Best deal

My absolute best was probably trading a NIB Glock 36 (my original cost $299!) for a like new Browning Hi Power Practical. Closely followed by Marlin 60 for $100 and Henry .22 lever action for $200, both NIB. The poorly finished S&W Model 10-5 I bought off this forum some years ago for $150 has stood up to be a pretty nice deal as well.

I have gotten many deals but the best would be an un-sporterized 1942 or 43 Remington 03A3 I bought at an estate auction for $140 with the bayonet. Just sold it a few weeks ago here.

Win 1400 20 ga for $200. Believe it was a special order that no one picked up. A rem 700 ADL in 22-250 also brand new for $250. I think it too was ordered and not purchased. Both were from WM on clearance pricing. Was looking for a shotgun at the time with nothing in particular in mind at the time. I was specifically looking for a 22-250 at the time I spied the Remmy. I had to sell that rifle for medical reasons and regret I did. Sporter barrel or not it was a tack driver. The replacement with plastic stock is good but not like the 1st one!

$99.00 for a Chinese SKS
$129.00 for a Russian Makarov
$365.00 tax included for a Used Gen. 3 Glock 23 that had no blemshes and still had the copper anti seize on the slide internals

One of my first purchases when I started collecting about 10 years ago, was from an online auction. It had pretty crappy pictures, and none of the right side of the gun. I put in a really low bid for the gun, which ended up winning. A S&W Model of 1905 (.38 special). When it showed up, there was some engraving on the side plate (a presentation) saying it was from the Inter-Allied Games in Paris in June, 1919. It turns out, it was one of 25 revolvers used in the shooting competition - which the US won. It is referenced in the "Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson". Dedicated to a specific competitor, whose history I have tracked down. I plan to donate this gun to a museum sometime in the next few years. Strangely enough, two other guns from this competition have surfaced over the past 5 years.

Yes. The way to find deals on the auction sites is to browse rather than search. Bad pictures and misspellings in titles attract my attention. I bought a nice 1957 old model Blackhawk, unconverted, that had both bad pictures and a significant misspelling in the title. I was the only bidder.

Recently, a nice, lightly used Beretta 1201F for $140 last month. The Mini 30 w/ a nice scope, a couple of mags and accessories was also dirt cheap at $300 a few years ago. Back when I used to bargain hunt more actively, an early 6" S&W 17 and a vintage Winchester 1895, for $150 each in mint condition were even better, relatively speaking.

Even though AR:s are common and bargains can be found all the time, I'd say the Remington R-25 has been my best value-for-money purchase ever. It was on sale and "only" about 40% off MSRP but it's been amazingly accurate and reliable out of the box and it has seen so much since that it definitely counts as a fantastic deal.

A few years ago I was in the market to buy a couple boxes of 00 buck. A local LG had a sale going on. If I bought a case of Federal 00 buck, they threw in a Stevens 320 Security for only the cost of tax paid. It's brutal to shoot for extended periods of time due to it's light weight, but it puts Winchester 2 3/4" slugs in an insanely tight group at 50 yards and patterns well with that Federal buck.

Years ago I was helping a friend's Gunshop get online and helped him with a website linked to an online auction site. I didn't charge him for the work but he agreed on a gift of an old SxS hammer shotgun instead. I later did the same for a Mossberg Plinkster for my younger son. Some similar work a few years for another friend got me a Kentucky Rifle as a gift for helping. Everyone happy!

I’ve had a few, nothing quite as good as you guys though and most are related to value increases due to the restrictions in MA law.

I have a couple rifles, one I got for about 550, the other about 750 which are now worth about 1000 and 1500 respectively.

The first gun I ever bought, about 6 years ago was a really good condition mosin 91/30. Got it for 100$ and also scored a spam can for the same price. If I sold it now I bet I could get 400 or so for the package.

Only other thing of note is a pre 94 Glock 33 round magazine. Bought for 99$, they routinely sell here for 250-300.

The closest thing to best deals I've had are:

I replaced some electrical outlets and corrected wiring problems in one room of a family member's house and got paid with a CZ82 pistol, original holster, and two magazines. I didn't want to be paid, but they insisted to pay me something.

I bought a new Remington Model 5 .22LR rifle for my daughter for my Father's Day years ago. List price was $250.00. Bought it during a clearance sale for $111.00.

