Rarities at Antique Arms Show

[Frederick303]

I may be an outlier, but those really super nice one of a kind items do not appeal to me. Not that they are not nice, unique and I am glad there is somebody on the planet to preserve them, but if you own one, you really are not going to use it. If I had one I would be hostage to it, needing to ensure it did not deteriorate in my lifetime.

Some of my favorite guns are the ones I got for next to nothing because they were turds, and had to spend time and effort to make them into something worth having. Like my 25 dollar Maltby, destroyed forend, with a #3 bolt head and questionable bore/throat. Lapped the bore, re-crowned the bore, restocked, center bedded it, ball burnished it eventually and after a number of stock adjustments, I have a fine "regulated" No 4 that shoots well to 300 yards with most 303 ammo. Learned a lot I could not have done otherwise.

I have a few nice original rifles but as I get older they do not come out of the rack. When I am old and grey.....already there,.........well completely grey and really feeble , I think the arms I will muse over are those I used not those that I got in mint shape but have no memories. Perhaps my kids will get a few bucks out of them, but I doubt they will keep them, they might keep deal old dad's Maltby match rifle.

Something to ponder, rather than torture yourself over items outside of your price range.