My best gun buy was a transferable WW2 Grease gun M3 for 10K. The owner was an old guy (Larry) that carried one in Korea when he was a tanker. I told him the gun was worth way more than that but he just wanted 10K so I jumped on it. Unfortunately he died while we were in the process of getting the class three paperwork finalized. Thank god his daughter finished the deal with me and I got the gun now. What a blast to shoot. I appreciate the deal Larry gave me Rest In Peace brotha.
My cousin bought an SVT-40 at a garage sale for $75.00! The guy selling it thought it was a sks. My regret at the gun show was a MAS-36 pre-war. Guy was asking $150.00.. wish I gotten it
I inherited a sportirized Springfield 1898 30/40 Krag after my dad passed away in 2006. Not sure how he got it. I use it to hunt deer with. Ammo is pricy, but I reload for it also
The gun shows in my area are a joke. A bunch of older guys blabbling about Fox news. I even over heard a group talking about how they wish the Government would hurry up and just ban AR's so they would leave all the other guns alone! I live in a very gun friendly state but when I hear crap like that. I don't need to be anywhere near morons like that.
I think I had an aneurism when you said “Rasheed for $400”. But that’s the world of milsurps, you’ll never know everything about every one and some will get away..lol!
Whatever ended up NOT in your collection was not meant to be there. A gun collection is visceral, it’s a part of the curator, it has a life of its own that transcends monetary value. My guns are like my children. Value means nothing. The ones meant for you will speak to you and the spell they cast is inescapable, there will be no regrets because you will take them home. I do videos on all of these guns that have spoken to me, check them out. Love the channel. Keep up the good work. I’m available for online guest appearances.
2014. I bought a SPAS-12 at a gunshow in FL at a Shoot Straight table when I was 18. It was missing a c-clip for the stock and I was able to talk them down to $1,000. Wasn’t 21, didn’t have the CCW permit to take it home that day, so I had to wait 3 days. My dumbass, all giddy with my new purchase and wanting to know more, went looking up info on SPAS-12s. To me, at the time, it was just the Jurassic Park gun. I read that the receiver could crack when firing and explode. Immediately after reading that, I called them up, said I wanted to get my money back, and instead got store credit. I made a godly purchase, did half-ass research, and gave it up before I ever got it home. If I read up on the issue a little more, I would’ve found out that purchasing a $5 reproduction receiver buffer would’ve fixed the issue. 6 years later, it haunts me and SPAS-12s are worth *way* more than a thousand bucks. I blame it on myself and that B.S. 3 day waiting period that created enough time for me to be stupid. Come to think of it, I don’t know if you can even buy shotguns at 18 in FL anymore, which is worse than the 3 days.
one of the reasons that i went to gun shows was to buy used 30 round magazines. i would first look them over and if they were in good condition i would buy them. i wound up buying 21 of them over a couple of years. i was checking them over one year and i noticed they had old followers and some had weak springs. i bought 21 new stainless steel springs from brownells and new antitilt followers from magpul. i now consider them to be almost like new. i had saved a lot of money over the years.
Don’t have any regrets yet being 18 and only gunshowing ( buying) for six months. I did pick up a 1909 smle unmolested just missing some screws last weekend for 175.00!
Over the years I’ve always dreamed of owning a 1903 Springfield. Once I came to terms with the fact that the gun I wanted would probably be close to $1000 I started searching. In the meantime an opportunity to buy a M1917 Eddystone presented itself. The rifle was in great shape with a shiny bore decent rifling beautiful stock and a very nice finish. This was about 5 years ago. I think he wanted about $450-500. But my heart was set on that ‘03 so I passed it up. About three years ago I found my ‘03. The rifle is in excellent condition, refurbed in 1942, 820K serial number, original sling AND an original 16” bayonet. It may have been a (D)CMP weapon. It is exactly what I wanted. Though had I known it would be another two years before finding that ‘03 I could’ve certainly snapped up the M1917 as well. I haven’t seen one that nice since....also the prices (for all milsurps) have gone up considerably.
One thing I like to tell myself is hopefully - HOPEFULLY - a collector with the money is able to come along and see the deal I had to pass on and will take it home and put it in a nice collection, or take it to the range and shoot it if its a good shooter quality gun --> vs being grabbed up by a gun show flipper who will sell "Hitler's Personal Arisaka, used on both D-Day and Nagasaki" for $2000 or something stupid like that...
