doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: gun deal scams

I sold at auction a Savage Fox 16 older model in really nice shape because it was too heavy for anything but a dove gun. I broke it down and packed it carefully and the buyer called and said it wouldnt go together. After a couple of e-mails I told him simply return the gun for a full refund. In the meantime, before I got the gun back, I relisted it on another site, and got an offer for twice as much as the previous sale. I was elated, thinking that the old buyer was simply not a double gun guy and couldnt figure out how to get it together. When I got the gun back, the gun would not close and it was apparent that the lummox had dropped the barrels on the dolls head and bent it. I fiddled with it but the bend was compound and too great to dress out with a file. I had to call and tell the new buyer that the gun had been ruined and was no longer for sale. I consulted a talented double gun smith who said the cost of a decent repair would be more than the guns value, so I sold it as is at the next gun show for half of what I paid for it, but only 20% of the offer I had to refuse. Still pisses me off that the dufus first buyer played me.

Never been scammed on a purchased but one Dealer tried it on with a gun I wanted to sell. Having looked at it he informed me that the barrels were bulged and it was worthless until re-sleeved but would give me something for it. The gun was actually unfired from coming back from the Birmingham Proof House after I had the chambers lengthened from 2 1/2" to 2 3/4". I complemented him on his keen eye sight and that it was better than those at the Proof House and left. Strikes me that he was the kind of Dealer who would make some old widow a generous offer of �10 for her deceased husband's old Purdey! Caveat Vendor on this occasion! Lagopus�..

I remember back in the late 80's maybe early 90's I bought a Parker Skeet gun 16 ga off of Gun list from a well known seller in TX, I asked all the right questions and I bought the gun. I knew it had a Hawkins recoil pad on it. When it came and I unwrapped it was as described until I unwrapped the stock yes it had a recoil pad along with a one inch black spacer ! I called him up as I was at the gun shop and had him on speaker phone and when I asked him about the spacer, he said to me "Well you didn't ask me about that!" which of course I didn't know about. Anyway he did refund my money but I learned you can never ask enough questions !

about 10 years ago, I bought a Fox AE 20 from a well advertised dealer on the boards.
I asked all of the questions to establish the legitimacy of the gun.
it was PG, DT, SFE, 26" barrels. I asked for choke measurements. they were IC and Mod. I don't remember the decimal dimensions but they were correct. I asked if the barrels were cut. He said they were uncut, original. and he further stated he had a letter coming from Callahan and would send it to me as soon as he got it to prove the barrels were original. he said I had 3 day inspection.
well, the gun arrives and I open it up and measure the length of the chokes. very short. no way they barrels weren't cut. maybe a half inch of choke in each. I called him and said they were cut and I was sending back. he said they weren't but if the letter showed otherwise he would take it back and give me full refund.

I really wanted a 26" AE so, I figured, what did I have to lose? he was a well known dealer and said he would refund my money in full if the letter indicated longer barrels.
2 months go by. Callahan was taking a bit of time with letter but
he had requested the letter several months before I bought it. I called several times and finally he said he got the letter a while ago (Hmm, why didn't he call me?)
wonder of wonders the letter stated 28" barrels. I said ok, I'm sending it back. He says "oh I cant give you a refund now but Ill sell it for you on consignment". WTH???? I said you promised you would take it back with full refund. he said he was short cash and couldn't pay me. I was livid. he had my money, I had a gun that was cut and he made a promise he couldn't keep. He had no shame in the matter.
I was not going to send the gun to him to sell on consignment, He already ripped me off, I wasnt going to get screwed twice. so I held the gun and told him to advertise it and when he sold it, send me my money and I would ship the gun. In the end I got my money back but that was some shady shit!
it was actually one of a 2 gun deal. Ill tell the story of the second gun later.

A few years ago I helped a family sell a Fox XE 20 ga. that was owned by the father of a friend. They tried to sell it and were offered $750 by a dealer who said it was unsafe as is to shoot. The family declined the generous offer. A local antique dealer tried to sell it, but fortunately failed to do so. First order of business was to have it photographed and obtain a Callahan letter. The request for the letter was accompanied with photographs. The Callahan letter was glowing and highly complimentary of its original condition. The grandson of the owner took it by Darlington Gun Works on the way to his New England home and Jim Kelley said it was in safe condition. I wrote up the advertisement for Gunbroker with accompanying documentation and excellent photos and the gun was listed with no reserve, starting bids at $.01.
A bidding war erupted and the hammer fell at $24,001.00. Beware of the sharks in the water. Gil

I took a very nice cased J.P.Sauer hammer double rifle with dies bullets brass etc.to a local dealer after he referred to the blue book [??] he looked me straight in the eye and offered me a grand total of $750.00. I'm 85 but haven't lost it yet.