I was working at a small auction house outside of Junction City, Oregon when a Gew. 98 and a 1903 Springfield came on the block, fresh from somebody's closet.
I bid $12.50 each.
I was the only bidder.

theotherwaldo said:

I was working at a small auction house outside of Junction City, Oregon when a Gew. 98 and a 1903 Springfield came on the block, fresh from somebody's closet.
I bid $12.50 each.
I was the only bidder.

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Ding Ding Ding
If not the Winner at least in the Top 5.

Not really a realized bargain yet, but I was offered a S&W Model 41 today. It's a (rare?) .22 Short version with a 7" barrel, factory muzzle brake, suppressor + adapter, in what looks like a mint condition. $175 for the lot.
I need another .22 pistol like I need another hole in my head but this is a bit tempting...

hq

Not really a realized bargain yet, but I was offered a S&W Model 41 today. It's a (rare?) .22 Short version with a 7" barrel, factory muzzle brake, suppressor + adapter, in what looks like a mint condition. $175 for the lot

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Not meaning to be facetious but didn't you maybe leave off a 0 at the end of the $175?

bannockburn said:

Not meaning to be facetious but didn't you maybe leave off a 0 at the end of the $175?

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You're not the first person who has asked that question. I also heard that it has been advertised on a public site for over 10 weeks now and it still hasn't sold...
https://www.nettiaseet.fi/myydaan/l...h-wesson-41-1-22-short-tampere-pirkanmaa/3582

It would've probably been sold overseas by now if all the red tape involved in exporting a firearm wasn't such a monumental pain.

hq

Okay, now I get it. Thanks for clearing that up!

This was a long time ago, about 1962. I worked in a small town hardware store with a gun department. Kid was salivating over a cheap .22 semi auto rifle that he couldn't afford. I asked if he had anything to trade. He showed up the next day with a well-used Marlin 1893 in .38-55. I gave him $25 for it. With moderate loads and a heavy bullet, it is one of the most accurate lever guns I own.

I paid $200 for 2 guns from an estate sale...a Winchester 1895 shotgun and a Rossi pump 22. sold the 22 for $200 and paid $65 to have the 1895 cleaned up. sold it for $600. net profit $535

When I was in college (1982) and broke as a church mouse, I snagged a NIB Remington 788 for $112. (It was everything I had.) The dealer almost threw a hissy fit when I said he had to throw in a box of ammo. "Hey, I buy a car, I get a tank of gas or no deal. I buy a gun, I get a box of ammo or no deal!"

The 788 still wears its iron sights and is my go to rifle. If I take something else hunting, the 788 is my spare if the unforeseen fall, drop or other disaster occurs.

mag1911 said:

I bought a Remington 721 in .300 H&H and 13 boxes of ammunition for $135. Rifle came with rings, sling, soft case. Ammunition was all Winchester Bronze Point or Silver Tip or similar. At that time the ammunition was around $10 +\- a box so I have around $5, or less, in the rifle.

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After thinking about this for awhile I feel I should add some information:

I bought this just before I joined the Army and when I got back from the Army I discovered my little brother and his thug buddies had shot up ALL my ammunition. Since it didn't have a scope on it I guess they were just using the rings like a peep sight. So I guess I actually have the whole $135 in it. Oh, and he "refinished" the stock for me also while I was gone. Now it shines like a bowling ball. He's such a treasure.

mag1911 said:

After thinking about this for awhile I feel I should add some information:

I bought this just before I joined the Army and when I got back from the Army I discovered my little brother and his thug buddies had shot up ALL my ammunition. Since it didn't have a scope on it I guess they were just using the rings like a peep sight. So I guess I actually have the whole $135 in it. Oh, and he "refinished" the stock for me also while I was gone. Now it shines like a bowling ball. He's such a treasure.

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Yeah, "little" brothers can be like that...

Last year I paid $225 for a Smith and Wesson Shield .45 after the rebate.

psp7304 said:

Last year I paid $225 for a Smith and Wesson Shield .45 after the rebate.

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I HATE YOU

j/k

That is a great deal. Congrats.

Early 1990's, when they still had a focus on hunting and shooting, I bought a Remington 541-T on a "scratch and dent" sale from the Dick's in Camillus, NY. It had been coming down in price for a while; I don't think folks really knew what it was. It was priced at $250; I offered $225 and my offer was accepted. It was a beautiful gun that I shot for a lot of years. I sold it before my last move a couple of years ago for $600. It was a good deal when I bought it, and a good deal when I sold it.