This was a good video, It brought up a memory of a gun I lose sleep over. When I was 19 me and my family where moving about 300 miles from where I grew up. On one trip back home I stopped into a gunshop and took a look at their used rifles. They had this Japanese Arisaka in the back rack like it had been siting there waiting for someone. I look at the tag and it says "Jap type 99? Sporter? $175" I almost blew my lid. It was actually a Jap Type 1 Paratrooper rifle. I had 20 bucks to my name but when I came back through town I would have about 1500 bucks. I told myself I was going to buy it and hold onto it for a while. Three days later when I came back, the rifle was gone. A few years later I stopped at the local Cabela's only to see a Type 1 for sale for over 3000 Bucks. I really do lose sleep over this one sometimes. That and the Two war P.08 Luger for 500 bucks that I couldn't buy when I was 18.
I saw a roached looking mauser on a table and immediately dismissed it as probably not fireable and went to the next gun, an M95/30 Steyr in great condition, which I bought for 250, turns out the Mauser was only $200, and it was an Obendorf made G98, all matching, completely original. It was in horrible shape, but my buddy got to the table as I paid for the Steyr, looked at it, recognized it, and immediately handed it to me to hold while he went to the bank to get money. He spent a few days cleaning it and it came out looking a lot better and shoots great. I'm glad he got it, but still angry I didn't.
I don't know. I have a MINT unfired, unissued Yugo fresh out of the cosmoline I've been trying to sell for $250 and it has been sitting for months now.
1st I found a really nice m1 carbine for $700, my broke college student ass couldn't come close to it at the time. 2nd I found these weird cardboard stripper clip looking things that a guy was asking $1 each or $7 for 10. I passed by having no idea what they were for. k31 chargers of course. luckily most deals I have found since, I have been able to capitalize on.
Probably about 3 months ago, I was at a show & some old dude had four steel AK mags on his table. Three of the mags were 30rd & the 4th was a 40rd RPK mag. I noticed that one of the 30rd mags was a chrome follower Polytech mag (market value of $75-100) and there others were all real clean & nice (worth about $20 each on the other 30's, and the 40rd mag was a Russian Molot RPK, so about $50), so since there wasn't a price on any of them I asked the dude how much they were. "$5 each for the 30's and $10 for the 40". So, of course I whipped out my wallet so fast, paid him, and went on my merry way quite happy with myself. So, about an hour later, I'm chewing the fat with a dude at another table, who was also selling a bunch of cool AK stuff at modern fair market value, and I mentioned my good deal to him. As soon as I move away from this second dudes table, turns out he went over to 1st dudes table and asked him if he had anything else (which I hadn't done since I had been so excited with my purchase). So, dude at the second table paid dude at the first table $400, and got himself a crate full of AK mags, including another chrome Polytech mag, a Molot RPK drum ($350-400), three Chinese Bakelite mags ($100~each), a Soviet slabside ($80~), a bunch of plum 5.45 mags ($40~50 each), two Norinco 5.56 steel mags ($100 each), plus atleast 20 more normal AK mags of various types, and he was happily sorting them & adding price tags when I passed back by his table & discovered this. I still am mad about that one.
I'm with you. I just bought my first first gun. I've been a long time "gun guy" in terms of support and belief in the right of citizens, however I've never actually bought one myself. So I finally bought an S/27 1937 K98k and it will show up on my birthday. When I asked some folks on forums about it they said it was "not a keeper". Well they may be right, but I'm new to this and there is so much to learn, that fakes and other things are just extremely difficult to spot. Either way, I'm excited but I recognize I'll make mistakes and it's a difficult thing to know enough in any given moment. Hindsight... Thanks for sharing!
If it's in any kind of decent shape I'd keep it if it's not all matching I wouldn't worry about it as long as it's not sporterized .Sporterized maybe 2-300.,but that could make a good hunting rifle .An all matching gun is about $800.++.
@@davidschaadt5929 It’s in amazing shape. It’s all period correct and not a Russian capture or sporterized. It still has visible waffenamts and original leather sling. Some parts aren’t correct for that exact gun from that factory though so it’s not part matching. I spend $1500 due to the condition and I wanted a 1937 erma. I paid too much I know but I love this thing.
