1911 nonsense

[88E30M50]

You did the right thing. The value of owning most guns comes from shooting it, not holding it for someone else to enjoy shooting later on. There are a few guns around that are honest investments, but not many. A Remington R1 is a fantastic gun to shoot, but is really lacking in investment potential. I appreciate the idea of taking care of something to maintain it's worth, but to fail to use it at all seems silly. If your buddy does not take your advice, he will have spent his money to buy someone elses gun for them, hold it for them for however long and then give it to them while taking a 10 to 20 pct hit.

It's rare that I make money on any gun I buy and then later sell. Most of the time, I lose money in the deal but I'm always happy in the end because for the money lost, I had a ball with that gun. I look at any money lost as a rental fee of sorts. If I buy a gun for $700, run 1000 rounds of ammo through it over the course of 18 months and then sell it for $550, it's no different than if I went to a shop and they offered to rent a brand new gun to me for 18 months, with unlimited use, for $150. . The only way to lose on that deal is to not shoot it during your time of having it. If you hand them back an unfired gun at 18 months, you lose.

Your buddy needs to shoot the thing to the limit of his budget. If he does that for a number of years, the gun will have gained so much value to him, he would have a hard time even thinking of selling it to someone else.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

One ol' boy came into a shop I worked, wanted to trade in his father's 1911 that he had during Korea. I said, sure, bring it in, we'll take a look at it. He comes in with a green Springfield Armory case (not even the early cardboard ones), with a lightly used Springer GI. He then begins to expound upon the features of the weapon, like the idiot mark being a "1" as in the Big Red 1, the unit in which his father served. How the military only issued the stainless finish (that's right) to officers, which his dad was a Sergent. I let him finish, as I hate cutting people off in the middle of an entertaining story. I asked him to prepare for a detailed list of why I won't trade that gun in as a war surplus pistol... He was furious with me and wouldn't leave unless I placated him. I did so by picking up the phone and told him I would call the police if he didn't stop with the threats.

Another ol' boy came in to the same shop when I was wiping down a counter, with a single shot H&R shotgun, very ratty, beat up, pitted bore, with hatch marks cut crudely into the dry rotted stock. His grandfather apparently used this in WW1, that's right, the first war to end all wars. The hatchmarks were "kills". He wanted to trade it EVEN for a Browning Silver Hunter we had on the shelf (a new one). I asked to look at it, which he agreed. I looked at it, then detailed the several reasons why this was made in the late 80s AT BEST. I wasn't snarky, just stating facts. The thing I said that set him off: I couldn't give him any store credit on it b/c it was inoperable (the firing pin didn't move). "At LEAST $500! TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!" he bellowed, still assuring himself that H&R killed several Nazis (yes, NAZIS, apparently they had them in WW1, we just didn't hear of it). Asked him to leave.

Cobra .32s, a man loved them. Would buy at least one a month from us, different colors, calibers, never fired, always in box, didn't want one that was even handled. "What do you have in back?" he demanded, shoving the EXACT change every month. I eventually asked him: Why are you buying so many of these? They aren't very dependable, in fact, our most problematic pistol offered! His response was about collectability, particularly the blue and red ones, b/c when "the system fails, the gangsters are going to want colored ones".

Everything has a value, whether real or imagined...

I love these stories.

I had a drunk who was under arrest for peeing in a Christian bookstore (even Christians find it hard to turn the other cheek when you're laying in aisle 3 with a pool spreading under you) who claimed to have been a Viet Nam vet and have the longest kill on record with a M-something or other AND was a CMOH winner. I'm a vet and had no idea what the M-whatever was, so a buddy with a smart phone looked it up. It was a smoke grenade launcher that was mounted on vehicles. My buddy, also a vet, knew that all the CMOH winners are online. The guy wasn't on there. Finally, since I knew how old he was and knew when we pulled out of Viet Nam it wasn't very tough math to figure he would have been 4 years old during the last year we were there. I asked if he was a drummer boy. He said he was not. People are fun.

 

[Leo]

My advice with customers that would not receive the truth is that "this store is not in the collector business, maybe go online and find a collectors group that would reallp appreciate your firearm". People are funny, the least valuable piece of junk always had the most fantastic story.

 

[LtScott14]

The WW1 "Nazi's" were actually called "Bosche, or Huns", I have a vintage picture album with their dead pics, and first battles at Argonne. My Grandfather was there. Also served under "Black Jack Pershing". The Mexican Campaign was also in the album.(in search for Pancho Villa), won't describe those pics. Graphic is a light term.
Gun shop stories crack me up, have a couple of friends who pass them on. Always a Vet, Seal/Green Beret, medal bragging, even a Dirty Harry cop story somewhere.

 

[indiucky]

Is it possible that his father was confusing "Remington R1" with "Remington Rand"?

And that is what I was getting ready to type.......

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

It's a 1911, shoot it.

 

[nate724]

I am surprised by people that think all 1911 are this amazing high dollar investment or something that goes up over time. I was offered a RIA 1911and the guy wanted $600. It was the run of the mill 1911 that sells new for $495. Very frustrating.

 

[Mike Grasso]

I love these stories.

I had a drunk who was under arrest for peeing in a Christian bookstore (even Christians find it hard to turn the other cheek when you're laying in aisle 3 with a pool spreading under you) who claimed to have been a Viet Nam vet and have the longest kill on record with a M-something or other AND was a CMOH winner. I'm a vet and had no idea what the M-whatever was, so a buddy with a smart phone looked it up. It was a smoke grenade launcher that was mounted on vehicles. My buddy, also a vet, knew that all the CMOH winners are online. The guy wasn't on there. Finally, since I knew how old he was and knew when we pulled out of Viet Nam it wasn't very tough math to figure he would have been 4 years old during the last year we were there. I asked if he was a drummer boy. He said he was not. People are fun.

Reminds me of Eddie Murphy in "Trading Places", making believe he was a Vet or Richard Prior stating he was in the Battle of the Chateau Briand!

Just amazes me, even after 34 years.