When you have been around firearms as long as I have (buying, selling, trading), you will invariably recall a few mistakes made along the way. You paid too much for this one, sold that one to cheap, made a bad trade, etc. However, I suppose the worst thing that happens is realizing that you should never have let a particular one get away. Having made that mistake more times than I would like to admit, I’m moving closer to the “Never Sell Anything Again — Ever” camp. I suppose I should explain how I arrived there.
Learning the Hard Way
It all started in the Stone Age when I sold a perfectly good rock, just kidding! It was late 1968. I was recently discharged from the service, had gone back to school, and had a part time job at a small gun shop in Canoga Park. My duties at Adams Gun Shop consisted of cleaning up the gunsmiths area in back, stocking shelves and display cases, and helping as directed.
As things turned out, it was a good deal for the owner but not for me. I bought more than I made every week. Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever taking home a check. Be that as it may, one day we received a shipment of the very first Ruger bolt-action rifles, the Model 77. One of them was chambered in .243 Winchester — exactly what I was looking for.
It was only $124. With my employee discount it was $100 plus tax. More than I made but such a deal. To top it off, the serial number was…. 2077, how is that for cool? It had to be an instant collectable for that alone but what did I know? At the time… not much.
I added a Redfield 3×9 scope with Redfield rings and mounts for another $114. I was in hog heaven. Now, the interesting thing about the rifle is that it was not a very precise shooter, providing 1.5- to 2-inch groups. That didn’t matter, because the really unusual asset it possessed was whatever I feed it they all shot to the same spot, so it was accurate.
At the time, I was too inexperienced to realize what a rare find I possessed. It accounted for lots of coyotes, bobcats, badgers, raccoons, and even a couple of deer with that rifle. To say it provided good service would be an understatement.
One day, I happened to stop at Andrews Sporting Goods (Andrews became Turner’s in Los Angeles) to check with my friends. I wanted to see what new stuff was in stock — big mistake! In the rack they had a brand new Browning Sako in .243 Win. It was the most beautiful rifle I had ever seen.
The wood had great figure with a contrasting forend tip, a sexy, pencil-thin barrel with gold paint in the bottom metal engraving, and a gold plated trigger. But they wanted $450 plus tax and license. It was clearly out of my league.
My friend behind the counter, sensing my trouble, offered a solution. Hey Ed! Let me tell you what we can do for you, ’cause we know you. I’ll take the Ruger you have and give you $150 for it. You can put the Browning on layaway and give us $50 a week. I was weak and agreed to the terms…
Worst mistake I ever made. That rifle was pretty but it never did shoot. Well not until I put thousands of dollars into it, and the only part that remained was the receiver. New stock, barrel, trigger, rings, scope, mounts, and a real gold pistol grip cap with engraved monogram. It reminded me of the 1963 hit song “If You Wanna Be Happy” by Jimmy Soul.
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So for my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you
The plain rifle made me happy. The pretty one made me spend money I did not have, was never satisfied with, and brought me nothing but misery. She was difficult, put weight on, and demanded new clothes and jewelry (in the mode of the aforementioned upgrades) — before she would even make an effort to make me happy.
Eventually, the new face lift made her happy. We finally went dancing again with no more headaches. The biggest mistake I ever made — and the one I regret the most — at least as far as guns sold, traded, or otherwise relinquished, goes anyway.
More Lessons
You’d think that would have taught me a lesson, but…. Oh, no! At around the same time as the rifle incident, I took procession of a Walther P-38 that was given to me by an older cousin who had brought it home as a war souvenir. He was not into guns and knew that I was, so he gave it to me.
Anyway, I had it for some time. However, it never really pushed my buttons, and someone I shot with occasionally wanted to trade me a shotgun for it, as I was starting to take up bird hunting. I thought it would be a good opportunity.
The trade was made. For two years or so, I used that shotgun in ignorance-induced bliss until another relative asked whether I had ‘Cousin Tom’s’ pistol — the one he took off the SS Colonel he captured and relieved of it. He then said, we got the papers proving the action, which makes that pistol worth a lot of money. That pistol, and the story, is gonna make you rich and famous. My heart sank.
