Your most 'interesting' muzzleloader transaction ?

[Tobie]

I once tried to buy a rifle from a member here. I think he advertised the wrong rifle for the price. After nearly a month I got my money back, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth over it. Presently I am buying a rifle from a member here that is not going well either. I paid, he sent, gave me a tracking number and the post office tells me my package will be later than thought, but it is in route to the next destination. Priority mail doesn't seem to mean much to the post office. Nothing to do but wait I guess.

I found out the hard way that "2 day priority" ain't worth the paper that it's printed on. In the last month, out of 8 shipments that I paid the extra to get the parts- 2 have arrived on time. Talked with the P.O. and they said that it's not guaranteed.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

So you don't buy slightly green bananas?

Green bananas??

 

[jonathan butcher]

I'm 67yrs old, not sure I have a year or two or three of wait time for a custom rifle. That's ok though, there are plenty of already built custom rifles on the secondary market that I can't afford so i'm all set.

 

[jdw276]

Mine was the rifle was sent by slow post. IE: parcel post, no signature guarantee, no ability to track it. Took over 3 weeks to get to me and no idea where it was or had been. Left hand lyman 54 flinter named "patience". I ran out of it.

 

[Jaeger]

I'm 67yrs old, not sure I have a year or two or three of wait time for a custom rifle. That's ok though, there are plenty of already built custom rifles on the secondary market that I can't afford so i'm all set.

You hit the nail on the head!

 

[Hermit Tim]

Not necessarily "strange," but definitely out of the ordinary. I was walking around a gunshow in Conway, AR looking for beater muzzleloaders to rehabilitate and resell. Wasn't seeing much, but did see what looked to be a Dixie Tennessee Rifle in one dealer's rack. Thought I would look, just because I was bored. Nice custom gun with what I found out later was a well known Texas builder's name stamped on top of barrel. Was admiring it and took a squint at price tag. Be still my heart. It said "MUZZLELOADER $100." Looked closer, thinking it must be either $700 or partially rubbed off. Nope! Clearly printed $100. Seller said he thought it was a kit gun and that the owner must have been proud enough to stamp his name on top. I tried not to tremble as I pulled out my cash. He reached under the table and brought out a ratty looking milsurp bag and said it had stuff to go with gun. I didn't look inside, as I was about to start crying as it was. Casually sauntered down the aisle and then skittered around the corner to an empty table for a better assessment. Rifle was used, but in great shape. Bag had two powder measures, ball starter, quick loaders, four tins of caps, #10 and 11, and some really questionable and powdery .50 roundballs. And a half pound of FFG GOEX from the early 80s. I don't think anything like this will happen to me again.

I had a similar experience, only at a gun store. Walked into a shop in Gulf Shores, AL. a few years ago. Place was full of young guys, Glocks and AR15's, so I headed right to the used guns and trade ins. He had several front stuffers and said they were $100 apiece out the door. The one I picked was an old Kentuckian flintlock, made in Italy, in .45 caliber. Handed him a one hundred dollar bill and walked out the door. Looks like it had never been fired and I still haven't shot it yet. This was a few years ago, and that day one was all I could afford. Went back shortly thereafter and looked at the remaining muzzleloaders, hoping to buy them all for the same price. Different guy behind the counter this time and the prices were high. Thankful for the one I ended up with though.

 

[Cowboy]

Bought a new Pedersoli 1861 Springfield from Dixie some years back. Always wanted one of those!

Saw a custom Hawken that I just had to have. Ended up selling the new 1861 Springfield on another site to fund the Hawken.

Regretted selling that Springfield. Posted here on the Classified’s wanting a Pedersoli 1861 Springfield.

Anyway, a member had one. Sent pics and was absolutely beautiful. Even better than the one I sold on the other site some years back.

Traded a nice custom Trade Rifle caplock for his 1861 Springfield.

I noticed the sellers real name and address was familiar to me?

Come to find out It was the exact same 1861 Springfield that I had sold off some years back to the same person on another site!

He had reworked the lock and stripped the factory finish off. He refinished the stock beautifully!

He and I have became good friends since. We’ve bought and sold, and traded with one another since.

