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What's the One that Got Away?

Anyone care to share their tale of missing out on an air gun and the stinging feeling of remorse that followed? Whether its a childhood memory of never getting the "it" bb gun when all your friends had one. Or turning down a gun for one reason or another, only to regret it later down the road. Or hesitating to buy something when it was cheap and/or easily available that is now rare and/or expensive. Or missing out on a great deal.

I'll start off with mine; After flirting with this hobby for a couple years and cutting my teeth on the typical starter brands and learning from forums like these about the true quality guns and their history, I decided I wanted to graduate to the next level and started looking for something special and well-built. One Diana 34 later and I was hooked on German guns. I'd found my following and fell down the rabbit hole pretty quick.

Around that time (about two years ago), I was looking through the local Craigslist listings one evening before bed and low and behold a Beeman R1 with Blue Ribbon Model 66 scope popped up not more than a few hours prior. Asking price: $125. I called the number as fast as I could and managed to connect with the seller who said it was still available. I told him I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but because of the late hour asked if we could meet first thing the next morning which he agreed to.

I felt like I won the lottery! Finding an air rifle that made magnum springer history with period correct scope to boot for that price was sensational. It would easily be the jewel of my fledging collection. I could hardly sleep I was so excited. Around 6am the next morning I wok up, and checked the Craigslist ad again for whatever reason. The page was gone. My heart dropped but tried not to panic. I waited until a decent hour and called up the seller who told me the rifle was no longer available. Apparently not more than a few minutes after we'd spoke the night before, someone else called saying that they were in the area and would like to check out the air rifle. Naturally, the rules of first come first serve played out... I was devastated at the time and spent the rest of the day cursing myself for not having jumped in my car as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Turns out I would ironically meet the lucky buyer a few weeks later when he responded to an ad of my own for a cheap Chinese Beeman that I was trying to sell. We ended up having a good laugh about it, mostly about the serendipity of it all. But I'll be honest, the sting of missing out on that Beeman by such a slim margin lasted a while. Luckily I now have an R1 of my own (below) that's been doing a good job of helping me forget that memory. (Although I paid a lot more than $125 for it!)

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Yeah, I didn't bid enough on this gorgeous HW97K on one of the auction sites a while back. It sold for a lot of money, but what is money for anyway? I wanted it just because I don't have one. I could have bought it but watched the auction end instead. Who knows how high the bidding would have gone if I'd stayed in it. Told myself afterwards a gun like that would probably end up cutting my thumb off. Didn't make me feel any better that I let it go. It's probably the one I still regret not getting.

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attaman ap16 compact with a spare air tube and several magazines.. really wanted one but I didn't have the money..
then it went on sale at pyramid on clearance.. still more money than I had but I think I could have borrowed the rest and had it paid back before now.. but then I got spooked wondering what happened if I buy it and it is not available anymore because it is from Russia.. still kicking myself every week..
I don't want to get into politics but I don't understand why the attaman ap16 is not available but attaman rifles are? also I read I forgot what it was Lesley or Ed gun? was made in Russia.. but it quite possible that they are made in other countries too? or imported to a different country and assembled?.. yes I don't know, but I sure wish I would have gotten it.
 
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Mine was a Brocock Sahara .22
It was on consignment(used) at a local air gun store. I was able to handle and even shoot it and found it to be awesome. I got the seller's contact info and called, no answer... I left a message and the next day the seller called, and we came to an agreement. We decided to meet that afternoon when I got off work. When I got to the truck a message from the seller that he had sold it. I get it, A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I appreciate the seller for at least calling, but I was disappointed, nevertheless. Now another side of the topic: THE ONE THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE COMING: I was gifted the Airforce Texan .457 Given to me from a friend and fellow AGN member. I have been curious about big bore air guns, but not to the point of buying. I'm excited to get some trigger time with the Texan and I plan on doing some hunting this fall. Thanks again Guhn, for the wonderful gift.
 
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I looked at pieces in a box and a nice looking stock . the guy wanted $400 , showed me plastic zip lock bags of small parts " Every thing is here labeled ! " i was a relative nubie at the time
I walked away from a Wiscombe
Ooof....that's gotta be painful in retrospect.

But to your credit, if you don't know what you're looking at then its understandable to pass on the deal. And for a beginner, those are big dollars to spend on a new hobby, regardless of whether the real value is much much more.
 
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Ooof....that's gotta be in retrospect.

But to your credit, if you don't know what you're looking at then its understandable to pass on the deal. And for a beginner, those are big dollars to spend on a new hobby, regardless of whether the real value is much much more.
3 years ago @ Midwest air gun show , A Wiscomb what ?
 
