Craig, I don't mind to say how I came to bid as I did, to the extent that I understand it myself. I like good vintage Springfield sporters. I recognized the engraver and concluded his work offset the grain flow issue and then some. I could see the action was an NRA Sporter and that Griffin & Howe had installed their mount and altered the bolt handle to clear my favorite scope, and installed their sling swivels. The metal all looked to be in great condition. I could see that in spite of the stock blank, the stocker knew what he was doing and had to be one of the best from that era.I had made what I thought was my top bid in advance and only happened to log into the live auction as this item was coming up. When I saw it go one step above my earlier bid, and then pause, my finger hit the bid button once. I blame my finger, but don't regret it yet. If it doesn't arrive in one piece, it will be insured. I try to be hard-nosed and rational about bidding, but some pieces can threaten my objectivity. I still feel OK about this one. PS: On second thought, Felix played a role here too. I was struck with his advice about being 80, and acting as if you're already dead. I thought his choice to keep on doing what you enjoy as long as you can made good sense.
Last edited by rocky mtn bill; 06/03/20 09:54 AM.