@@tomfoolery1967 That is a real prize I would love to have something like that.I have a S/42 non matching Mauser which I love (1937) but an Erma made gun must be super rare .I'd never part with something like that !!!
I'm 65 and I've been buying back guns that I had sold years ago that haunted me. G-43 ,1911,Luger ,k -98k, p -38 ,m-1 carbine.. I had 5 matching k98k s and sold them all in '94.
Yes the prices today are horrible,and some guns I've gotten rid of have haunted me terribly and other nice guns I've sold or traded I couldn't care less about .It's funny how that goes .
I don't have many gunshow regrets but I regret not spending money on things when they were cheap (even though I was a broke college student) >Serbian ceremonial/Yugo SKS for $350 out of classic >AK74s errwhere for like $600 >Finnish Mosins for $300
Years ago when gun shows were held in schools in CT I went back after passing a S&W 32 I frame revolver. The vendor had closed but 150 bucks was quite a bit if money at the time. My passion for 32's like my 38 H with capture papers.
My best gun show by has got to be my yugo m24/52c. It's in great shape. I actually put a Brass sticker NDT mount on it with a Acushot scout scope. I bagged a big 8 point buck that year as well so it's automatically my my best buy. My worst was a Turkish mauser I thought I could clean up but it wasn't worth it. I traded it for ammo at a shop. And for the gun that "Got away" from me at a gunshow; I saw a beautiful 1909 Argentine mauser, made by DWM with the crest intact! And I didn't have the money for it. I was so sad leaving. I like the 7.65x53 round. Buy those are my favs from gun shows. My other favs I found in shops!
I got one, I bought a 1892 french berthier from a guy. Got home and was cleaning it, took the butt plate off and there was a note inside: Lt. Paul Wright French Foreign Legion Sahara Desert December 24th 1910 Well, a few months later I had car trouble and as a 18 year having no money I had to sell it😭
Got into military surplus about 8 years started slow but iam amazed how much prices have doubled in past few years still purchasing but with prices it’s just as I can afford great video as always keep it up 👍
My two biggest gun show regrets were as follows... a Webley-Fosberry Automatic revolver and a Swedish Lahti M40 Luger. The Webley-Fosberry came at a time when I didnt know much about mil-surps and had little interest in Webleys. It was in 09, came across a table of Webleys, stopped to take a look, noticed the peculiar look of the Fosberry not knowing what it was. Asked the seller what it was, he had no idea. We both thought it was somebody who'd tried to do a conversion job to it or maybe some rare model designed to accept a shoulder stock. Curiosity got the better of me when I got home. Spent about an hour or two trying to Google myself an answer. Finally found a picture that looked like it, found a Wikipedia page on it... found what the last known one sold for at auction ($14,000). Went back swiftly the next day, had been sold at the $340 price tag he had it sitting at. The Lahti was in 2010, knew a bit more about guns, knew a lot about Lugers but didnt know what the value of the Swedish ones were. Guy wanted $600 for it, turns out people were asking $900 to $1,200 depending on condition. Much like the Fosberry, went home and found this out later and of course was gone when I returned. Usually though my regrets are not having enough money or not having enough knowledge before going. There's a few things I've kinda kicked myself for not getting sooner but namely the two above are the worst that come to mind.
I'm so glad I was able to get my Garand through the CMP. Because when I first started collecting, Garands were still sub $1000. Every time I went to gun shows, they always went up in price every year to the point where I can no longer afford what people are asking for them. I regret not having more money at the last show I went to, as one guy had about 7 or 8 1903A3 stripped receivers with bolts. I grabbed the Smith Corona and the nicest Remington he had.
Biggest one i have was a fn49 Luxembourg contract, in great shape for 700$ about 2 years ago. also missed a ww2 production beretta m1935 for 250$ in great shape.
My top gun show regret was not going when i was younger and 300$ could buy you a numbers matching high end milsurp. When mosins were 60$ and russian sks's were available by the crate. I wont say what i paid for my postage stamp julian dated stock,lmr barreled IHC m1 garand but it woulda been cheaper had i paid attention years ago.
