Ones that got away

[ggggr]

We probably all have stories of "the one that got away" so what are yours? Was it a complete gun or parts? When was it (probably many from your youth) or was it more recent? Do you regret it now or are you pleased you let it go?

A few of the things that spring to mind are a Boxed Milbro Cougar that I let go. I was in very good condition but with the obligatory hairline crack on one piece of the plastic. I knew nothing about them other than spares would be hard to come by and that it was in the sort of condition that I would not use or do a strip for the"idiots guide" -----Looking back I don't regret letting that go.

A stock for a Webley Service Mk2 that was quite cheap. I let that go, thinking I would never get a Sevice Mk2, not being prepared to pay £200 + to satisfy my curiousity. A few months later I picked up a Rough rifle with a repaired stock and cursed myself.

I sort of regret not buying a Falke air pistol but I did at least tip off another bbs-er and he bought it.
A Anshutz 275 that I did not buy because at the time I dd not know you could get teh 4.4 ammo over here. That sold again about a year later (I still want one!)

I have lost a few things on here after putting up a "I'll have it" on a thread.
One was a rough Original 50 about 3 or 4 years ago. It was missing it's sights (I think) but was cheap enough for me to have a look at and have a go at stripping. I said "I'll have it" and then the bloke got back and said his son had reminded him that he had promised it to him. I left it 2 months and chanced a pm as to whether his son had lost interest by now. It was no surprise that the son had sold the gun.

A Webley Hurricane with wooden grips came up and after a few hours had a price reduction. Again I said I would have it and sent a cheque off. The bloke said he would not sell it/would sell it/would not/would/would not and then 2 weeks later it was up for sale again. Following the progress of this one, the person who bought it put it up for sale again 2 week later and got the price he paid, but he had taken the grips off it.

A Prewar Bsa underlever. Another "I'll have it, Pm incoming". The sellers box was full. I logged in the next evening and the thread had "sold" on it. A pm to the seller "Is it sold to me?" and a response "No, I cleared my inbox (11.40pm) and you did not get back to me so I sold it to someone else" . This was without anyone else saying they would buy it on the thread.

On a more positive note I have had quite a few things sold to me very cheaply on here because of the "idiots guide" sticky and because people know I will try to get the guns running and wont sell them on.
I have been sold several Webley pistols quite cheaply,the Relum Hurricane and a Bsf 20 pistol. One of the Webleys, the seller sold it cheaply because he knew I was giving it to a bbs member who had had a lot of bad luck in the last few years.
Garvin very kindly sent me a couple of Tell 2 pistols to have a look at and once I had managed to get a working one out of them, told me to keep them rather than post them back. At least the pics of the parts are now up on the interenet.
However I have rambled on so what are your stories?

[Garvin]

We probably all have stories of "the one that got away" so what are yours? Was it a complete gun or parts? When was it (probably many from your youth) or was it more recent? Do you regret it now or are you pleased you let it go?

A few of the things that spring to mind are a Boxed Milbro Cougar that I let go. I was in very good condition but with the obligatory hairline crack on one piece of the plastic. I knew nothing about them other than spares would be hard to come by and that it was in the sort of condition that I would not use or do a strip for the"idiots guide" -----Looking back I don't regret letting that go.

A stock for a Webley Service Mk2 that was quite cheap. I let that go, thinking I would never get a Sevice Mk2, not being prepared to pay £200 + to satisfy my curiousity. A few months later I picked up a Rough rifle with a repaired stock and cursed myself.

I sort of regret not buying a Falke air pistol but I did at least tip off another bbs-er and he bought it.
A Anshutz 275 that I did not buy because at the time I dd not know you could get teh 4.4 ammo over here. That sold again about a year later (I still want one!)

I have lost a few things on here after putting up a "I'll have it" on a thread.
One was a rough Original 50 about 3 or 4 years ago. It was missing it's sights (I think) but was cheap enough for me to have a look at and have a go at stripping. I said "I'll have it" and then the bloke got back and said his son had reminded him that he had promised it to him. I left it 2 months and chanced a pm as to whether his son had lost interest by now. It was no surprise that the son had sold the gun.

A Webley Hurricane with wooden grips came up and after a few hours had a price reduction. Again I said I would have it and sent a cheque off. The bloke said he would not sell it/would sell it/would not/would/would not and then 2 weeks later it was up for sale again. Following the progress of this one, the person who bought it put it up for sale again 2 week later and got the price he paid, but he had taken the grips off it.

A Prewar Bsa underlever. Another "I'll have it, Pm incoming". The sellers box was full. I logged in the next evening and the thread had "sold" on it. A pm to the seller "Is it sold to me?" and a response "No, I cleared my inbox (11.40pm) and you did not get back to me so I sold it to someone else" . This was without anyone else saying they would buy it on the thread.

On a more positive note I have had quite a few things sold to me very cheaply on here because of the "idiots guide" sticky and because people know I will try to get the guns running and wont sell them on.
I have been sold several Webley pistols quite cheaply,the Relum Hurricane and a Bsf 20 pistol. One of the Webleys, the seller sold it cheaply because he knew I was giving it to a bbs member who had had a lot of bad luck in the last few years.
Garvin very kindly sent me a couple of Tell 2 pistols to have a look at and once I had managed to get a working one out of them, told me to keep them rather than post them back. At least the pics of the parts are now up on the interenet.
However I have rambled on so what are your stories?

If I thought too hard about the ones that got away, I probably wouldn't be able to type for the tears.

