What did you buy yourself today - PART 1

[Cville]

You won't know if the bolt is assembled incorrectly just by cocking it. You actually have to examine it. The video shows correct and incorrect assembly.

[MT1]

I found an advertisement for an auction this past Saturday where some of the firearm descriptions were not accurate. I've had some luck in these situations in the past where no one bids on guns because they don't know enough to feel comfortable buying. In this case it was an 1891 Carcano Calvary Carbine and the auction service listed the description as "missing clip". I figured they didn't know the cut out was to allow enbloc mags to drop free. In total there were 15 long guns and every single one of them were cruddy. It was obvious that the previous owner didn't know there was a wonderful invention a few hundred years ago called a cleaning rod. The Carcano had the typical sewer pipe of a bore from use of corrosive ammo. I decided to pass on the Carcano but hung around to see what bidding looked like. I'm glad I stuck around because most of the .22s went for $25 to $30 each.

Once I realized only two others were bidding on the rifles and neither were willing to go over $30 it was game on. The take for the day ended up being a Springfield 52A .22, a Ranger Model 36 .22, the Carcano, and a JC Higgins Model 20 12 gauge pump with a Cutts Compensator. Even after the local gun shop charged $10/gun for the transfers I was barely over $150 total. In hind site I should have bid on every rifle they had but I wanted to stick to the cash I had on hand.

The .22 bores cleaned up very well. The Springfield was spray painted at one point so what I thought was dried grease ran off in a puddle after hitting it with degreaser. This one has very little finish remaining so it may become a DIY reblue project some day or I may just repaint it myself with one of the newer heat/chem resistant paints. The shotgun cleaned up well with the exception of most of the finish missing from the lower end of the stock. That's nothing a little linseed oil can't fix. The Carcano wood is in near perfect condition, the bayonet was previously removed, and after 30 minutes of a brass brush the rifling is actually pretty crisp despite being dark.

Aside from the guns the entire estate was pretty much junk. There were a lot of old rusty tools, beat up shelving, etc... that the auctioneer couldn't even get anyone to bid $1. This was one case where the auction service would have been better off not including photos on their website because it probably turned a lot of folks off.

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[Thompson]

I found an advertisement for an auction this past Saturday where some of the firearm descriptions were not accurate. I've had some luck in these situations in the past where no one bids on guns because they don't know enough to feel comfortable buying. In this case it was an 1891 Carcano Calvary Carbine and the auction service listed the description as "missing clip". I figured they didn't know the cut out was to allow enbloc mags to drop free. In total there were 15 long guns and every single one of them were cruddy. It was obvious that the previous owner didn't know there was a wonderful invention a few hundred years ago called a cleaning rod. The Carcano had the typical sewer pipe of a bore from use of corrosive ammo. I decided to pass on the Carcano but hung around to see what bidding looked like. I'm glad I stuck around because most of the .22s went for $25 to $30 each.

Once I realized only two others were bidding on the rifles and neither were willing to go over $30 it was game on. The take for the day ended up being a Springfield 52A .22, a Ranger Model 36 .22, the Carcano, and a JC Higgins Model 20 12 gauge pump with a Cutts Compensator. Even after the local gun shop charged $10/gun for the transfers I was barely over $150 total. In hind site I should have bid on every rifle they had but I wanted to stick to the cash I had on hand.

The .22 bores cleaned up very well. The Springfield was spray painted at one point so what I thought was dried grease ran off in a puddle after hitting it with degreaser. This one has very little finish remaining so it may become a DIY reblue project some day or I may just repaint it myself with one of the newer heat/chem resistant paints. The shotgun cleaned up well with the exception of most of the finish missing from the lower end of the stock. That's nothing a little linseed oil can't fix. The Carcano wood is in near perfect condition, the bayonet was previously removed, and after 30 minutes of a brass brush the rifling is actually pretty crisp despite being dark.

Aside from the guns the entire estate was pretty much junk. There were a lot of old rusty tools, beat up shelving, etc... that the auctioneer couldn't even get anyone to bid $1. This was one case where the auction service would have been better off not including photos on their website because it probably turned a lot of folks off.

