Share Your C&R Blunders!

[TS77]

not buying K98 RCs when they were dirt cheap
passing up a C&R S&W model 10 from the original owner, super clean and pretty for same price as surplus ones cost at the time.

[grossekatz]

I blew up a g43, that was a bummer. BTW don't shoot that 50's Yugo crap out of any rifles you want all the parts to stay attached to.

[Freedom_shooter]

My only *true* regret was not buying a 91/30 at Big 5 in 2008. They were like $80.

I got into collecting about a year ago and paid $200 for one with a half a spam can of ammo.

I won't let rather inexpensive milsurps deter me from buying them. So glad I got a K31 from Simpsons back in December.
Now looking at them it was a wise purchase.
Hopefully I'll be singing the same song when CMP runs out of Garands.

[Grendl]

I still mourn the "mix master" 1911 Remington Rand I didn't buy for $600 a couple years ago. It seemed like within months they were going for over a grand and they've only seemed to continue skyward.

[Grendl]

Oh, oh, oh! I though of something worse: I had The Broomcloset RUIN my C96 with an off-center barrel reline and "refinish." I'll mourn that on my death bed.

[Donkeypunch0420]

Every C&R I've sold has been a financial blunder for me. Always sell your modern guns first.

[kcheung2]

I bought a National Ordnance 1903 before doing any research on them. The seller was honest about it, told me exactly what it was, I just didn't stop to think why it was so cheap yet no one stepped up to buy it. Still kick myself. I'd gladly trade it for a crate of ammo but I doubt I could even get that for it.

[Discogodfather]

List of shame:

1) Tried to refinish an Arisaka stock on an old bubba'd rifle with original Urushi from Japan, disaster worse than a Godzilla movie
2) Was given a 39 BYF mauser in very nice condition when I was 19 when a friend's father passed away and left it to me. Went to a gun show and proceeded to buy cheap garbage 8mm reloads from an extremely shady looking guy and had a squib and kept shooting. Nice ring bulge in the barrel
3) Took a perfect condition Russian SKS I bought at a gun show when I was 18 for $70 and bubb'd the hell out of it with a plastic stock and drilled holes in the receiver to mount an "optic", and threw away the original stock.
4) Passed up buying a true SVD Dragunov at a gunshow in 1998 for $800. Reason I passed it up: I really really wanted a Mini-14 instead.
5) Took a very nice swedish mauser and put it into a cheapo gun sock and stored it the garage next to a leaky faucet. After about 3-4 years the sock became part of the rifle and it was 100% rusted through had to throw the rifle away

Luckily all of these things happened when I was still in my teens so I have some level of excuse.

[rdfact]

I have only been into C&Rs and guns in general for about 4.5 years so don't have any "wish I would've bought X back when".

My biggest blunder would probably be a Swedish M96 I bought that turned out to have a crack in the receiver. I then found a replacement receiver which had to be shipped and DROS'd so that was almost $100. So now I have a mismatched Swede M96 that is not worth the money spent. It's still a good shooter.

Regrets: Not buying more Swiss GP11 when it was available.

[Garand Hunter]

rdfact, isn't there still GP 11 out there ? Seems I saw some a few days ago.
Maybe SGAmmo and a few others ?

Psalm 1

[LowThudd]

About 25 years ago, I bought a Lee Enfield No4Mk1 for $80, and proceded to do a tru oil refinish. It came out pretty good, but only made the mismatched woods look more mismatched.

I shot it for a while like that, but noticed that the forstock was twisting and rubbing on the barrel, so I sporterized the heII out of it, bedded the action and free floated it. Also modified the stock to have a vertical grip, and added an overtravel screw. It actually shot beautifully and I liked it, at the time.

Now that No4s cost 5 times what I paid, and my tastes have changed, I deeply regret it.

I also sold an Inland M1 Carbine to my uncle for under $300 around 12 years ago. I needed the cash, and he had been asking me to sell for a while. I really miss my Enfield and M1. At least the M1 is still in the family.

[Garand Hunter]

Sorry Bro, just did a double take on SGAmmo and its " notify me when back in
stock " : but they have Prvi Partizan.

Psalm 1

[huntingsocal]

I must say, some of these posts are making me feel better.

Nah, still kicking myself

[hollowpoint67]

I must say, some of these posts are making me feel better.

Nah, still kicking myself

Try this on for size. 13 or so years ago I was younger (stupid), shooting my father's M38 mosin carbine which was shooting high.

Mind you I have zero concept of rifle marksmanship and zeroing.

I take a file to the rear sight base and take material off. I have a replacement part but per advice on gunboards its silver soldered in place aka not worth the damage physically and financially to replace it.

If I could slap my former self I would.

[rdfact]

rdfact, isn't there still GP 11 out there ? Seems I saw some a few days ago.
Maybe SGAmmo and a few others ?

Psalm 1

SGAmmo shows sold out.
I am prepped to reload 7.5x55. Just cracked open my last 480 round case of GP11 so I'll load my own when that is gone.