I was not going to be rich, famous, or anything except stupid and short sighted. I tried to find the acquaintance I traded it to but no luck. He apparently moved out of the area. The worst part was not the money lost, but the family history and a tangible artifact tying me to it was lost forever. With Cousin Tom’s passing, my only physical tie and memento to him and his brave deeds was lost forever. I am diminished by its loss.
Final Thoughts
By now, you would think that I would have learned my lesson. Of course, I have not. It’s against human nature to not think we are smarter than we are. I certainly have many more sales I have regretted, certainly far too many than can be related here. If you don’t think we are genetically bound to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, I suggest you read some of Victor Davis Hanson’s work.
The really hard prospect to come to grips with (now that I am a certified geezer) is that I can’t take my collection with me. I know I should sell, donate, give, or make plans to will everything to those I would want to have them, but I still hold on to the misguided belief that there is still one more Safari, big game hunt to be taken, and there are certainly plenty of varmint hunts and bird hunts left in me. But are there?
I would like to hold onto the idea that there are. So long as the tools are still in the safe, I can still entertain thoughts that there really are adventures awaiting my participation. Holding and cleaning them keeps the dreams and memories alive. And maybe, just maybe, the regret of parting with them has more to do with the dreams than the items themselves. Don’t we all regret unrequited dreams and our own mortality?
Stay safe, train often, and practice, practice, practice!
Bob,
Thank you once again for the kind words.
Ed.
My regret firearms-wise is a bit different… ive sold many and stand by my decisions as it made room for better things. For me i wish i had taken notes as a kid. When I was little and my very cheap dad decided he should get us a squirrel rifle we tested a bunch of different ones i can only assume he borrowed from guys he worked with. It was so long ago i cant remember anything buy vague details but i always wanted to get one like…. that ONE. Many years later i walked into a job in was invited to and met the other lets call him… consultant…. big old guy with an unmistakable name. I always figured it was his gun and we immediately hit it off after close to three decades. Turned out his was one of the ones we borrowed but not the one i was after. He definitely regretted selling his Brno.
The .327 Magnum is an unnecessary new cartridge, essentially a +P H&R Mag. What is needed is a relatively short cartridge that delivers sufficient energy to the target while using available technology (higher CUP, stronger metals) to decrease diameter to allow additional rounds: Something like a .25 ACP long +P with energy like a .38 Spl or 9mm.
Ed, great article, we’ve all regretted losing, selling, giving away things in our lifetimes. This article reminded me that the guns that I’ve kept are very, very precious. Grandpa’s savage, 99 in .303 Savage, plus the set of antlers in 1921 that he harvested From a big mule deer. The 32 Auto, my dad carried on Iwo Jima before getting wounded. The model 69 Winchester .22 rifle -the first gun I ever shot ( not air powered) that grandpa left my dad who left it to me. I’ve sold a few but one I traded/sold -a Belgian Hi Power I got back after a year when the former friend tried to renegotiate the trade/sale after a year. I got the beautiful gun back and found out my friendship was only worth $500 to him.
Ed
Good story. It actually managed a rare thing- you went past gun writing and into literature .
Bob
My Grandfather had a small closet with 5 – 7 guns in it. I would always take them out and play with them, when I was there, pre 1972. When he died, my Grandmother did an estate auction and sold everything. I had my dad buy one of the guns – I was 11, for I think, $40. It is a Remington bolt action, single shot .22 Target. I still have it.
My Dad got me a Marlin Golden 39A for Christmas in 1976, when I was 13, I still have it.
The one that got away was the one my Dad got for himself when I was 16, which he wrapped up and gave it to him from me, a Colt Frontier .22, which was stolen by the boyfriend of my Niece in 2008.
I have since replaced that stolen Colt with another, identical one – with the serial number scratched off. I didn’t question the lack of serial number as I purchased it online, in Florida, from a pawn shop in Wisconsin. I like to think it is the same gun stolen from my Dad.
My regrets are not purchasing any of the of M1 Carbines that were available at TSC in the ’70’s for $50, and not purchasing any pre-86 full auto M-16’s that I could have gotten at the Base Exchange when I was in the Air Force from ’83 – ’87.