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Curious - what are some regular auctions in the Harrisburg/Lancaster area. I've always wanted to go to one partially to see them, and like you, hopefully find some good deals.

[raxar]

Curious - what are some regular auctions in the Harrisburg/Lancaster area. I've always wanted to go to one partially to see them, and like you, hopefully find some good deals.

There is one at horst's in Ephrata this weekend, but expect to pay more than you would at a gunshop.

[gghbi]

Curious - what are some regular auctions in the Harrisburg/Lancaster area. I've always wanted to go to one partially to see them, and like you, hopefully find some good deals.

There is one at horst's in Ephrata this weekend, but expect to pay more than you would at a gunshop.

Some more on Horst: Auction is Saturday 10/22, preview to go see them on Friday from 1300-1700. They have descriptions and pictures on their web site: http://www.horstauction.com/
If you look at the old auctions you can see what the final price was. They also do not charge a buyers fee so that makes them a lot better than most.

If you just want to see some guns you probably cannot afford,Morphy Auction currently has on display their guns for the November 5 & 6 auction. This is a Pennsylvania Long Rifle auction and they have some really nice ones. Just up the road from Horst.

[MJH]

Some more on Horst: Auction is Saturday 10/22, preview to go see them on Friday from 1300-1700. They have descriptions and pictures on their web site: http://www.horstauction.com/
If you look at the old auctions you can see what the final price was. They also do not charge a buyers fee so that makes them a lot better than most.

If you just want to see some guns you probably cannot afford,Morphy Auction currently has on display their guns for the November 5 & 6 auction. This is a Pennsylvania Long Rifle auction and they have some really nice ones. Just up the road from Horst.

The owner, or one of the owner's of Morphy's, is also PAFOA member. The staff at that place looks like they took one REALLY hot, incredibly tall, blonde...and cloned her about 8-10 times. Whoever does their hiring has GREAT taste.
Oh, wait...this was supposed to be about guns, sorry.

[MT1]

Yes, Raxar is correct. Most of the auctions I attend result in prices being run up beyond retail value. I have seen beat up 30-30s that are not pre 64 Winchesters go for $600 when they'd be ticked at $300 in a shop. Last week I watched two guys run a S&W M&P Sport carbine up to $975. The same model can be had new for $600 on sale. I've had my best luck with auctions in the most rural areas when the weather is complete shit. The more it rains, the better.

The auction houses usually have a pretty good following but the mood of the buyers is still hit or miss. Three years ago I went to Haar's in Dillsburg for a gun auction where the .22s were selling for under $40 and a pair of Brit .303s went for $50 a piece. I returned to the same sale a year later and a van load of Amish guys walked out with everything after running the prices up over 50% of what they should have been. Sorry, I'm not paying $200 for a H&R Pardner single shot 12 gauge.

Look online to find sales in your area through sites such as www.nationalauctionlist.com

[MT1]

Some more on Horst: Auction is Saturday 10/22, preview to go see them on Friday from 1300-1700. They have descriptions and pictures on their web site: http://www.horstauction.com/
If you look at the old auctions you can see what the final price was. They also do not charge a buyers fee so that makes them a lot better than most.

If you just want to see some guns you probably cannot afford,Morphy Auction currently has on display their guns for the November 5 & 6 auction. This is a Pennsylvania Long Rifle auction and they have some really nice ones. Just up the road from Horst.

Another factor to consider is the cost the local gun shop charges for the transfer. Many of the auction houses have an FFL license but others will work through a specific shop. I almost went to another auction yesterday until I noticed the flyer listed the LGS transfer fee as $32.50/gun. The guns listed weren't worth adding another $30+ even if they went cheap.

[alpacaheat]

You have me thinking about a new side business, restoring and re-selling auction rifles.


Great scores on those pieces.

[unclejumbo]

You have me thinking about a new side business, restoring and re-selling auction rifles.


Great scores on those pieces.

I've thought many times a person could get rich buying on Gunbroker and classified sites and then selling at auction.