Not going to mention his name here unless he wants to chime in. He’s my friend and a member of the forum that always contributes and shares. Have a lot of respect for the gentleman.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I'm 67yrs old, not sure I have a year or two or three of wait time for a custom rifle. That's ok though, there are plenty of already built custom rifles on the secondary market that I can't afford so i'm all set.

Agree totally.....that's what I still shoot factory guns & have a barrel of fun with them........

 

[Captjoel]

I attended a well known "Living History" show a few years ago after a good friend asked me if I could help him at his table. At the show, an elderly couple came in the door toting a long gun and a sword that they wanted to sell. They had walked from table to table showing their items and just about were ready to leave when they came to our spot at the show.

My buddy was an avid Civil War collector and he noticed the sword was an original C\W high quality officers piece. The seller wanted 300 dollars for it and my friend quickly pulled out his wallet.

I asked if I could take a look at his rifle. The fellow said it had belonged to his father and he could not remember the many stories his dad had told him about the gun. It was time for him and his wife to move into a smaller place and they just did not have the room to keep much of their old belongings, Said he would like to get a thousand dollars for the rifle. After a good inspection, I mentioned to him that his rifle was very old and very collectable and could sell for much more. The old man said he realized this but also mentioned that no one so far at this busy History show offered to buy it for his asking price.

My dilemma......I had only taken 400 dollars to the show and had already spent 100 on a nice book! In quiet desperation I asked my table buddy for a VERY BIG favor! He was glad to help me out but also mentioned it is best to always bring along more money than you think you will need to these big shows! Anyway, made the deal and even paid my friend back when we made it home that same day.

Now for all of you readers out there that took the time to get through this long winded post, I'll show you a nice surprise. My new old rifle was a signed original Abraham Schweitzer.

 

[Hermit Tim]

Bought a new Pedersoli 1861 Springfield from Dixie some years back. Always wanted one of those!

Saw a custom Hawken that I just had to have. Ended up selling the new 1861 Springfield on another site to fund the Hawken.

Regretted selling that Springfield. Posted here on the Classified’s wanting a Pedersoli 1861 Springfield.

Anyway, a member had one. Sent pics and was absolutely beautiful. Even better than the one I sold on the other site some years back.

Traded a nice custom Trade Rifle caplock for his 1861 Springfield.

I noticed the sellers real name and address was familiar to me?

Come to find out It was the exact same 1861 Springfield that I had sold off some years back to the same person on another site!

He had reworked the lock and stripped the factory finish off. He refinished the stock beautifully!

He and I have became good friends since. We’ve bought and sold, and traded with one another since.

Not going to mention his name here unless he wants to chime in. He’s my friend and a member of the forum that always contributes and shares. Have a lot of respect for the gentleman.

Respectfully, Cowboy

Now that is a really good story there... Thanks.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Once upon a time when the world was young and so was I, my Dad called to say a friend of his was closing his "camp" and had some old guns he wanted to get rid of before the place sold, and was I interested in looking them over. I was. Long story short, Dad and I visited his friend and looked over the guns he wanted to sell. All were antiques, ranging from a flintlock that was missing the top jaw and top jaw screw from the lock, through an 1861 Springfield, a Trap Door, two carbines, and one very rusty small percussion revolver. He wanted to keep one to leave hanging over the fireplace mantle but didn't care which one, and he quoted a price for the rest that was more than reasonable. I was in college at the time and cash poor, so Dad offered to go "halves" on the deal if I was interested. I told his friend up front that his price was low if he was willing to wait for collectors to look at the pieces but he was content with what he asked. We paid him, left him the Trapdoor for a fireplace decoration, and loaded the rest in our vehicle. Driving home, Dad asked me if I thought the guns were worth what we paid. I did. The little revolver cleaned up nicely. It was a Bacon Arms .31 caliber copy of the Colt 1848 Pocket model, engraved, with rosewood grips. Aside from the rust it's only problem was that its mainspring was broken. Got a new one from DGW for about $2. The flintlock was an original 1803 Harper's Ferry Rifle, in very good condition aside from the missing top jaw and screw and a missing ramrod. I replaced the missing parts with original parts from a well known dealer in NYC and the rifle was fully functional again.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Green bananas??

Most folks in this area buy slightly green bananas so they will last a few extra days at home. They go from all yellow to turning brown almost over night. There is a joke here about some elderly folks so anticipating death, that they won't buy slightly green bananas, i.e. they don't think they will last two days for the bananas to ripen. You made the reference about dying before a gun might be finished.

