Best deal you ever got on a used handgun

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aarondhgraham

New member
When a friend of mine had to liquidate her deceased Fathers guns,,,
She asked me if there were any that I wanted to own.

I knew what she had as I had helped her catalog/clean/price them.

There were four revolvers I was interested in:
Hawes (?) Western Marshall in .357 Magnum.
Dakota SAA clone in .357 Magnum.
Colt Trooper Mk-III in .357 Magnum.
S&W 36 Snubbie in .38 Special.

I told her of the guns I liked,,,
But also said that I didn't have much disposable money at the time.

All I could afford to spend was $500.00 cash.

So I picked the Model 36 and the Dakota and asked if that would be enough,,,
The next day she delivered all four revolvers to me and said the $500 was enough.

Basically $125.00 per gun.

Later she sold me a Rossi 911 in .22 LR for another $125.00.

I almost felt that I had ripped her off badly,,,
But then again we had both determined higher market values form the Blue Book.

She was satisfied and I was ecstatic.

Aarond

.
 
J

Jcon72

New member
These are fun conversations, but to be completely fair there are several factors involved; it of course depends on when the gun was purchased, for what price, and how that price compared to the gun's worth at that time compared to today's market.
So here are a few;
S&W 48-0 in poor condition cosmetically but mechanically excellent, $100 in 2018. IMO this was an awesome price even though it would be considered just a backyard shooter rather than a show piece.
S&W 14-3 in excellent condition with holster and some handloads (yeah, I know, handloads from a stranger...), $140 back in early 2000's. Yes it was a really good deal even then, but to be honest back then you could probably pick that model up pretty commonly in the $200-250 range. The same deal today would be like finding one for $400-500.
S&W 19-3 in excellent condition for $180 back in 1990-91. Again it was a good deal but not like a $180 deal in 2021 would be; more like finding the same gun for $500-550 now.
JM Marlin 1894 .44 Mag with XS Scout Rail and Leupold 4x IER scope, $500 in 2019. Now that was a great deal, at least in our geographic area!
It's all relevant to the era and value of the dollar.
 
H

hub1home

New member
I bought a S&W Model 57, .41 Magnum, Nickel Plated in S&W wood box, 4" barrel at a gun show for $350! The fellow wasn't a dealer but someone with a friend. The gun was like new.
 
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Jcon72

New member
Oh yes, I about forgot these:
1 year ago I was at a local auction where guns normally sold for sky-high prices due to Internet bids. For some reason this day they were selling for really affordable prices and I deeply regretted not having about $5K on hand just for "investing". Most of the handguns sold early, and as the sale wound down and many people had already left there was just one revolver still for sale among the remaining long-guns; a beautifully refinished (sadly) but numbers-matching S&W 1937 Brazilian (with ugly synthetic Altamonts) that I really hadn't seriously considered earlier. It came up for sale and the auctioneer announced there was an opening bid of $275. Silence; nobody moved. Well, there was NO WAY someone else was gonna walk away with that gun for $275 so I bid--and won-- at $300. A few months ago I found a set of original grips and an original lanyard ring for it and it's back the way it should be.
Then there's the 6-inch S&W model 27-2 in original presentation case with paperwork, etc, along with a Tex Shoemaker gun belt and Bianchi drop holster, and a still-loaded speedloader that showed up at my local gun shop in 97% condition for $750 shortly before Christmas a few years ago. The guys at the shop said they told the seller it was worth more but he told them that's all he wanted for it. Thank God for the layaway option!
 
J

Jcon72

New member
hub1home said:
I bought a S&W Model 57, .41 Magnum, Nickel Plated in S&W wood box, 4" barrel at a gun show for $350! The fellow wasn't a dealer but someone with a friend. The gun was like new.
Click to expand...

One of my very favorite models! For years I searched for a 57 in my price range then found 2 on GunBroker about 20 months ago within 3 weeks of each other; blue and nickel 6-inchers.
Just a few days ago I found a really good deal on a 657-2 and should be receiving it next week. That one will likely be taken to the deer woods but the others stay in out of the weather.
 
B

Bob Willman

New member
I don't know this was the best deal, but it was interesting. Somewhere in the 1965-66 time frame a friend from the 1950s who lived in Kansas visited me in Ohio. He asked if I would be interested in 38 revolver that his friend in Kansas had. He had no idea what it was, but I said that I would like to see it next time he came back to Ohio.
He went back to Kansas and I forgot about the revolver. Some weeks later I went to the mail box to get the mail and inside was this shoe box tied up with string, which was coming apart, and newspaper inside. In the box was a holstered British Enfield revolver in 38 S&W, double action only - no hammer spur, and a note that he wanted $25.00 for it.
I still have it. Lucky to hit a bushel basket at 50 feet.
 
M

Mike38

New member
I found a new Ruger MkII in a pawn shop in Wisconsin. Still had the inspection sticker on the frame. Said never shot, and looked that way. Came from an estate sale. I guess it would be considered used, even though never fired? I paid $250 for it. This was about 3 years ago, and used ones were going for more than that. I also got a used Taurus model 83 in .38spcl that needed some serious cleaning. Paid $190 for it. It cleaned up real well. It is surprisingly accurate.
 
F

franco45

New member
A friend of mine quit shooting CAS about 10 years ago. Just a few weeks ago he sold me his cowboy action guns. I got a Winchester 94 in 357 magnum and a set of consecutive serial number birdshead Old Vaqueros also in 357. He threw in a S&W 640 all for $1200.
 
9

9mmSkeeter

New member
M&P45 duty size police trade-in for $200. Well worn from hip draw but seemed solid. I didn’t say anything about the price because I didn’t want them to see the error of their ways. Was nice, barked like a dog though. Recoil mitigation was not its specialty. Had a squishy trigger too. I sold it a couple years later for $375.

Wish I could say it was a home run for me. Can’t lie because it wasn’t. It got me introduced to the caliber though.
 
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G

gwpercle

New member
I traded a Ruger MK I Target w/ 6 7/8 " bbl. in 22 LR for a S&W model 58 N-frame 41 Magnum . My brother thought the 41 magnum was a bit much for shooting snakes and felt the 22 LR Ruger would be much better ... I heartly agreed with him !

Best deal I ever made !
Gary
 
S

Skans

Active member
Good Handgun Deals That I Can Remember (past 10 years) -

CZ 75B Glossy Blue - $400
1957 Colt Python - $900
1974 Colt Gold Cup (never fired) $800
Dan Wesson Model 11 357 (3-digit SN) really early one, beautiful condition $400.

Now, for guns I think I over paid......
Colt Mustang 44th one ever produced - never fired with real ivory grips - $900.
Desert Eagle 44 XIX $600 (15 years ago)
Carbon-15 Pistol - $450 (15 years ago)
 
U

Ukrainitz

New member
lefteye said:
Gee - my dad got a couple of Ariska rifles real cheap but neither one was a handgun!? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Lol lefteye!!! I do have another story. My soon-to-be ex-wife forgot her Mark II at my house. She told me to keep it (free) and then proceeded to call me a bunch of bad names. The Arisaka story had a happier ending. I will do better to stay on point. :)
 
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bill460

New member
This like new Browning Medalist for $300.00. One of the very few used firearms I ever bought.

Frp1Ut8.jpg
 
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