So I placed two bids yesterday, both towards the high end of the estimate. I was outbid by several fold on both, the Gibbs surprised me as the condition looked rough and you see nicer guns with sights sometimes for similar money.

3,000 gbp plus commission

https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...+++797+&refno=++178390&saletype=

2,700 gbp plus commission


https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...322++++512+&refno=172014&image=1

inflation seems to have hit the gun market too!

It has hit the oak and leather gun case market as well. Out of eight cases I was bidding on all but three went for well above estimate. Those three might have been described as fixer uppers with charm and character. Or worn out, beat up junk. Will see if I fare better in the five guns I’ve left bids on. Not optimistic but you’ve got to bid to have a chance to win. Good luck to all.

Some items are going way above the high estimates. It would be interesting to know if the high bidders are UK or foreign bidders.

Ken

I bid twice the high estimate on one gun and lost by a thousand pounds, next item I bid 2500 pounds and it went for 3000. Both guns were desirable but needed more than a little tidying up as they say. So either I have good taste, debatable, or interesting stuff still brings bidders out. Pity I would have loved to own that skeleton action. Got beat out for a 16 a few years ago when it went from a high estimation of 3,000 to 20,000 pounds. I dropped out at 14,000.

I thought the estimate range on the MacNaughton was a bit on the low side. Apparently so did those bidding on it.

I have thought for years a few of the estimation are low for a reason. Bids way over estimate can generate auction excitement. But when a gun goes for six times the estimate that is a gun in high demand not one worth a bit more than expected. I’d love to know how many winning bids are on the internet which is world wide.

I was 0-2. The good items were definitely expensive. That 20 bore sidelock was a beauty...and went for 4900 sterling. I think that includes the juice, but it was more than I bid. Check out the video if you have the time.

I bid on two rook rifles and one case. Lost out on all 3.

The rook I was most interested in was the Woodward 297/250. Estimate was 700-900. I bid 1300. Went for 1400. https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...+++749+&refno=++178969&saletype=

My second choice rook was the Army Navy CSL that went for 3,000. Crazy.

The case I bid on was nice, and compared to what you can get here in the US for the same money, it went for a fair price. But way over the estimate.

4900 was hammer price. Then buyers premium and VAT brought the total up to 6320 which is $8338.58. Then import cost and taxes to bring in to the country will be another thousand or near enough. I think the VAT drops off on exports but that VAT might just be for the buyer premium which does not. Point is that 2-3000 estimate price will be just about $9,000.00 by the time you get it into your hands. Nice gun, but priced out of my interest range.

Picked up a pair of Trulock Brother 12 bore SLE’s one of which is shootable and worth restoring. The other below minus wall thickness so not much use without serious further investment.

They are my first Irish sourced guns, though they may have come in part or whole through Birmingham.

Now the long wait for import, I am still waiting on a Boss from last June.

Everything else I looked at went way above my budget.

While I noted other lots I looked at went above the estimated price, I did see some good deals were to be had on a couple of German double rifles.

My client snagged two of those German double rifles, they were good buys.


Your wait on the Boss will not be much longer, this shipment is in Denver now just waiting to clear Customs.

My September shipment should arrive in Louisville this week. That's a long enough wait.

I have stuff from last June through this Feb in this shipment. It just depends upon how the export permits fell in place. We had some issues during the Covid lock downs in the UK but most of those seem to be resolved now. My previous shipment was in August due to several factors, my own travel and the holidays first and fore most. Form 6 approval has been lighting fast lately, except when it is not.

Are you using the electronic filing? I tried it last time in January, but they were still having issues with it.

Eforms has been working fine. It appears the ATF has some new employees and they are not exactly fast in processing applications. On the other hand, I have several approved recently in under four hours.

It is nice to see that SKB Stevie's continuous free advertising of his/her gun importation business is paying off once again with the importation of three more guns right here:



Then there is also this transaction too, which was mentioned yesterday in the Gunsmithing forum:


I'd assume that Dave will be getting paid $48.00 for the business of importing these four guns, at $12.00 apiece, since it is the result of free advertising done right here on his forum. I wonder how many other sales result from this continuous free advertising, and if Dave is getting paid??? Of course, it could be claimed that these sales occurred on another forum...

Keith I think you need to start importing guns for people I think it's a good fit for you, you have a lot of free time and you seem very caring worring about what everyone else is doing ,if people are getting paid, if the work is up to your standards if we are using the proper finish. you could be an ombudsmen .

Having imported several "antique" guns lately I can tell you that it is no picnic and post 1898 guns are more involved. Those doing it, are not getting rich and I have better things to do with my time. Finding those who can do it for me has helped. I miss the days when I could bid on a pre 1898 gun and have it shipped direct to my door, by mail, for $55.00. Now it takes time and effort with about the ten time the cost. It wont be long before most of my modest priced guns will be too expensive to import at all. If a gun cost $500 to buy and $500 to import then it better be worth a bit more than $1,000 when it gets here because if it needs much work it could become a money pit in no time. And money pits I have enough of all ready.

So, you have imported several antique guns lately. Did you use the firearms importing services continually advertised here by SKB Stevie for all of those other guns too? I'd assume you did, since you have mentioned using his/her service multiple times in the past. Numerous other guys have mentioned having guns imported by SKB Stevie too.

And SKB Stevie has told us that he/she typically imports multiple guns at a time. At $500.00 a pop for importing a gun, it must be profitable, even if the paperwork and effort is more involved than it was years ago before Liberal Left lawmakers in Great Britain targeted gun buyers and sellers. So every one of those $500.00 importation jobs that resulted from the free advertising done on Dave's forum should have resulted in the usual $12.00 fee.

$12.00 out of $500.00 is a measly 2.4%. Are you saying that Dave Weber deserves to repeatedly get stiffed on these import job sales, while other honorable guys pay the freight when they sell guns, scopes, sights, books, stock blanks, Double Gun Journals, bore gauges, etc., as a result of advertising here???


And mc, you regularly make a point of dumping on Ed Good's For Sale ads here, even though Ed reminds guys who may buy a gun from him that is listed on Guns International that they saw it advertised here, so he can pay Dave the $12.00 fee. Yet you think your pal SKB Stevie should skate free on all of these import sales (and gunsmithing jobs too!). I'd be interested in hearing how you justify that.

billie, you underestimate things. I imported way, way more than 4 guns for board members this shipment, by several fold.

On a positive note, upon further inspection, both of the Trulock guns are very shootable with only a small area in a low pressure area measuring below the recommended minimum wall thickness. Some deals are still coming out of Holt's for a careful shopper.

Location, location, location. Where the thin area is, is just as important as being thin. If near the muzzle, it is less worrisome than if middle or towards the breech. Few would worry about shooting a gun with ten holes drilled in it at the muzzle and calling it ported. Few would like shooting a gun with even just a single, same size hole, drilled a few inches from his fingers. Location makes all the difference.

The Turlock guns were worth taking a flier on, at the right price. It did occur to me that most of these thin barreled guns will never get honed thinner once imported. That’s just a gunsmith practice that is not often done in the US. So if thin barrels are shootable they are unlikely to become unsafe due to routine maintenance. Keep pressures low and enjoy years of use. Just when you pass that gun on to others educate them about what ammo they should use. In someways being short chambered, 2 1/2”, alerts most people that this gun is different and hopefully they use safe ammo.

To quote Mike Orlen after I asked him about pits near the muzzle: "By the time pressure gets to muzzle end, the barrel could be made out of a garden hose." Gil