What is your "best buy" firearm?

[TennJed]

What single gun do you consider your "best buy"? It could be a smoking hot good deal as far as money goes, or it could be that dream gun you stumbled upon by chance. The only criteria is that it has to be BOUGHT, not given or passed down to you.

Your decision on what makes it the best buy.

What gun, why do you consider it your best purchase?

Mine, a like new Makarov in 380 (I have a thing for 380s) found in a pawn shop for $199 OTD. Not a hard to find gun or an eye-poping price, but when I saw it I new NOTHING about the Makarov. I spent 5 minutes on my internet phone and it seemed like a well respected gun, so I bought it on a whim.

It is becoming my most shot gun. $199 on a whim and it turns into the gun I always take to the range. Accurate, tough, inexpensive, did I mention tough?

 

[O C]

I consider my "Best Buy" a Browning HiPower made for Estonia in 1937, with slotted grip for shoulder stock, tanget sights, German issued holster, and (2) German marked magazines. From auction for $335.00. Worth $2500.00 (est).
Number two on the alltime "Best Buy" list is a 1885 Marlin Ballard single shot in .32Long, with a full length Malcome scope (again at auction) for $575.00. Some days clean living pays off.

 

[whalerman]

My best buy is much more common. A stainless Ruger 4" Security Six in perfect condition for $100. This was about ten years ago. I've got many more guns worth much more, but this is the one I will never ever let go.

 

[bushmaster1313]

High Standard 18-7 Flite King for $265:

 

[Stacer]

A S&W pre 18 for $100. Found it while helping set up for an estate sale. Best find I located for dad was an 1892 winchester in 44-40 made in 1916 for $50 at a gun show

 

[jmr40]

I'm constantly trading around for guns and through a series of trading, buying, and selling guns I have what I consider the perfect all round hunting rifle, for very little money invested.

Roughly 10 years ago bought a Colt Commander off a guy at a gunshow for $250. In the years I owned it the gun was perfectly reliable, but horribly inaccurate. I rarely used it.

Two years ago I found a used Winchester Extreme Weather rifle in 308 with a $700 price tag. I gave the guy $100 as a deposit and told him I'd be back on Saturday. It was in a gunshop about an hour from home and $100 was all I had at the time. The next day I took my Colt to a LGS and put it up on consignment. They called me before I got home to tell me it was sold. I turned around and got my $650 from selling the Colt and used it to pay off the Winchester. So far I'm out of pocket $350 for a $1,000 gun.

About that time I got a $75 off coupon from Cabelas which I combined with $250 worth of "Cabelas Bucks" I'd earned on my credit card to buy a $400 Leupold scope for $75.

A year later I found a used McMillan Edge stock that would fit my rifle in the classified sales section of a gun forum. Paid $400 for a $600 stock then sold my facory stock on the same forum for $200.

Right now I have $625 invested in a $1,000 rifle sitting in a lightweight $600 stock with a $400 scope on it.

The gun is 1/2 lb lighter in the Edge stock and is a pleasure to carry all day at around 7 1/4 lbs all up with scope and mounts. It shoots tiny little groups with my handloads and will take anything I'll ever hunt. I'd have no problems with it on any animal in the lower 48 at up to 400 yards. With the SS metal, McMillan stock, Leupold scope and Winchesters CRF action I cannot imagine a more rugged, bulletproof rifle. It went with me on a couple of backpack hunts last fall and already has earned a few battle scars. My rifles get used hard in rough conditions and in any weather.

 

[27hand]

good buy

I got a Norinco AK for $350, complete with box, 3 mags, bayo, oiler.

When I posted it on another forum, I was told the same setup was worth between 1200 to 1600.

I also got a Russian SKS in excellent shape for 125 with 100 strippers and 50 rounds.

Those are probably my 2 best deals.

 

[postalnut25]

Dumb luck got me a nickled Colt Trooper MkIII for $200. Didn't need it, but sure do like it. Just happened to have money in the pocket when the deal came up.

 

[Valkman]

I got a single shot .22 youth rifle for free, and I got a Russian Mak .380 for $100 from a private seller at a gun show long ago. Bought a Russian SKS for $100 at a gun show, and got a S&W 66 for $289 at a gun shop (police trade-in). All sweet guns that I still have except for the .22, which I turned around and gave away to a guy with a kid who could use it.

 

[MrDig]

NIB it would have to be my Mossberg 4x4 in .243 I think I'm just hitting the low end of its range at 200 yards and it make me a good shooter at that distance. I might have to stretch it out a bit. Well worth the money I paid for it and under valued if you ask me. $395.00 from Davidsons and actually shoots like it is worth much more.
Used it would have to be my FEG Hi-Power it shoots like a dream and is one of my never give up guns. I think I paid $250.00 for the FEG years ago it was well worth the money.

 

[YankeeFlyr]

Whalerman lucked out!

My best buy is a dealer-exclusive 10/22 with a S/S 22" barrel. It's one of the few guns that didn't cost more than they "should"...