Undoubtedly the rarest gun I missed, probably by hesitating for a few minutes (I was 2nd in line) was this once-in-a generation BSA Improved Mod D Light, in .25 calibre, which are known to have been made but are unknown in this country! It came up on Gunstar briefly a couple of years ago, before being snapped up by some lucky sod. I wonder if he knows what he has? I suppose the seller may have got the details wrong... I saved the text before it disappeared:

BSA Rifles For Sale in Wiltshire
In order to comply with the wishes of my ever worrying wife i have conceded to selling my two airguns before she believes the grandchildren will do themselves some mishief. Firstly is a bsa airgun from before the war which is engraved bsa improved model d number 20284 and is just under 40 inches long. it is in .25 calibre and comes with the remains (3 tins) of a case of pellets also by bsa. The gun does not have much metallic finish remaining on the compression tube but is otherwise complete and in good order.It is quite accurate but for some reason not very powerful and may require a new spring. Secondly is my webley air pistol MKII in its original but tatty box, there are no pellets for this gun. Both have been in the family for over 60 years and maybe quite a lot longer. Having seen similar guns advertised i would like £poa for the pair and will give first opportunity to anyone who will buy both together and collect from the Wiltshire area rather than have me post them as i am unaware of the law on posting weapons. In the first instance please email if you are interested. thank you Simon

[18 Wheeler]

There was a nice LH GC2 sold here a couple of years ago, advertised at circa £400, I went to turn the kettle on before proceeding...

...in the interim I.J snuck in and bought it , nasty, nasty rifles with little to recommend them. Now if it had a Kobayashi stock there might have been tears.

[Powderfinger]

Back in the 1980's, there was a junk shop in Shirley that always had some air-rifles in. Old seventies Webleys were the most common and no doubt some dreary East European stuff, too. BSA-Lincoln-Jeffries patterns were often seen in there and at the time there wasn't as much interest in them as there is today. I daresay they could have been bought cheaply at the time.

Best items I saw in there were an HW55 with a Tyrolean stock and an FWB300.

Back then, I didn't have much money and wasn't interested in spending it on old rifles so I missed out on buying some items that would have appreciated in value very well over the next two decades.

But that's in the nature of old stuff, I suppose, whether it's cars, bikes or watches.

[laverdabru]

Many years back. my older bro' bought a mint, boxed Original Model 6(?) pistol. The one with opposing pistons to cancel out recoil. I inherited it when he passed on, & lent it to a friend, who was an engineer & interested in the workings. My friend died unexpectedly at 46, & I never found out what happened to the Original.

[I. J.]

There was a nice LH GC2 sold here a couple of years ago, advertised at circa £400, I went to turn the kettle on before proceeding...

...in the interim I.J snuck in and bought it , nasty, nasty rifles with little to recommend them. Now if it had a Kobayashi stock there might have been tears.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Airs...ml?sort=6&o=35 True, a nasty, nasty rifle. (It didn't come with the scope )

Its not the 'Ones That Got Away' with me its the ones I bought for no reason or I felt sorry for. Only recently I bought yet another very tatty HW35 (as if I hadn't got enough) which was rusty, had a bent barrel and cocking lever, dodgy trigger unit, Ox spring and split stock but it was a pre safety catch, so Now its looking better http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Airs...?sort=6&page=1 but another '35?

[Josie & John]

Too many...

I saw a nice nickel plated pre war Diana Model 2 in its original box for under £100 at a recent Birmingham Arms fair - got sidetracked and missed out!

Then there was a very clean Webley Service at a Brum a couple of years ago that I dithered over as the asking price reflected the pristine condition. Someone else didn't hesitate and I lost out.

Probably best not to dwell over losses as it does us no good

John

[thisisdonald]

maybe about 17 years ago, I may have been an instigator in the 'one that got away' feeling that we all know so well.

I advertised a job lot of guns on here (Im 99% it was on here - I created an account to sell them as a job lot) Someone drove all the way up from england with a wee trailer on the back of their car (IIRC it was a blue landy) to buy my lot for £550.

from what I can remember this was what the lot contained.

mk1 HW80 .22
bsa mercury .22 (Mk2?)
gamo magnum .22
webley pistols 1ea - tempest, junior, senior, premier, typhoon.
hyscore sporter pistol, mint boxed with barrels, tool, instructions, pellet tin, oil.
bsa scorpion pistol in bits

I think there were a couple more which I believe my sub conscience is blocking to save myself from a complete breakdown.. Now Im feeling the 'one that got away' feeling, but it was down to stupid, carefree, young, daft, reckless decision making... out of them all, its the 80 and the hyscore I wished Id kept the most - I hated the 80 at the time, because it twanged and was far too heavy. I almost keptthe hyscore, but let it go thinking I could always get another...gah.. Im away for a fag!

[Muskett]

The Webley Omega .177 last week. Been looking for a mint one for ages. I even helped with the valuation, but admitted I was a bit skint and aught to sell a few things first. Plus kept to the rules and didn't send him mail!

[Shed tuner]

Bit modern for you lot - but stuff I wish I'd kept...

Either one of my two Parks
Either of my two TX200 SRs
RB2 Airsporter
Superstar Carbine
Whiscome
PH Phoenix MK1
Daystate Sportsman
Theoben Thumhole Rammer (grand prix)
ASI Statical

JB

[trevor1]

but I WILL put on my hair shirt and beat myself with a barb-wire whip!

[walnutfarmmick]

but I WILL put on my hair shirt and beat myself with a barb-wire whip!

C'mon, now, Trev!

Business before pleasure!

I didn't think you'd EVER missed anything.

And I think that Non-Buyers Remorse should be a recognised medical condition. Last weekend I failed to buy 4 military pattern Crosmans for what seemed like peanuts so I know the syndrome well. I've tried to comfort myself with the fact that none had a bayonet but it hasn't helped.

ATVB, Mick