I didn't have the money when I was a kid, but Woolworths department stores sold milsurp rifles, Enfield's, M1 carbines, to name a few for under $100 bucks..If I knew what I know now, I would have begged, borrowed or stole to get one of those.
I regret not buying a $350 m1 garrand matching with a 43 dated barrel. But lucky me just picked up a 44 byf k98 for $360. So you win and lose some I guess.
Looking back I have a number of gun show regrets but the biggest of all is turning down a 1905 Ross Sporting Rifle in 303 British. I believe it had a 28 in. barrel. It was in excellent condition with a clean, bright bore with nearly untouched rifling. It was likely a 'closet queen', barely used and to this day I kick myself for not purchasing the thing.
2 years ago, ALL MATCHING 1941 K98 Mauser, surface rust, great bore, $650 at the local pawnshop. Even though I could've put it on layaway, my stupid thinking was, "I really don't like 8mm." Total (WTF was wrong with me moment.) And every 6.5 Norwegian Krag sporter I've passed.
I don’t want to brag but I just picked a M1 Garand (the receiver is dated May 1943) for a unbelievable price of.. (wait for it) $200! I took it apart, cleaned and lubed it (it was really-really dry) and I didn’t see any glaring issues. However just to be on the safe side I am taking it to a local gun shop and have it checked out.
my best buy was a mp44 .my regret was a ppk rzm ,bought a artillery luger instead that day.my son can be seen shooting the mp on youtube (ryan shooting mp44 )have a look see
My biggest show regret, thinking about it, was passing up a beat to shit non import marked Russian SKS for 200. It was a 1952 Tula the guy thought was Chinese. It was missing the bayonet and had that distinctive patina that VN bringbacks tend to have. I ended up buying a mislabelled 1958 Romanian for 75 less at that show.
Yugo sks for 150 with 200 rds ammo guy had 30 of em and o got the feeling he did not want to load all of his stuff back up at the end of the show. There have bee so so many I remember gum show in about 89 and you could get steyer Aug for 6ish
@@MilsurpWorld just would have had to take money out of savings but knew it was a good deal. got into a huge argument about it, then finally she agreed that i could buy it. Went back to the show to find seller had sold it minutes before i walked in the door lol oh well. always next time.
@@MilsurpWorld Yes they are! Just shot it today for the first time, its so accurate. Also i have a question. i made an order for some of your merch on march 7th, it said it would arrive march 14th but. It's saying it still hasnt left the factory. I got my shirt but it says teh mug hasnt left :(.
Gun shows are where I learned that if I'm dumb enough to make a dumb deal, someone will be smart enough to take advantage (and I can't blame them). I let go of a well-used but still serviceable S&W Model 19 because I wanted a 1911 (this was ... oh, ... 1999, maybe). Of course what I got was an old Llama .45 .. which worked at least 3 or 4 shots out of each mag. ;) A couple years before I traded a Rossi .38 snub for a CHEAP .380. Now, the Rossi isn't a S&W but it worked, was accurate, and while heavier than the .380, was a perfectly serviceable weapon. That cheapie .380 ... not so much. A few years before (was .. 18 or so) a buddy of mine and I were in a gun store and the owner handed me a Winchester 1887 lever action shotgun in great condition. I mean it was beautiful. They literally didn't know anything about it and just wanted to get rid of it. Of course, _I_ as a broke teen didn't have the bucks for it (I forget the price but it was C-H-E-A-P). I mentioned it to my Dad and tried to butter him up for a while but of course someone swooped in and snagged it. But, on top of the regrets (and there are more) I have also made some SWEET deals at gun shows and online auctions (a 1967 PPK shipping and all for right at $200, and so many more good deals). Any more, though, the local big gun show is mostly a show ... folks showing off what they have with sucker prices. There are one or two dealers who come priced to sell, but my current price range is ... well it varies with the year but these shows seem to always come when the bank account is at it's lowest. LOL. ;)
Great stories! This isn't necessarily a gun show regret, but I'm so upset at the fact that I never bought a Nagant M1895 revolver back when you could get them for around 100 bucks. Unfortunately, I was still in high school at the time, and had no source of income. Now those revolvers seem to have tripled in price everywhere I check. I really love Russian guns, so it's only a matter of time before I get one, but man, to think I could've had one for $100 back in 2009 if I was just a bit older and had a job.
