numbered Sit on my butt in a gun show with Ron and watched him sell them, All the while he kept saying you ought to buy these! but was not into hammer guns then! Oh well gary

[Chuck Bishop]

There are times we are forced to sell things due to financial problems and there are times we sell things because we are young and stupid. I was in the latter category. I've told this before and it still makes me wonder "What was I thinking?"

Before my grandfather passed away, I bought a few of his guns one of which was his PH 12ga Parker with fluid steel barrels. It was his hunting gun and he was proud of it. Sometime back in the early 1980's I had to have the latest Trap Gun but didn't have all the cash needed to buy one. I was visiting a well known local gunsmith and he offered to buy it. I justified selling it because he agreed that if he ever decided to sell it, he would give me first chance to buy it back. It's amazing how the mind works when you want something bad enough.

Through the following years I kept wondering if he still had the gun but I never had occasion to visit him. It was 5 or so years later, I'm at my local trap club and one of the guys says, "Did you hear that Guy passed away?" My heart just about stopped! I said I have to get hold of his widow and see if he still has the Parker. He replied that all of Guy's guns were at the auctioneer to be sold at auction.

I was able to attend the auction and low and behold, there was the Parker in exactly the same condition as when I sold it. Believe me, I was prepared to take out a second mortgage to buy back the Parker. As I recall, I paid almost exactly the same price to buy it back as I got to sell it.

Talk about lucky, had my friend not mentioned that Guy had died, I doubt I would have known about the auction and the gun would not be in my possession today.

[Mike Shepherd]

I bought a W&C Scott Premier Imperial 12 gauge ejector at a local pawn shop several years ago for $2500; Damascus barrels with a minimum wall thickness of 23/1000th that had the original good finish on them, Repaired wrist but a good job of it and very hard to detect, Refinished stock and forend - good job but poly, not oil, Pachmyar pad. But the engraving was spectacular. All oak leaves, no animals. I know the engraving doesn't sound very attractive but it was stunning. It weigh 7-4 as I remember. I sold it for several times what I paid for it and have regretted the sale ever since.

[Rich Anderson]

Larry thats why Dean shoots any legal buck that comes along....the big one heard him snoring and just slipped on by him.:rotf::rotf::rotf:

[Gerald McPherson]

Many years about 45-5o I came home from work one day and my wife told me she was about out of baby food or milk. I had no money but I had a gun so i did not think twice about it as I carried it over to a place where I knew some fellows hung out that would buy it. I never forgot about doing that even though now I don't remember just what it was for sure. Guess what? I still have my girls and I also have some much nicer old doubles. The OLD MASTER has always provided a way. Also I have a grandson who has just figured out how to hit doves. He may someday own the Parkers and I hope he doesn't have to sell one as I did. But if he has to do this I sure hope he is a good father and can without looking back. We will all soon enough lay them all down won't we? So enjoy while we can and don't get to attached to them. Gerald

[Eric Eis]

Larry thats why Dean shoots any legal buck that comes along....the big one heard him snoring and just slipped on by him.:rotf::rotf::rotf:

Now Rich that's just plain mean.....:)

There are many guns I question selling , AAHE Runge upgrade 20 ga beautiful gun and like Rich says not sure where the money went to. Still sad selling the GHE 2 barrel Skeet gun but I did get a beautiful CSM Fox FE that I love out of that deal.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

The well worn 20 gauge VH that I let a friend buy at at estate sale this morning for $350. Non original forend, barrels cut about 1/2 inch, but still a solid shooter. Was plenty left at that price even with the problems it had, but he's a good friend and does me a favor on occasion.

Destry

[Dave Suponski]

Gee thanks for reminding me of this Rich....:rolleyes: There are several that got away. The one I remember most was at the Vintagers event in Millbrook ,NY several years ago. My son Danny and I had just gotten there and were going through the tents. We spotted a decent G grade Try-Gun on a vendors table for $1500. I told him lets finish searching the tents and if nothing else catch's my eye we are gonna buy that gun. We went back about a 1/2 hour later and it was gone...end of story...:banghead: I have pulled this stunt more than once....:whistle:

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dave, unfortunately you are not alone! Gary

[Dave Suponski]

Gary, It's good to know I am not the only one pulling these stunts..:)

[Rich Anderson]

Dave there once was a wise man who said "He who hesitates is lost" he might have been a Fox guy but he was and still is right:)

A couple of years ago at a gun show I saw a nice S&W Combat Masterpiece .22 for sale. I hemmed and hawed about it went back and of course it was gone and to make it even worse it was chambered for .22Mag:cuss:

Life is a highway, sometimes your the bug, sometimes your the windshield:eek:

[Robert Delk]

Model 21 skeet gun in the box for $800 which was about 10 weeks wages back then. Purdey 28 guage with 2 sets of barrels for $5500 at the old A&F store in Chicago which was a years salary so I suppose they don't really count.More recently I had the chance to buy a LC Smith A2 with 2 sets of barrels for $1000 and when I got back to the table after I borrowed the money it was gone.

