I've seen several P-51 Mustangs on display at Oshkosh, which had rows of swastikas painted on the sides, typically just underneath the canopy on the left side. I asked the owner of one if his particular warbird had actually fought in WW-II and if those were real kills. He said yes those represented actual Nazi planes destroyed by this P-51. He was unsure if all the German pilots shot down by this plane died or not, and that some undoubtedly must have parachuted and lived, but still that's some rich history there. And it's amazing to think that these planes are still flying today. If I could win the Mega Lotto and afford to buy one of those last remaining Mustangs, I'd have no problems at all flying it, knowing full well that it it had been used to shoot down and kill other pilots.
Would You Buy A Gun With Notches?
- Thread starter Claude Clay
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Gottahaveone
Member
And how did you determine that these represent murders? Maybe a previous owner was a deputy or had the bad luck of being involved in more than one self defense shooting. Now, if you could prove that he had shot a buggy full on Nun's, that would be another thing entirely.
BHP FAN
Member
Maybe they represented mountain lions.1895 was pretty much after the Wild West anyhow.
deadin
Member
I wouldn't pay anything extra. In fact, I would want a discount because the grips would need replacing.
BTW, if anybody here would pay extra, I've got a knife and would be willing to carve up a few stocks.
BTW, if anybody here would pay extra, I've got a knife and would be willing to carve up a few stocks.
Carl N. Brown
Member
Cowboy guns were frequently used as tools, including using the butt as hammer to repair wire fences. I suspect that a lot of notched pistol butts were such incidental wear-and-tear and when asked by eastern dime novelists, the cowboys funned them with tall tales. Extant guns of known killer gunfighters seldomn show notches.
Joe Demko
Member
...and maybe the previous owner was Roland of Gilead himself. I didn't say the gun in question was used for murder. I was making the point that I, personally, don't find guns used in killings (especially murders) to be more desirable than those that were not. YMMV.
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Kind of Blued
Member
At least you know it works, or did at one point.
planetmobius
Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2007
- Messages
- 389
What unknown number of people have fallen to all of the military surplus arms we have?
I had 7 notches in a bow for the deer I had killed with it...sold it...man, I sure hope the guy that bought it didn't think those notches were people!....If the gun has notches, ask the guy for a discount for the scratches...you would on a car right?
gimlet1/21
Member
Interesting conversation piece, don't pass it up.
if it works fine, then I'd say get it, unless you see another one that is in better condition. Personally, I will not pay more for the "character". But, if a gun has character, then I'll take it so long as I'm not paying extra for it. The character is all to the imagination anyway; my Mosin has some marking that can be possibly construed as light shrapnel scratches, but I don't go assuming that some poor bastard got hit by a grenade. Those notches could be anything. But, if you think that it was used to kill someone, then all that really matters is whether or not that would bother you. You weren't around to know the person wielding it or that person's intended group of five or so victims, so why would it impress onto you?
ReadyRob
Member
For all anyone knows the notches were done X years ago by someone thinking it would sell easier' If you want it, get it.
CoRoMo
Member
Yes, that is a safe number, but if it had more than eight, not only no, but...
Geez, what the heck.
bikerdoc
Moderator In Memoriam
guns are tools, most stories are baloney. buy it if you want it and ignore the hype.
inclinebench
Member
A good friend was recently given a .38 that belonged to a great uncle who had been a sheriff in a rough part of West Virginia. The grip had three very distinctive notches that his father assured him represented men shot by the sheriff while working up in the hills. It is a great conversation piece, and an interesting little bit of history.
John Wayne
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,133
Maybe on some guns. Not on a Nagant revolver though, as cheap as they are I would rather have one in excellent condition.
If I knew it was Jeffrey Dahmer's... no. If I saw the stock pot and butcher knife randomly and thought that it had character.. yes. It's done with old furniture all the time. If the OP knew the original owner and knew for sure that those were kills and they were kills of innocent people, I might say "NO, I would not buy it". Otherwise, they are just conversation marks that add or subtract from the value of the gun. They might be bear kills or kills of outlaws in the old west. Who knows? Why ascribe the worst possible circumstance with absolutely no indication of what really happened?
mcdonl
Member
I would be shocked if my Mosin from 1894 has not killed a man.
Dogbite
Member
Sure I would by it. I wouldn't let that bother me one bit. The gun didn't shoot those people, some person did. I don't believe in Karma, or Juju. Some would use a knife to cut a car accident victim from the binds of a seat belt. Some would use it to knife an old lady. Its the magician, not the wand. If you don't like it, change the grips and have a great day at the range!
SquirrelNuts
Member
Sure.
Guns don't kill people. People kill people.
Guns don't kill people. People kill people.
jcwit
member
I'll have to answer this with a question. Tell me why not.
Also if it had notches one would assume it was capable of doing its job.
Also if it had notches one would assume it was capable of doing its job.
CoRoMo
Member
I MIGHT not buy a gun BECAUSE it has notches, but nevertheless, they wouldn't make a difference if it was a gun that I wanted to begin with.
If I saw a gun that I wasn't particularly interested in, but it had seven notches, well... then... I guess I might like to have it more than before I saw those notches.
If I saw a gun that I wasn't particularly interested in, but it had seven notches, well... then... I guess I might like to have it more than before I saw those notches.
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