The One You Didn't Buy

grry10

Handloader
Dec 7, 2007
464
326
I think we've all seen a rifle on a shelf and kick ourselves for not pulling the trigger and buying it. Mine was an early Ruger 77 in 6.5X55 (excellent condition, tang safety, red butt pad). Since that day I've been to many gun shows and in hundreds of gun shops and have not run across another. I would like to hear about those you missed out on.
 
Wasn't one I didn't buy; it was one I sold to buy another. Still kick myself. It was a Browning Eurobolt in 7mm RM which delivered excellent accuracy. It was exceptionally handsome with some beautiful wood. It just looked sexy. However, I just had to have a new Winchester Featherweight chambered in 300 WSM. I don't regret the Winchester, though I later sold it and bought another in 2008 when the first FN manufactured Featherweights came out. I still love my Winchesters and the 300 WSM is a great cartridge. I just miss the Eurobolt. Worse still is that I've never found another that was a lovely as that first rifle. The LOP was terrible for me, but it did deliver the goods.
 
It was only a few months ago, but some guy was selling a barely used lefty 7mm WSM X-Bolt (and lots of ammo) that I didn't buy because I was picky with the twist rate. It was a really good deal.
Another was a Ruger 77 lefty in 300 RCM that came with hundreds of rounds of ammo for cheap. I don't know why I didn't buy that one.
 
Too many to list. Ha. There's always a standout hard to get rifle that would be great to own that you have to let go for one reason or another. Can't buy them all. But there's always another good one around the corner if you have patience.

But a Pre-64 M70 in a 35 Remington kinda sticks with me. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Only one I ever seen and have not seen one since and that includes online.
 
A used Winchester Low Wall rechambered to 221 Fireball. Held off as they did not know the barrel twist. It sold the same day.
 
Don't get me started....
Remington 700 Classic 375 H&H
Remington 700 AWR 375 H&H
Remington 700 LSS 257 Weatherby

JD338
 
A Ruger RSI in 250-3000 Savage with a mounted K-4 Weaver w/ a 2 minute dot. It was literally stacked in a corner in a gun shop 30 years ago. I talked the guy behind the counter down to $200.00 but only had $20 for diapers in my pocket. I went home and moped about it for 24 hours 'til my wife got tired of me moping around about it. Of course when I got back to the shop it was gone. ... still makes me shake my head. What an idiot. I sold a High Standard "sport king" .22. when I needed $100 once. I "returned" a Marlin model 99c cause I thought "I didint need it". I'm gonna stop now,,, this thread just shows off how dumb I can be... Also, I keep reading this thread and remembering other ones I dont have anymore. There was a 7mm-08 that shot 1/2 MOA with winchester factory silver box. A browning 25-06....
 
Nothing special just a plastic stock weatherby vanguard in 257 wby, looked at it went in 3 days later to get it for the wardens birthday and it was gone. So second place was the exact same gun in 30-06. She will never know the difference and won’t care either. Same gun she shot her sheep with this year. Doubt the animal would have known the difference in calibers at 180 yards.
 
Don’t get me started.

My biggest regret was not one I passed on but one I sold. It wasn’t a rifle but rather a S&W 686-1 with a 4” barrel.

It had been reworked my Andy Cannon and was called the Street L. Sweetest revolver trigger I’ve ever fired until I got my model 58.

As for rifles there are too many to list until I got my Winchester Model 70 in .338 Win Mag. It was my first left handed bolt rifle and after getting it I refuse to own any right handed bolt rifles. Can’t believe it took me thirty plus years to come around to a left handed bolt.

Vince
 
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As for rifles there are too many to list until I got my Winchester Model 70 in .338 Win Mag. It was my first left handed bolt rifle and after getting it I refuse to own any right handed bolt rifle. Can’t believe it took my thirty plus years to come around to a left handed bolt.
Yeah, whenever you get something that fits being a lefty, you just can't go back. I'm the same way, no matter how badly I'd love a Nosler M21
 
I'm a lefty too but switch to right-hand shooting years ago. I wanted a bolt action and couldn't afford the custom lefties that were out there. In those days there were no commercial left-handed actions.
 
Was gun shopping in Reno Nevada one day with my hunting and shooting buddy and saw an S&W M28 that had been nicely converted to .44 Spl. I hesitated for a second and my buddy snatched it up. I loaded the ammo for it using Skeeter Skelton's pet load and have been kicking myself ever since. Things work out in the long run as years later I found and jumped on an S&W 624. Shoots just as good as the converted one and its mine, all mine.
Paul B.
 
Remington classic 6.5x55
Winchester m52
Browning low wall traditional in .357 magnum

In handguns:
Ruger Bisley single six 32 H&R mag
Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum 3 screw with no cylinder latch ring.
S&W limited run 41 mag non-fluted cylinder to match my 44 mag.
Colt Python chambered in 38 special not 357 mag. (Only one I’ve ever seen)
 
So many. Mostly from my youth when I either didn't have the money or didn't really know what I was looking at.
No. 5 MK 1 Jungle Carbine - gun show for $150 (many, many years ago)
Beretta O&U 20 Gauge - LGS for $1200
FN in .223 Rem - gun show for $550 (many, many years ago)

Of all of them, I regret the Enfield the most. Think I would jump at a chance for one - assuming I could afford it these days.
 
As another had stated more of sold than bought. 629 8 3/8 44mag I bought new at just over $400. Now new is 3-4 times the price and probably not the quality.
 
Don’t get me started.

My biggest regret was not one I passed on but one I sold. It wasn’t a rifle but rather a S&W 686-1 with a 4” barrel.

It had been reworked my Andy Cannon and was called the Street L. Sweetest revolver trigger I’ve ever fired until I got my model 58.

As for rifles there are too many to list until I got my Winchester Model 70 in .338 Win Mag. It was my first left handed bolt rifle and after getting it I refuse to own any right handed bolt rifles. Can’t believe it took me thirty plus years to come around to a left handed bolt.

Vince
yep, I no longer own any right hand bolt guns,If I want a rifle in a certain chambering I have it built! had a ruger mini 30 rebarreled to 6mm PPC, and put a LH thumbhole stock on it, other than 2 shotguns, and another rebarreled mini 14, my rifles are either LH bolts, a savage 99, or ruger #1's. with more than a handfull of AR's in the mix.
 
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