doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Head Shaker

ithaca1,

I saw that one too. Complete with cut barrels and visible solder beads on the rib!

- NDG

I've seen more than one Ithaca double marked as a grade 4 that was a grade 1. One seller explained to me it was marked grade 4 on the barrels. Both barrels had a 4 stamped on them. When I explained that the 4 was stamped for full choke he refused to believe me. You can't fix stupid. Perhaps he was an expert on handguns or black rifles but his double knowledge was a legend all in his own mind and no where else.

Sometimes a dumb seller can be worked with, other times you can not. If they have a gun way overpriced the chances are they either paid too much for the gun or if a consignment told the seller it was a gold mine. Neither case can you work with. If he paid more than retail for the gun it never pays to buy it. If he claims to be able to sell it for too much he will not be able to sell it for the real value. Can't admit you don't know what you are talking about so better to let it sit on the rack to them.

Best misidentified guns I have bought were a HE Fox listed as a 60's Fox B grade, or a nice Aubrey high grade listed as a Crescent, or .22 Springfield that the seller thought was some reworked project gun. It was the nicest one I have ever seen, condition wise. Sadly I only have the Aubrey. You can buy a lot of them but I just can't own them all. Some must go so others can be bought.

KY Jon,

WOW...HE Fox vs Savage "Fox" B is another doozy! That one surprises me even more than mine, because Lefever Nitros are well known. But I would think that "real" Foxes are better known than those later Savage B's.

This is also why whenever some ol fella tells me he's got something "real purdee" to show me, I stop and take a look...JUST in case he actually has a "real Purdey." *s*

- NDG

The H was a gun a friend was interested at a gun shop which deals in mostly rifles and pistols, so I went with him. He thought it was too heavy for him and decided to pass. I looked at it and saw it was a "real" Fox not a namesake like the BSE or other pretend Savage Fox guns of the 50-60's. I thought it was a strelingworth heavy waterfowl gun until I looked at the forend. A quick look down the barrels to make sure they were good and I just bought the gun. It was a steal. I liked it but soon figured a heavy gun best used in a blind had little use for me. I am 500 miles from my favorite blind. So it ended up being traded off on something else with a decent amount of cash coming my way.

Most great buys I've made have been by luck. Some I've missed have been those which I regret the most like everyone else does. But the education I have gotten here has educated me to what most gun values are and what traps to avoid. Also I now understand almost all of the guns I am looking at can be found for less or in better condition if I just wait. There are very few one of a kind guns that I am interested in.

My head shaker happened in a pretty well known and respected gun emporium so I won't mention the name. I was looking at a Parker and opined that it was too bad the barrel had been cut. The clerk said, "I wouldn't be too sure about that; you know those Parkers are made in England and over there they measure in centimeters which are different than inches." I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything.

While looking for 10.75 bullets I came across a 10.75x52r "Louise Christople" double rifle. It actually was a Louis Christophe by Jules Bury rifle.

I brought for much less than it should have sold for had they understood what they had

Fin2Feather,

That's priceless! He managed 2 factual errors, plus 1 very odd twist of logic...in a single sentence!

I would have put my phone on video record and asked him to repeat his answer. That's the kind of video that makes one laugh on even the toughest day.

- Sentry

My favorite: "Do the barrels have a vent rib?"
Naw..... pretty sure it's straight.