I agree with Pinyone that there are still good deals out there to be had by the wide eyed vigilant guy. True you’re not likely to find a perfect attic condition big name gun for pennies, but unless you keep your eyes open you’ll never know.
Take for example the recently posted Thomas Earle fowler found in a gunshop. It seems that no one involved really know what it was, and I doubt that whoever the lucky guy was that bought it, paid anywhere near top $$$ for it.
Other examples of open eyed good deals that I know of;
A $3500 Lehigh rifle for $750.
A $15,000 raised carved Gonter rifle that was bought at a modern gun shop for $1700.
A very nice percussion Henry Kunkle rifle worth about $1500 that was bought in an antique store for $350, including a powder horn.
Although out of the scope of this forum, a $1500 Spencer carbine that was bought at a garage sale for $150.
A very early Bucks Co. Fowler that needed some restoration was bought at auction for $13,400, now for sale at $30,000.
The Dickert rifle that was posted on here earlier this year, in need of restoration, was bought for a very good price considering its potential value.
A pretty good, but plain, PA fowler probably worth $3500, bought for $400.
And no, I didn’t buy all of these but wish I could have!
The thing with these is that you’re just not going to find them at the antique rifle specialty store. You have to look for them, search them out, look in the news papers, check out garage sales, go to the local gun show that never has anything but new junk,, except, well, once in a while.
And sometimes you just have to be plain lucky by being in the right place at the right time.
And for the new collector that can’t, or doesn’t want to spend 5/10 thousand dollars for a rifle, you don’t have too. There’s lots of good original guns for sale at $1000/1500, and some for even a good deal less. True they’re generally later guns 1830/1850, generally percussion, but generally with a decent patchbox and not a toilet seat type.
So okay, it’s not going to be a carved beauty or have a bunch of silver inlays, and likely will be beat up some from long years of use, but it’s still a Kentucky long rifle, still a piece of American history, and still a good gun to start a new collection with.
Surprisingly, a good place to look for an inexpensive rifle is at the big major shows like Las Vegas, etc. Sure, there’s going to be the big buck beauties, but there will also be a good number of affordable rifles there as well. The first day for the best choice, the last day for the best price.
You just have to keep your eyes open for opportunity!
Never say never!
John
