Patrick,

I hear what you're saying and pretty much agree with you. I'm not a serious collector, just like to get the best I can afford which admittedly is usually fixer uppers.

They have 10 Arisakaicon's at this auction. I've narrowed them down to three that I'm interested in with possibly 2 others that if they go way low I'd consider. They haven't had one with an intact mum in over 6 months, today they have about 5 I think without looking back through my papers but 3 of them are missing important things like the handguard, mis matched bolts or have bad bores. One is listed as having a dark bore and as it is chrome, I believe it just needs cleaned.

I'm heading out the door now, may have one to report later, I don't know. This auction tends to not favor me much, things I don't want sell cheap and things I do go high, maybe I'm getting to be a better judge of the rifles if nothing else. After seeing what a few fellows recently purchased, one locally, I'm not going to throw down a lot of cash today as the one purchased for $300 at a gun show is vastly superior to anything at this auction.