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Mine was a Brocock Sahara .22
It was on consignment(used) at a local air gun store. I was able to handle and even shoot it and found it to be awesome. I got the seller's contact info and called, no answer... I left a message and the next day the seller called, and we came to an agreement. We decided to meet that afternoon when I got off work. When I got to the truck a message from the seller that he had sold it. I get it, A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I appreciate the seller for at least calling, but I was disappointed, nevertheless. Now another side of the topic: THE ONE THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE COMING: I was gifted the Airforce Texan .457 Given to me from a friend and fellow AGN member. I have been curious about big bore air guns, but not to the point of buying. I'm excited to get some trigger time with the Texan and I plan on doing some hunting this fall. Thanks again Guhn, for the wonderful gift.
it seems to me that if you make a agreement you keep it 🤔 I've had a few upset people on Craigslist when I had some tools for sale and I said that if the person I had a appointment with failed they would be next in line.. guess I just believe in keeping my word..
if you don't mind PM me once you have shot the Texan.. I've been interested too, but wondering about recoil and if there's a lightweight slug or pellet that doesn't have recoil.. have you seen the Quigly bucket challenge with the Texan? I love seeing it.. and scoped a cold shot scope jack is a must. I likely would try to put open sights on with verneer scale..
Mark
 
it seems to me that if you make a agreement you keep it 🤔 I've had a few upset people on Craigslist when I had some tools for sale and I said that if the person I had a appointment with failed they would be next in line.. guess I just believe in keeping my word..
if you don't mind PM me once you have shot the Texan.. I've been interested too, but wondering about recoil and if there's a lightweight slug or pellet that doesn't have recoil.. have you seen the Quigly bucket challenge with the Texan? I love seeing it.. and scoped a cold shot scope jack is a must. I likely would try to put open sights on with verneer scale..
Mark
I feel the same and conduct my affairs with that mindset. I would be glad to PM you (hopefully this weekend) when I shoot the Texan. I have some NSA 196 grain slugs that I want to try I'll let you know how Thay do. just got it all put back together from replacing the o rings and it had some kind of aftermarket stock that was broken, so I put it back in original condition.
 
I feel the same and conduct my affairs with that mindset. I would be glad to PM you (hopefully this weekend) when I shoot the Texan. I have some NSA 196 grain slugs that I want to try I'll let you know how Thay do. just got it all put back together from replacing the o rings and it had some kind of aftermarket stock that was broken, so I put it back in original condition.
thank you, that would be wonderful.. as far as recoil I have seen a lot of recoil on the airgun Quigly bucket challenge, but I also seem to remember some of the guys were shooting 500 grain slugs.. launching that much weight has to cause a lot of recoil.. now for my part.. I have 22 caliber PCPs and I shoot 22lr also.. but since I have gotten older the recoil really bothers me with anything more.. I used to shoot rws 48 in 22 caliber and I don't remember any recoil but I have a Gamo varmint shotgun 22 smooth bore and it's a spring break gun but after a dozen shots I'm sore enough it's not fun anymore so I rarely shoot it.. I'm very surprised that it's accurate enough to put 22 pellets on a 3" spinner at 50 yards..
I used to shoot large caliber powder guns but as I got older in the last 6 years I don't anymore shoulder them.. actually went down to just my 357 lever action and 410 and I can't shoulder them anymore.. just shoot from the hip..
I'm hoping to get together with a friend who has some 30 caliber PCPs and see what they are like for recoil but I don't imagine them to be much different than a 22 PCP.. so I am actually trying to figure out what the comfortable point is.. I'd like to get a 30 caliber or something larger but I don't want to buy something to sit in the safe and not used.
thank you
Mark
 
I mainly shoot .22 I have the Benjamin Cayden that I like very much. I have been talking about getting into big bore air guns, but like you I don't want to buy and not use. My friend gave me the Texan, so here I am. Last year a friend had shoulder surgery and was having a hard time shouldering his bulldog .357 I suggested that he try my primos trigger stick bipod to shoot from. It worked out good for him so much so, that he bought his own set and uses it to this day even though his shoulder has healed. Maybe it will work for you too? I will keep you posted on my shot results from the Texan.
 
The one that has always gotten away. For me, it's the FX Wildcat. But perhaps a bit more philosophically than specific examples of where I missed out on a good deal. It's been near the top of my short list for many years, going back to the original model. Most of the guns that make it to the top three or so of my WTB list end up getting purchased. All except one, really. The Wildcat is the only example where I just never got one in hand. Even when the Mk2 and then Mk3 came out (Wow, nice improvements!) and it jumped to the very top of the list again, something always got in the way, usually the purchase of a different expensive airgun, causing me to hold off on the Wildcat yet again.

It really does fit the bill as the perfect form and function for the type of hunting/pesting I spend most of my time doing, but unfortunately it does seem forever doomed to flounder atop my list of WTB. Maybe someday I'll connect with one. I do get a little rush of excitement each time I see one in the classifieds, but always something precluding the purchase.