My story is like Rob’s. Had a beautiful Ruger 44 Blackhawk. Most accurate pistol I’ve ever had. Needed cash for an emergency & my brother in law was generous. Couple of years later I offered him the money back and he laughed as he had discovered how amazing that pistol was. Purchased a replacement but it was never the same. As some have stated…just keep them all 🙂
A friend died in my youth, and his parents gave me his Benjamin .22 pump air rifle. From that time till I was drafted into the US Army that pumper removed all the ground squirrels from the neighborhood! Gave it to my little brother when I was drafted, and he would just grin whenever I would beg it back. His son is now getting ready to give it to his 8 year old son. I hope he lets me shoot it like his dad did…
For me it will always be a Winchester Model 97, short barreled shotgun. It had been owned by the Georgia State Police and was one of their riot guns. I had traded for it when I was 13. At seventeen, I was a broke teenager, with his first car. The local gunshop gave me $60 for it and that paid my insurance. 50 years later, I still miss it….
My biggest regret was selling my two Ruger Single Sixes. First one I got from my dad when I was a teenager, and it would ride on my hip when we went deer hunting together. I’m not sure when it was made, but it still looked like a cowboy gun with the quarter-moon iron sight. But after I got married, money was always tight, and we owned a ’78 Datsun pickup that seemed to continually blow engines. The wife was not into guns, and didn’t understand the emotional bonds we sometimes have with them. So it got sold to a gun shop, and before I could afford to buy it back, it was gone. Some time later I bought a newer one with the “improved” new, higher added sights. Didn’t like it as much, but it came with both a .22LR and .22 WMR cylinder, so I got some enjoyment from that. But it wasn’t long before another engine blew, and we needed transportation more than I needed the gun.
Some years passed, and I occasionally saw one for sale, but around 3 times what I paid for my second one. Now I’ve satisfied that itch by owning 4 different Ruger Wranglers, one with the birdshead grip. They’re fun shooters, but I still miss that Single Six my dad gave me.
I had bought one of the last CZ550 308 varmint heavy barrel.
I lazer sighted it at 100yds. took it to the range fired one shot. didnt see anything on target looking
thur the scope,so i looked with my spoting scope and the shot was in the bullseye.
best shooting rifle i ever owned sometime later the barrel devolped rust sent it to Cz for warrenty repairs told me they dont have any barrels. advised me to have them send me the new model.
Was never the same I still regret doing that.Needless to say i sold that new CZ
Much like Ralphie’s(A Christmas Story) Daisy Red Ryder) i was surprised with a Beretta .410
single shot with an underlever that allowed it to fold open. It was my 11 th Christmas.. I had the little gem till i was 15 and an adult in my small town browbeat me into selling it to him for his boy for $25.. I found out later he let it rust. I am now 75 and will never forget my mistake….
The only guns I regret not still owning were stolen by some POS,
Now my biggest regret is not owning a bigger gun safe because I keep everything!
I had a few I gave in NJ due to the strict gun regulations
I had a pre-ban H&K 94 with the long barrel, retractable stock, 12/30 round mags & shroud. Purchased at TT Gunnery back in the early 90’s for $650.
Also a Chinese SKS 7.62x,39, a Romanian AK47, & a Ruger Mini14 GB.
Kick myself in the head now.
Always will regret the loss of Grandpa’s 1942 Belgian hi-power 9mm, complete with Luftwaffe eagle and swastika proof marks, given to him by a luftwaffe Lt. Who no longer wanted it and was more concerned with a hot meal in May of 45.
A burglar decided he liked it real well…probably traded it for a bag of weed. Then there was the Ruger 77 in .25-06 that got traded for a car, Im sure the Ruger is still in top shape, the Toyota POS? Didn’t last a year. Now, it’s a policy, NEVER trade off a gun!
I had an H&K P7-M10 and P7-M13 that I sold, and I could kick myself for not hanging onto them. At least I kept the P7-M8. It’s an amazingly accurate handgun.
Ed I share your pain concerning the Walther. My Father purchased two handguns from a fellow Firefighter from Engine company 98’s in Pacoima where he was stationed back in the early 60’s.
One very clean Colt model 1911 and a Walther p-38 9mm with original black leather holster and spare magazine.
Allegedly he bought Both for a big 1960’s $100 and they both remained pretty idle during most of my youth.
Of the few times we spent at the Range I volunteered to perform cleaning duties and it was then I became aware that all the major components of the Walther (Barrel, Slide, Frame, Magazines even Holster) bore the SS Eagle and Swastika symbol.