 

[Professor flintlock]

Most folks in this area buy slightly green bananas so they will last a few extra days at home. They go from all yellow to turning brown almost over night. There is a joke here about some elderly folks so anticipating death, that they won't buy slightly green bananas, i.e. they don't think they will last two days for the bananas to ripen. You made the reference about dying before a gun might be finished.

One night standing in the surf fishing for stripers, got a phone call from a buddy who is a class 2 dealer and manufacturer wanting to know if I wanted 5 black powder guns he had gotten in trade said he had 2500$ in them . He tried to explain what they were but not knowing anything about black powder he didn't really do a good job. Anyways I decided to take them. Told him I'd give him 2800$ if he would hold them until I returned to Ohio from Mass. Wasn,t gonna return for another month . Got to thinking about it so I called my daughter and told her to pick them up and pay him. Fishing was tapering down so I decided to come home early. When I got home she had the guns laying on my bed. A Remington 1860 second model, a Colt 1851 with a Richards cartridge conversion, ruff but all there,A 1873 Colt Peacemaker cut down artillery all matching no's from the Philippines Expedition.also a swivel barrel .40 cal from 1835 still in shooting condition. Then came the cream of the crop a Sickert swamped barrel flinger with straight rifleing. Fancy patch box and a Dupert lock , Could have been shot but too valuable for that. Got almost 25,000 for everything. Pretty good catch eh.

 

[Professor flintlock]

One night standing in the surf fishing for stripers, got a phone call from a buddy who is a class 2 dealer and manufacturer wanting to know if I wanted 5 black powder guns he had gotten in trade said he had 2500$ in them . He tried to explain what they were but not knowing anything about black powder he didn't really do a good job. Anyways I decided to take them. Told him I'd give him 2800$ if he would hold them until I returned to Ohio from Mass. Wasn,t gonna return for another month . Got to thinking about it so I called my daughter and told her to pick them up and pay him. Fishing was tapering down so I decided to come home early. When I got home she had the guns laying on my bed. A Remington 1860 second model, a Colt 1851 with a Richards cartridge conversion, ruff but all there,A 1873 Colt Peacemaker cut down artillery all matching no's from the Philippines Expedition.also a swivel barrel .40 cal from 1835 still in shooting condition. Then came the cream of the crop a Sickert swamped barrel flinger with straight rifleing. Fancy patch box and a Dupert lock , Could have been shot but too valuable for that. Got almost 25,000 for everything. Pretty good catch eh.

Misspelled Sickert oops.

 

[Professor flintlock]

Misspelled Sickert oops.

Supposed to be Dickert

 

[Eutycus]

So what are the legalities? My brother borrowed $100.00 and gave me a CVA Hawkens for collateral some 25+ years ago and never repaid me or even brought up the subject. Ya reckon by now it's mine?

 

[Boston Bill]

Depends on how you get along with your brother!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Most folks in this area buy slightly green bananas so they will last a few extra days at home. They go from all yellow to turning brown almost over night. There is a joke here about some elderly folks so anticipating death, that they won't buy slightly green bananas, i.e. they don't think they will last two days for the bananas to ripen. You made the reference about dying before a gun might be finished.

THAT had me puzzled. Thanks for the clarification....

 

[Crow-Feather]

With Gun Broker and most of the other gun sales sites, you have to trust the seller. I saw a beautiful shotgun stock on a shotgun in Gun Broker. I immediately bought the shotgun. Then I started reading the huge paragraph associated with the sale. I read in the middle of the paragraph that the shotgun pictured might not be the one I would receive. Not a true bait and switch, but enough that I refused to buy the shotgun and was removed from Gun Broker for six months. The dealer didn't last long either.

 

[Boston Bill]

Most folks in this area buy slightly green bananas so they will last a few extra days at home. They go from all yellow to turning brown almost over night. There is a joke here about some elderly folks so anticipating death, that they won't buy slightly green bananas, i.e. they don't think they will last two days for the bananas to ripen. You made the reference about dying before a gun might be finished.

I just found out the other halves mom that is 98 buys the greenest bananas! She figures they will make her stay around longer. Seems to have worked out pretty good for her so far