I dealt with old Herschel Chaddick(emphasis on the 4 last letters of his surname, if you will)-- ONCE-- I never bought a Parker from him, a friend did- about 20 odd years ago. A VHE 20 with 28"barrels (per ad in the Gun List)-- after some negotiating-- when the gun arrived, he just assumed that the barrels were full length- they had been cut down to 27", and the top rib was re-matted and the sight bead re-set. He called or Hershey, and after some backing and filling, he got a 15% refund off the price he paid. That was was the old ad (Best Little whore-house in Texas- where the customer always gets screwed) was the mode de jour.

About 15 years ago, I found myself with 3 pre-1964 M70's- all in 30-06 cal. I decided to sell one outright, rather than consign. All were std. grade M70's, the one I parted with was a 1950 year, no scope, but of course, drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and with the steel checkered butt plate- about 85% OAL condition, mint bore, sn. etched on bolt matched the sn on the barrel--all there, and worth to me $1500. That market for pre-1964 M70's is gone, doubt if it will ever return.

I accepted his check, cashed it, waited for my bank (Chase) to OK it, then instructed friend Brad B. to pack and ship it to Chaddick, which he did, UPS insured. About 2 weeks later, I got a phone call from Hershey-Bar-Boy himself- he claimed that the bolt was not in battery, but placed in the styro-foam- next to the pg, and that in shipping, it had apparently moved against the curve of the pg and somehow scratched the wood- He said that his gunsmith could refinish it at a cost of $150 (10 percent of his agreed paid price) and asked me to send him a check in that amount. I declined, and told him he could send it back to Brad at his expense, and I'd have Brad do the work, and I would pay Brad myself, and then have it returned to him afterwards.

I also asked him if he reported any claim for damage in shipment to UPS, and took pictures to document thus spurious claim, showing it detail the entire rifle with SN, also the bolt with etched SN, so we could verify that it was the one and same M70 Brad had shipped to him, and not a "ringer" from his inventory, and to negate any liability for damage in shipment to me- I didn't do the shipping, and he knew that. What a friggin' weasel-

I heard rumors about his miss-representing some high grade counterfeited Parkers to a big $ Texas oilman, and somehow, disappeared- hope that's true.

By the way, oh Tedster of Bobby Dylan's homestate- I enjoy hearing about your late father'service in my beloved USMC.. RWTF

Ooo La La-- I've heard of the cocktail, famous at Harry's Bar in Gay Paree--the French 75-- but now a smaller version of that is extant- The French 69-- care to "splain" Monsewer.?? Le Reynard.

I�ve never been to Paris, France. I spent my time in Lyon, and St. Etienne. The people who lived there were absolutely wonderful to me.
I don�t really drink anything but beer. There was beer from all over the world in St. Etienne, and I had a different one every day.

My Dad was an orphan, born in 1929. He was a foster child for 17 years, and, joined the Marines in 1947. He was active duty until 1969, and in the Marine Corps Reserves until 1977. He was a squared up troop the entire time he was active duty, and remarked when he left active duty that he was having a little trouble realizing he didn�t have to live out of a sea bag any more.

1963?



Just back from a deployment with the Coast Guard, in SE Asia. The Coast Guard was sounding rivers in anticipation for what would come to be known as Vietnam Nam. The cutters were basically unarmed, and taking fire, and a Marine was detached to each, taking a position to return fire. He was promoted to Gunnery Sargent right after this photo was taken. Dad was told not to speak of his service, there, and didn�t. I found out about it at his funeral.

We lost Dad in 2009. I wrote and read the eulogy at his funeral. Been short a good hunting partner, ever since.




Pheasant hunting, last day of the season, maybe 2005? This picture was in the Double Gun Journal, a memorable day of stomping frozen cat tail slews behind a storm front. Might have gotten up to -10 degrees that day, and the roosters tried like hell to stay right where they were. My Setter was on point while we were screwing around taking pictures.

I just awarded custody of Dad�s Beretta Silver Snipe to his only Grandson, my 13 year old son Christopher. I still have the R10 Darne.
Best,
Ted

Ted,
It sounds like your dad had an honorable son. I hope my son is able to remember me in just such a way. I'm 73 today and hope that my "expiration date" is still far off.
Karl