Our Mom cared not for the the embellishment, despite being rather proficient with the 9mm herself but somewhere in the late 70’s Dad sold it for what then was a tidy sum.
Since then I’ve been able to procure a Walther P-1 from Greta’s in Simi Valley which save for the Alloy Frame resembles the P-38 in most aspects (West German P.D. holster and all).
Still, that was the One that Got Away!
Oh, how I feel your pain. In the 70’s I purchased a new 6” Python. Most beautiful revolver I’d ever seen…I started competing in silhouette and knowing I.could surely replace it, Ol’ Dumb Ars traded it for a model 29. Hated the Smith and would eventually trade it for a Ruger Blackhawk .44 that was much more accurate. Now as I’ve entered my 9th decade, there’s nary a day I don’t miss the Snake. And for the last 30 years I’ve not even considered ever thinning the herd…OORAH
I got a p38 in the ’90’s that was literally brand new; the Russians were selling off captured weapons after Communism fell that were on ice for decades. It still had the cosmoline on it. My only regret was that I didn’t buy 2. I think it cost about $300…That was just after I bought a WW11 vintage M1 carbine for $169. Should have bought 2.
My dad bought me a bushmaster AR- 15 after I was discharged from Marines. I sold like an idiot and also I wish I had my ruger redhawk 44 mag I let go for $400 back. That’s just a few. Oh yeah a e series S&W 1911 too. Oh well. I’m leaning towards buying more guns and not selling. Great stories.
As a kid being a fan of TV Westerns, when older, I saw a case hardened receiver, with a gold saddle ring, Model 94 Winchester in 30-30, that I just had to have. Turns out it was post-64, meaning the internals were made of stamped parts instead of machined, which did eventually break, but worst than that, it was horribly inaccurate. At 50 yards I could group a Ruger Blackhawk .357 much tighter. Another issue, no matter what ammo, after a day in the woods when unloading, ALL of the bullets had been pushed into the brass, creating a dangerous situation. Then one day during deer season, a buck moseyed out into a flat, about 65 yards away. I took carful aim, bracing agains a tree, and waited for it to walk into an “alley way” in the trees. it did, and I shot. Nothing happened. It didn’t even spook the dear, so I had a second chance, unfortunately with the same results. In the excitement of the moment, I started to question if I had even shot, but looking down I saw to empty brass cases. After that I could not wait for someone else to be the new owner, which did happen, and I have no requests of getting rid of that “Fake = foreign made” Winchester 94. Like the author says: it was just too pretty to be married too. LOL. Needless to say it was quickly replaced with an Ugly (as in stamped checkered, cheap wood stock coated with polyurethane, to shine like a mirror in the woods), but functional, American made Remington. No regrets. 🙂
During the early part of this century I had a C&R license, which enabled me to buy firearms categorized as C&R at dirt cheap prices. When I decided move up my carry weapon from an East German Makarov in excellent condition (for which I had paid about $150.00 ) to a Kimber CDP Pro in .45, I had to sell some guns in order to raise the money. I sold two handguns, the Makarov (which is now worth something under $1000.00, and a Ruger Old Army stainless steel revolver (which today cannot be found for any amount!).
I regret selling the Makarov, but only because of its subsequent increase in value. But even though I only shot the Ruger a couple of times a year, I will always regret selling it. First, for me it was the most accurate revolver I have ever owned; it really wasn’t difficult to put all shots into a five inch circle at 25 yards. Secondly, every time I handled it, I could hear Marty Robbins singing “Big Iron.” That is the one I will always regret selling.
I have a couple firearms I will never sell. a Mossberg .410 3-shot bolt action (Model number was only manufactured 1951-1953) that belonged to my father. The second is a Western Auto Revelation .22LR semi auto(made by Marlin) that I got for my 12th birthday in 1964. Still shoot both and they function well. My sons will have to fight over who gets what when I am gone.
