Mark from MA
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- Jun 4, 2008
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Everytime I go on vacation or travel in general, like many people here ( I assume) I like to find a local shop and browse and look for those hard to find guns in good condition that may are sitting or undervalued. The majority of time i see a rare or old gun, its generally overpriced and the reason why it sits unsold. But always on the lookout in some garage gun shop, or corner there is hope, that there is a deal somewhere.
My soft spot is working mans guns from 50's,60's etc that are generally in nice condition. (think Savage 99's, Old Winchesters, Ithaca's, and Remingtons) They are not that hard to find, but are getting harder to find, and carry US made quality and fit and finish not seen in most of today's production. If its even made anymore.
The problem here is these are working mans guns, usually beat up, altered, drilled, tapped, messed with somehow in ways you just wonder WTF was this guy thinking. My goal is always to find one that looks like it was well cared for, and maybe used, but unmolested and not used for a hammer. That's where the rare part comes in with these type guns, as they were intended as tools and not to be showpieces. Bring home meat, paddle the canoe when hunting ducks, tie the rope to when hauling deer out. I get it. Most of them came off the rack for 50 dollars or less at some hardware store in the 50's or 60's.
Unfortunately after striking out in those mid hole in the wall Maine gun shops, I found this years vacation gun at Cabelas on the way home. A 1959 Ithaca 37 Deerslayer in 16 gauge, original and unmolested, looking like it may have been hunted with once or twice and shelved, or safe queened. Its in 99% wood and bluing easily.
Its a bit of a grail gun for me....as I always wanted a Deerslayer and would have been very happy with a nice 12 gauge Deerslayer which is much more common, yet still has been very hard to find in good condition for me in the vintage I prefer. Or I would have been happy with a nice 16 gauge 50's-70's featherlight regular shotgun........ Finding a 16 gauge in Deerslayer in a 1950's vintage gun in great condition is definately something special for me. I have a couple vintage Browning Sweet Sixteens with deer barrels and this will go well with them. And I got it at a good price as well, which makes it all the more sweet.
I'm sure there are some people that have some vacation or travel grail guns out there that HAD to come home with you. Love to hear the stories....as it is vacation time.
My soft spot is working mans guns from 50's,60's etc that are generally in nice condition. (think Savage 99's, Old Winchesters, Ithaca's, and Remingtons) They are not that hard to find, but are getting harder to find, and carry US made quality and fit and finish not seen in most of today's production. If its even made anymore.
The problem here is these are working mans guns, usually beat up, altered, drilled, tapped, messed with somehow in ways you just wonder WTF was this guy thinking. My goal is always to find one that looks like it was well cared for, and maybe used, but unmolested and not used for a hammer. That's where the rare part comes in with these type guns, as they were intended as tools and not to be showpieces. Bring home meat, paddle the canoe when hunting ducks, tie the rope to when hauling deer out. I get it. Most of them came off the rack for 50 dollars or less at some hardware store in the 50's or 60's.
Unfortunately after striking out in those mid hole in the wall Maine gun shops, I found this years vacation gun at Cabelas on the way home. A 1959 Ithaca 37 Deerslayer in 16 gauge, original and unmolested, looking like it may have been hunted with once or twice and shelved, or safe queened. Its in 99% wood and bluing easily.
Its a bit of a grail gun for me....as I always wanted a Deerslayer and would have been very happy with a nice 12 gauge Deerslayer which is much more common, yet still has been very hard to find in good condition for me in the vintage I prefer. Or I would have been happy with a nice 16 gauge 50's-70's featherlight regular shotgun........ Finding a 16 gauge in Deerslayer in a 1950's vintage gun in great condition is definately something special for me. I have a couple vintage Browning Sweet Sixteens with deer barrels and this will go well with them. And I got it at a good price as well, which makes it all the more sweet.
I'm sure there are some people that have some vacation or travel grail guns out there that HAD to come home with you. Love to hear the stories....as it is vacation time.
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