[charlie cleveland]

my dad passed on this one..a lc smith 8 ga in really good shapoe for 250 dollars this was in the year 1959...i personally had to pass on a winchester model 21 12 ga that was as new in a oak carrying case..my friend wanted 250 dollars for this gun.i wanted this gun bad but atlas did not have the money this was in 1966... man if i could just go back in time....charlie

[Bill Zachow]

The other side of the coin....at a Syracuse Gun Show, many years ago, I came upon a Winchester model 61 in .22 shot. It was the early one with the feame matting and looked like a miniature model 12. The dealer wanted $800 and I was willing to pay $700. We could not come to terms and I left to find my wife, Sylvia, at the coffee shop. I told her about the gun. She said, "where is it, and give me the money." I did so and she left. About 10 minutes later with the gun and a smile. The dealer sold her the gun for $650. I still have it today. They now go for the price of a nice DH.

[Dean Romig]

Hey Bill, would you ask Sylvia if she would be willing to go gun shopping with me?

[Paul Plager]

I was driving truck accross Nebraska a few years ago. I stopped in Cabellas store in Sydney. There in the used gun racks was a pre 64 Mod 70 in 30.06
with a beautiful blonde maple stock. When I picked up that rifle it just jumped right into place. Everything fit just right. If I remember correctly it even had a Leupold scope. But alas I didn't have the 1200.00 they wanted.:crying:
Another time I was at a pawn shop here in town and found a Greener SxS. they wouldnt come down off the price the 100.00 I wanted to pay so I walked out. 2 days later I went back and it was gone. I could have afforded the asking price but was too hard headed. I think my wife will attest to that without hesatation.

[Mark Brady]

I've let a few nice guns slip through my hands over the years, but never a quality double, especially a Parker. I own half a dozen Parkers of various grades along with a lot of Ithacas, Bakers and some nice English guns. But my favorite is a Parker 16 gauge Trojan on a #1 frame that I got from my mother on my 12th birthday in 1958. My dad had purchased the gun for the lofty sum of $18.00 as a present for my mom in 1938. I harvested a lot of grouse along with pheasant and rabbit with that homely little gun. I've been offered more than it's worth a couple of times, but it's not going anywhere.

[Rich Anderson]

Paul if it's any consolation I doubt that the stock on the M70 was original to the gun.

[Paul Plager]

Oh, I know that wasn't the orginal stock but it was this close to being the perfect gun.:crying:

[Fred Preston]

I recall back in the early '60s, when I was a law student in Salem OR with a wife and two little ones and a night shift job, I saw an ad in the Statesman for a 70, 300 H&H, 26" bbl. and a Redfield scope, for a $100. I went to check it out, and it was in top shape. The seller was in a similar family/financial situation as I was and needed to part with his hunting rifle. I had (still have) a nice Mauser '06 at the time and didn't really need another rifle; so I passed. Bet that old 70 is still out there getting game.

[Larry Stauch]

Well guys, what about that 32" DH Titanic steel barreled 10 ga that Bill Hadfield over at Robin Hallow had a few weeks ago for $4,500. I saw it day one and called him. Yep they were Titanic steel barrels, supposed to be only a few hundred of those made. But, I already have one with 30" Titanic steel barrels....

Gee maybe I ought to buy that one with the great wood and sell mine, hmmm let's think about this for a couple of weeks.

Too late, it's gone.

I can't get that boot out of my butt.

I rarely hesitate, but I just couldn't get excited about it at the time.

[Dean Romig]

Larry, was it straight or pistol grip? I would never hesitate on a straight grip.

[Rich Anderson]

Fred a pre 64 M70 in 300 H&H kept me company in a deer blind for 13 days. She never barked but there were opportunities. I've had this a couple of years but paid about 20x your $100 for it. It's a great rifle and worth every penny.

[Larry Stauch]

No Dean, it was a big old 3 frame with a pistol grip.

[David Noble]

Years ago, around 1987, I received a call from a young man (sounded like 18 year old) who inquired if I bought guns. I replied "sure, what have you got?"
He answered "it's a Parker shotgun and it is HUGE, must be a TWENTY guage!"
At that point I knew he knew little about shotguns. I asked him if it had any engraving and he replied "yeah, all over it, and it has birds and dogs on it, even the barrels look completely engraved". Of course by this time I was sweating bullets. I told him I was very interested and would definitely buy the gun if he would bring it to my store. He agreed and asked if I was also interested in Colt revolvers that were all engraved? "Sure, bring them along too."
Okay, I knew something was way off, so I called the local police dept and let them know that there were some possibly stolen guns being brought to my store. They told me to call them if the guys came in with the guns. Sure enough, about an hour later these two young hispanic boys walk in carrying
a CH 8ga with 36" damascus barrels on what must have been the largest frame Parker made. The gun was in immaculate condition but with little case colors remaining. It had a skeleton butt plate on its massive sized stock. I didn't weigh the gun but it felt like 20 pounds. I remember removing the barrels and seeing an "8" stamped on the rear lug. I thought this was the frame size, which I had never heard of before. I was not familiar with the guage being stamed there either.
I had an employee call the police when the boys walked in and they instructed us to stall them until they could arrive. While I was coveting this CH, which I had offered to pay $200 dollars for, (and they accepted) I asked about the engraved Colts. One of them returned to his car and back with a set of fully engraved nickle plated SAA revolvers in a tooled double holster belt set.
Long story short, the police arrived and arrested the boys. The guns had not been reported stolen yet but the officers took them in for having no ID. The police called the next day and told me the guns were stolen from a Judge here in Texas the night before.
I obviously know I did the right thing, but I also always have wished that gun could have stayed with me. :crying:
Looking in the books it appears this was the only 8ga CH ever built with 36 inch damascus barrels. I didn't record the serial number, but if it was the only one made it might be possible to establish.