Oh, Ed. I’m right there with you. In my early collecting days I owned a gun store so it was quite easy for me to take a gun out of my collection and put it in inventory so I could get something else. Now at 76 years old I realize I regretted getting rid of all most every gun I every parted with. So now I don’t part with them easily. I do sometimes give guns to my sons and grandsons, but I’m hoping that’s just in advance of what will become of my collection when I pass on. I consider my collection an asset and I’ve listed it in my will along with my desires that it be divided up among family members when I’m gone. But there’s a caveat and that is that if my wife needs money for her support they can sell the collection. Well, if I’m gone what difference does it make, but while I’m still here, I treasure the collection and all its members, so you’ve got to be pretty special to get one of my guns.
I feel your pain. I gave up a 1959 Dodge Sweptside pickup at seventeen not realizing what it was worth. But I Do have my father’s Remington 721 30-06 that he bought to go hunting with my grandfather. The gun was built in 1954, two years before I was born. He gave it to me when I was sixteen along with half the box of rounds he bought with it. Now my grown children argue who will give it when I pass.
In 1970 I passed on an M1 carbine for $45 that my uncle cautioned could be stolen simply because of who the seller was. Who knows. Noone ever reported one stolen. I also sold a Spanish saddle ring cavalry mauser in 7mm Mauser because it shot too high. At the time I didn’t really know what it was. I had bought it from a friend for a song and sold it for even less.
This is where planning comes in, and lots of research. If you let the Destruction Dragon and Impatience Dragon control your decisions, there will be many regrets.
Like Ed I have become the old geezer with a regret about the one that got away. My father was a hunter and gun enthusiast who introduced me to hunting and shooting at the age of twelve. For my first deer hunt my father gave me his Marlin 336 in 35 caliber with a Weaver 3-9 variable scope. I thought this was the most beautiful rifle I had ever seen as it was in pristine condition. The rifle was extremely accurate at 100 yds with a 200gr bullet. As time marched on I used this rifle for deer hunting with great success. As my gun collection expanded later in life my favorite deer rifle became a Browning BLR in 30-06. I was no longer using the Marlin and what possessed me to sell the rifle I will never know. When my father passed I realized the sentimental value the rifle held and that connection to his memory was gone. Whenever I see a Marlin 336 today I still feel that sense of loss.
Traded my first shotgun after returning from the war, pristine 20 ga Charles Daily Superposed O/U, for a basket case 80year old Brunswick pool table. After refinishing and assembly, the table looked great, but the 20 handled and shot better than anything I’ve had since. Seemed like a good idea at the time. As soon as Daily stopped ordering from Miroku, Browning ordered similar guns from them, selling those for big bucks. Woe is me.
When I was about 15 years old (1966) my friends and I got into shooting in the woods behind my hours in NJ. All I had was my father’s bolt action 22LR rifle. It was all beat up. I don’t know how old it was but it fired. My friends all had newer, cooler guns, everything from shotguns to hunting rifles. The old 22 rifle just wouldn’t do it anymore. Somehow, I don’t remember how, I got the money to buy a brand new Marlin Model 60 semi automatic 22 rifle. The coolest gun EVER! I had a blast with that gun. I could shoot down a small tree with it’s 17 round tube magazine. As fads go me and my friends moved on, girls, jobs, bands etc. At some point my father asked me what happened to the gun. I told him I sold it for Christmas present money. (This was back in the day when a gun was a product, or a tool like a shovel, not a death machine.) He went ballistic. I learned a lot about shooting, and myself with both of those guns and regret selling the Marlin to this day. The bolt action 22? I think my mother gave it away along with a bunch of my stuff while I was in college. I also miss that gun.
My one that got away was one of the first Ruger.44 magnums. I had it for only a couple of years. I paid around $100. for it. I was newly married and had a pregnant wife and money was tight. So I borrowed $100.00 from a friend and put the Ruger up for collateral. Well, money stayed tight forever, it seemed like. my friend was moving out of the area and since I still couldn’t scrape the hundred dollars together, we agreed he’d keep the Ruger and the debt was paid. That was in 1967. My backside is still sore from kicking myself!
Another fantastic article Mr. LaPorta . I’ve got a few that I wish I still had one being an M1 carbine, 257 Roberts and a 25-06 the 257 was a custom rifle. My dad had built with an Ackley improved shoulder.
Cars are the same.
I had a beautiful fuel injected peugeot 504 as my second car.
Loved it.
Sold it.
Regretted it for 40 years (and counting).
Ive had 2 others but they just werent the same. That damn car was the perfect storm of everything working dead right together.