doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Your gun that got away

Mine was a mint Thomas Shelhamer Mod70 .270 Winchester that I passed at $2200. It was perfect! My friends got really tired of me talking about the one I should have bought.

28 ga.
I'm sure your good hunting friend would have approved of your decision. Sometimes they are difficult to make.
Karl

About 1996 I had a chance to buy a Purdey 20 bore double HR in the original case for $8500. It maybe the only one ever made. I couldn't bring myself to pay the price. A few years later I watched it sell foe $20K plus at auction.

Four years ago last June, for about a week, I had in my hands a Fox 20 ga. XE in original condition. I had posted photos in a thread back then. The gun was owned by the now 105 year old friend of my wife. The owner lived by herself on a remote barrier island on our coast until she was in her 100s. It was her father's gun. She kept the gun loaded behind her bedroom closet door and her family was concerned about her shooting someone who didn't need shooting. The family, no longer hunters, had tried to sell the gun locally but was told the gun was unsafe to shoot and a local gunshop offered $750 for it. They wisely declined. I knew the gun was worth a lot more, but the value was up in the air. Not many 20 ga. XE�s had been on the market recently. I knew better than to try to buy it as I was in a �no win� situation had I done so. The son took my advice and had Jim Kelly check it and obtained a Callahan letter (glowing letter as the son lived near him and he had a hands on with the gun). The son had it professionally photographed and I wrote the copy for the Gunbroker ad. The gun was started at a penny with no reserve. The auction was dog eat puppy and the hammer fell at $24,001.00.

A minty Fox AE 20 gauge with 32 inch barrels for $1,000. It was a long enough time ago that $1,000 was a lot of money to me and I was just getting into side by sides. I thought I could go home and do a little research. I can remember at the time thinking who the heck wants to rabbit hunt with barrels that long? I went back the next day with my hunter hat left at home and my budding collector hat on but it was gone.

Ouch! I can understand that one leaving a mark.

SRH

GLS, that's a nice example of what sportsmen do for others. I recently supported a friend who helped a widow with her gun sales from her deceased husband's collection. It feels good to help others in need. We also made a pact to help each other's family if that situation arises for us.

A Beretta SO3EELL that I passed on and another member here purchased. I'm not sure I've forgiven him. Or ever will. Or me for being so stupid.

Good story. No big deal, put it in the win column.

Two spring to mind, I misunderstood a guy over a deal involving a cheap Spanish non ejector I wanted to get rid of, he talked about a deal with an English double he had, it turned out (too late sadly) he meant he wanted a straight swap, it was a Field coil spring sidelock similar to the one B.Graham on this site has. It was in good shape but I thought he meant the Spanish gun and my cash for it, so turned him down. He sold the gun on for peanuts and gave me �50 for the Spanish boxlock. Doh !
The other was a grubby but beautiful 20 bore Harper single barrel hammergun. It was at a local auction with a starting price of �60 (iirc) I decided I'd go up to 150 but there was a last minute bidding frenzy . Commission aside, I'll bet the seller was happy that day.