my regret was being under 18 my literal first gun show, guy had a p38 (not after war model) and wanted 350 for it, talked with him, he said he would do 300 but i had no money and was waiting for my paycheck in just a few days. sad times man
What’s worse for me is that the prices you’re quoting are higher than the same instances of my regrets. Rasheed $400?? Try $150. German Mak $99. Russian capture I bought for $75 and foolishly sold for $225 a few years ago... 🤮 Good vid! We’re not alone lol
A month ago I couldve bought a winchester 1897 trench/riot gun in beautiful condition for $500. I was a goon about getting the money and going back (my bank is 300mi away and i was just there with a friend. didn't think I was going to buy anything) Didn't get the guy's number either because I thought I'd go back the next day
I tend not to go to gunshows lately, whenever I've gone to them in the past I tend to overspend on milsurps because I don't know the real values of them thinking $600 for a SKS (regret) was a good deal. I've found some of my best milsurp deals were private party trade/sales locally. Just last weekend I traded my CZ 455 22LR rifle for 2 Milsurp guns...................a Brazilian Mauser 08/34 chambered in 30.06 & a Star Model Super B both were in excellent condition.
Dear sr. If that behind you it’s your collection of weapons I think you did remarkably well trough the years most of us watch in admiration your collection and wish we could have a third of what you have, I understand your point as a gun enthusiast and minor collector it’s allwAys the ones who got away but at the end of the day I,am grateful for what I got, and in today’s gun world when a moisin nagant goes for as much as 500$ in some cases, I feel bad for people who are on a budget trying to collect guns, that’s why we admire what you got, GOD bless America!!
Maybe the m60 for 15 thousand or the full auto m16 for 5 thousand, or the racks of Russian paratroopers for 45 dollars a piece, brand new sks for 60 a peice, why didn't I buy ten of those ak for 300 a piece instead one, or the m1s for 150 I BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE TOO, that is a good start
You mentioned gun shows in/at Tallahassee & Tampa that you visited, etc. I just retired to Ocala FL, & could you recommend any good shows in FL for mil-surps? Thanks!
Fun facts for those of us that made a living doing this back in the late 50's and early 80"s, in 1970, to 1980, $1 for each Mosin 91/30 shipped , transported and delivered to pacific coast hanger in 1970 , sold resale at $29 and $50 at net for the buyer , averaged $3 for SMLE's , $5 for 98K's amd $10 to $15 for M1 ,Garands or carbines , and then , these were bad deals for Dad , and very hard to sell , regrets , destroying lots of fine weapons to make sporting rifles out of them for 53 years for the US and Mexican markets , all above weapons shipped from west coast Africa or central america , where people like Golden State Arms , Sarco , Sears , JC Pennys , MW's , Stoeger , Interarms , etc. breathing down your neck all the time , a boat load of compitition in the late 50's and early 60's , surplus was very very hard to sell , and ammo was hard to come buy ,a sporterized 33/40 in 8mm-06 with a bishop stock , lyman sites , front and rear , reblued , would sell for 130 bucks easy , producing about 25 in a 5 day work week , including 03's and 98K conversions , still see them at gunshows every year , if you guys were around back then , you would have loved it , good times for all. On my birthday in 1963 , my Dad said I can buy you a Marlin 336 or you can make your own rifle out of stock for deer season , so I picked out a Czech action and barrel , added a Fajen stock and a remington 700 front site, a Lyman micrometer rear , with a deep deep blue high polish blue over all and a Winchester red tint to the walnut with oil finish , thinking it wasnt heavy then , but man weights 200 pounds now days any way sorry for the rant , keep up the great work pardner !
Wow.. I have one of those GS arms 03's in 30/06. Nice 44 flaming bomb barrel and I test shot a great 50 yd, group with it and put it away. $230 What are your thoughts on this gun? thank you.
Biggest oof has to be a triple whammy at one gunshow: not having enough cash when a guy was selling a Swedish AGM 42/B for $800, there was a .455 Webley for $650, and a Waffenampt marked Mauser HSC for $500 😠
Great video thanks for sharing.you have a great collection! Say if your new book as any info a the Z inside a circle, marking, Please let me know .I keep reading conflicting story's.Any info would be greatly appreciated!
