Ever purchased a firearm at a yard sale?

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Redlg155

Redlg155

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I have never purchased one at a yard sale. Lots of military surplus stuff, but I never lucked up and found a gun for sale. I have seen them for sale at flea markets here and there, but the guns are usually rusted black powder guns that they claimed was used in the civil war.

I don't see where it would be illegal, I just haven't seen any.
 
I used to run up on them fairly regular. Not so much anymore however. I have found some really good deals on them. Some flea markets still have them.
 
My grandmother is really into antiquing and searching through yard sales and things like that. About 20-25 years back, my she brought a pretty odd item home with her: a J.C. Higgins bolt action 16 Gauge. I never even new that bolt action shotguns were a thing until I saw it.

The extent of her knowledge on guns was such: pull the trigger = bang.

...but her keen eye for value told her it was a steal for a whopping $20.

Even with inflation that's a really nice find.
 
I have.
I have also missed out on some good ones.

4 years ago I spotted a yard sale add that listed a Browning A-5 Light-20 in a Browning luggage case.
The add also said "Sale opens at 7:00 AM - Positively no early callers".

So, I went at 6:00 and stood in a long line until they opened at 7:00.

Only to be told they sold the gun a few minutes after the add came out Wednesday evening!

The guy said the buyer offered him $125 cash, and it was too good a deal to pass up.
So, I flashed him 12 $100 bills and told him he made a very big mistake!!

He was turning an interesting shade of grayish green when I turned around and walked off!

rc
 
An elderly lady had a few meager offerings on the table in her driveway and I off-handedly asked if she had any firearms to sell. She said: "No... uhm, YES! my late husband's rifle. I'll go find it, if you can come back later."

When I got back, others were already pawing it, but no takers. I came home with a Winchester model 74. Not a particularly big find, but I was pleased and she expressed appreciation as the sale would help her pay some bills.

It never hurts to ask if they have any guns to sell.
 
yes, about 3 months ago I found a mossberg 500 for sale with 50 shells, a soft case, and a cleaning kit for 200 bucks, I don't ever think it was fired, the guy was selling it because he was moving to canada and couldn't take it with him.
 
I picked a winchester lever action in 44 magnum at a garage sale and then ended up selling it at a gun show a few weeks later.
 
I have seen several at the 127 yard sale (Google it) here in Ketucky. All were all way over priced...
 
about 15 years ago a picked up a pinch frame SAA cheap.

This was in the hood and nobody was interested because it wasn't an auto.

I paid $35.00
 
About 8 years ago a Remington 870 12 gauge 2 3/4. Pretty rough, a little rust but not bad, paint dripped on it from a remodeling project for $80. Shortened the barrel 10" from 28 to 18. Fiber Optic bead and stripped the stock and BLO finished and pad. Not bad for under $100 and a few hours work I now have a SD/HD shotgun.
 
That made me smile! I used to do a little used camera business on ebay and it always irritated me when somebody tried to get me to do a deal on the side before the auction closed.
 
I've bought a couple through the years, I've found it never hurts to ask if they have any they would sell.
 
Got a Japanese Type I, arguably the nicest I've ever seen, for $200 a couple months ago. Guy had no idea what market was but had looked up similar online, asked me to make a fair offer, and I forked over two bills and shoved it behind the seat.

Also got a cute pair of earrings for a female friend of mine, they were sheetmetal Navy Revolvers, and $2 for the pair. Cheap quality, but distinctive.
 
a marlin 35 rem and a year later sold it for 100.00 more at a gun show because i was headed in another direction....
 
Yep sure have, this one, just had a butt stock on it when I found it 20 bucks....
 
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Yes. A family moving to Canada had a safe queen Rem 742 BDL in like new condition with a Redfield circa 1973 rangefinder scope with the decal still untouched. Got it for $325. It was grampa's gun...he was a lawyer in Arkansas, maybe never carried.

Edit... yes another. Wealthy folks from church moving back from Whidbey to California. I asked if they had guns and they took me to the kitchen. Nothing much there so I asked if any more. Yes she said it is in the barn but they werent sure if it was legal, especially to take back to CA. So we go look. It is a black rifle. HK. I shoo off another shopper, then ask if I can have 1/2 hour to look it up at my home down the road.

Well it was an HK91, unfired, made 1982. They had it on a yacht when in Mexican waters. I told them there would be issues if brought to Calif again, made offer, wrote check. Sale included the full box of 308.

Still unfired.
 
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btg3 I was 12 years old when i started hunting in NE Kansas and that 74 win was my only gun I still have it, I grew up with it my brother grew up with it and now I have it and am going to give it to my nephew. It still works fine and still very acc the metal has a lot of Bettina on it now, my father bought it in 1937 they year I was borned.
 
I bought a 92 Winchester in 32-20 for $150.00 once at a festival kind of thing. There were a bunch of booths selling eveything from kitchen appliances to jigsaw puzzles. I told the guy that the gun was worth more than that, but he said "you're the only one with money". It was pretty rough, but it shoots. 1986 I think.
 
Garage sale gun

Friend's wife, he was gunsmith on the side, found a S&W revolver at a summer garage sale for $3.00, paid her money and slipped it into her handbag.

Gave it to her husband for Christmas, he thanked her for the present then told her that they could not afford such a rare and high priced gun. She laughed and told him where she got it and what she paid for it. He kept it.

Not being a S&W fan I do not remember which it was, other than it had the proper number of screws and caliber to be worth a nice amount of money. She knew what it was when she saw it as her husband had talked about the value of that piece in a conversation.
 
mrcooper,
As you may know the model 74 has become somewhat collectible and is prized by original owners as well as those more recently introduced to this rifle. The weight reminds me of the rifle range at summer camp which had some solid .22 rifles that I liked the feel of, but at that age failed to note what make/model they were. My example of the model 74was made 1948, has not been a safe queen, and works fine. It has the scope, which is usable, but not as clear as it once was.

If you aren't already aware, there is an excellent youtube video on disassemlby, and replacement of the firing pin. It also warns about damage if the model 74 is dry fired. Such information needs to be passed along with these rifles to keep them in good order.

Thanks for sharing.
 
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