Mythical Gun Deals

You have probably heard the story before....someone who knows someone who bought a classic gun that was 60 years old but still new in the box, unfired, for a price that sounds too good to be true. Could never happen to you right? That is what I used to think.

This is a compendium of guns that I have first hand knowledge of, there are deals out there, and plenty of unfired classics, let's save those guns before they get traded for food or gift cards at a gun buy-back....


I purchased my NIB Smith & Wesson Model 25-5 from the widow of a gun dealer for the very good price of $500.
It came with the original boxes, tools, paperwork, display case and shipping container.

My Father bought this NIB Ruger Blackhawk Buckeye Special (only 5000 of them were made) from the same person I got my Smith & Wesson from, the price for the Ruger was also $500, more than fair.
His also came with the original box, shipping container and paper work.

See my post about this gun here

While not exactly a classic, my Father picked up this Inox Beretta 92F, lightly used (less than a box of ammo through it), for just $350.

I picked this original Super Bearcat for my Father a few years back for $110, it was used, but in really good condition and had the original box and paperwork

I picked up this 1992 vintage, 44 Magnum, Winchester Model 94 Trapper (aka Saddle Ring Carbine) at a gun show in the fall of 2005 for $385. It was NIB and was just what I was looking for. 
At the time $385 sounded like a good deal, but not a "mythical good deal", however the following January they announced the Winchester plant was closing, which instantly drove the price of these Winchesters up. They eventually came back down, but these pistol caliber lever actions routinely sell for $700-$1000, so I guess I got a REALLY good deal. I have fired the gun a few times.

A local forum member picked up this NIB 1971 vintage S&W model 19 for $600, not exactly cheap, but a decent price for a vintage, unfired, pinned and recessed S&W K frame. It came with the box, nox rust paper and all paper work...which definitely increases the value. You also need to consider what the gun sold for new and what that value is in today's money.

Yet another S&W deal....this 1983 vintage Smith & Wesson model 66-2 was new, unfired when the current owner traded a Sig M11A1 for it.

Here is a 1980's vintage, nickle plated S&W model 13-3 that was recently sold on one of our local forums....NIB. The price was not cheap ($800), but it was original and unfired. 

These guns are no longer produced and if they were still made by S&W it would not be of the same quality.

Again, another unfired Smith & Wesson, this one a 1970's vintage, nickel plated, pinned and recessed model 19-3 with box and paperwork. It was being offered for $850 on a local forum, while not a cheap price....... if you consider this gun sold for $220 in 1975, accounting for inflation the value would be about $1,000 in 2017...

Yet another Smith & Wesson deal (is this a trend??) this one a Model 19-4 with a 6 inch barrel.
The gun did not come in the correct box, which leads us to believe the gun was restored/refinished by Smith & Wesson. The box did have the correct sticker with the information on it, but a 19-4 (made from 1977-1981) would have come in the two piece cardboard box like the other model 19 above.


At any rate the price was very reasonable for a 19-4 that looked and locked up as good as this one.

There are still lots of unfired or very low round count classics out there to be had, you need to keep cash at hand and always be on the look out.