My 2004 production M1A cost about TWICE as much as it "should have". Yeah, it's my favorite rifle and the "if I could only have one rifle" piece. But damn, the $$$!. It's been 100% for 2400+ rounds, though. One of only 2 rifles I'd take to war; the other is my 1944 M1 Garand.

The 10/22 is really double the bargain with the low, low (almost free) cost of .22LR.

And a cheap 25 dollar BSA 4x scope on it? Tons of fun!

 

[taraquian]

My buddy was about to have his first kid and topd him he had to get rid of all his guns. I got my Bersa Thunder380 with a holster two spare mags and most of a box of ammo for $50. Still one of my favorite guns. Had I got there 5 minutes sooner I would have that stainless 7mm with scope I envy in my other friends gun cabinet for 100

 

[toivo]

I got this Mossberg 340BB on Auction Arms for $94:



It's not one of the most sought-after models, but it's in perfect shape and shoots great.

I got a Saiga rifle in .223 for $237 when they first started importing them. I thought that was a pretty good deal.

I never seem to find those $50 gun bargains. I'll have to try harder.

 

[Quiet]

During the 2010s (so far)...
Ruger Mark 2 with three 10 round magazines for $200.

During the 2000s...
S&W Model 325PD with seven 6 round moonclips for $408.

During the 1990s...
Underwood M-1 Carbine with two 15 round USGI magazines, four 30 round USGI magazines and 2400 rounds of Lake City ammo (all on stripper clips in bandoliers) for $400.

 

[firesky101]

I have gotten a few, but the best was late 2011 I got my SVT-40 for $225. I whipped my wallet out so fast I think I tore something in my arm.

 

[jcwit]

Best Buy? Model 52B Winchester with bull barrel totally complete with both the 5 round and 10 round mags, and the single shot adapter, hand stop, orginal sights, everything except the hang tags and the orginal box. Manufacture date for the rifle?, 1947. Also in the deal was a Lyman Target Spot scope with rings to fit the orginal mounts on the barrel.

Price? $50.00, that is my Best Buy

Second best buy was an orginal Sharps Carbine, fully operational, $400.00.

 

[Bo]

Best Buy


A co-worker wanted $225.00 for this S&W Mod. 19-3. I gave him $260.00, we were both happy.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Best Buy would have to be my H&R Partner .410 single-shot break-open shotgun. I had a .410 that was my dad's that I first shot when I started hunting around 12 YO, and I like the .410 as it is handy for varmints that are up-close, in the yard. The first week I got it, I shot a fox with 7.5 shot low brass. The thing had mange all down one side (the side I shot), hair completely missing and sores all over the skin. That is where the pellets hit him at night, under a light. I didn't know until I saw it the next morning!

I wondered how he dropped (bang-flop) within about three seconds after shooting one shot. I say my "Higher-Power" knew he was in pain and sent him into my yard to 'humanely' put him down. There was no other explanation, hitting him with low brass, full choke at about 40 feet, a perfect pattern on his right lung, shoulder, neck and right side of his face. I figure a pellet or two went into his right ear.

I dug a big hole and had a nice little quiet time with him, burying the poor thing.

 

[bannockburn]

My best buy would have to be a very minty Baby Browning. It's a lighweight model with the nickel slide and pearlized grips and has the original box along with all the paperwork. It doesn't appear to have ever been used. Paid $400 for it about a year and a half ago at my LGS.

 

[Skyshot]

My best buy was a Savage model 11 that had a wood stock on it. I was at a flee market one Saturday just looking around, when I saw a gentleman walking around with this rifle. When I asked him what he had, he told me that this .243 used to shoot wonderful but now It shot all over the place and he was frustrated with it. So expecting to duel a little on price, I offered $150.00 for it and he said yes. I was shocked but, I gave him the money and got out of there quickly. Took the rifle home and found that the stock was warped. Have since restocked it and now it shoots almost 1/4 MOA with my handloads.

 

[ChCx2744]

whalerman said:

My best buy is much more common. A stainless Ruger 4" Security Six in perfect condition for $100. This was about ten years ago. I've got many more guns worth much more, but this is the one I will never ever let go.

Perfect condition? That's an awesome deal. Pics!

 

[brnmuenchow]

Actually it was a GSG-522 that I got for $350 NIB. Ordinarily I would not think that was a steal, however everywhere else I have seen them NIB they have been around $500-$650. So I would say it was a good deal.

 

[speedway]

Sauer 38H at a gun shop for $75. Nazi marked in nice condition. He didn't know what it was.

 

[valnar]

Dan Wesson PM7-S (1911) that I bought new in 2003 for $550. They go for over $1100 now - less than 10 years later!

I should have bought a dozen of them.

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

Used Glock G22 for $400 with a few upgrades... modified grip, extended slide release, etc. While not a "mind-blowing" deal, I've fired near 1,000 rounds through it and it's the only handgun I've ever had that's been absolutely perfect for that long. No finickiness, no ejection problems, no feeding problems, no mag problems, nothing, zero, nada. I like my others, but guess which I carry most of the time?