Favorite Gun Auction Site for C&R

[JHE1956]

I don't think I have expended my quota of nube so let me throw this out:

Is there a consensus on a preferred online gun auction site for picking up C&Rs I have used GunBroker to pick up a Webley revolver, M1 Carbine and Israeli 98 Mauser, but before I get too wedded to the site I thought I would see if the group had a better recommendation.

John

 

[Docster]

I follow GB, Auction Arms and Guns America. One of my favorite C & R vendors is Robertson's-they list heavy on GA. Better deals on AA and GA than GB, IMHO.

 

[Machodoc]

I follow GB, Auction Arms and Guns America. One of my favorite C & R vendors is Robertson's-they list heavy on GA. Better deals on AA and GA than GB, IMHO.

I pretty much agree with Docster (as usual). You really have to watch them all carefully for a bargain, and you have to really know that particular firearm well in order to get said bargain, but they occasionally show up. You also have to pay close attention.**

I see far more reasonable prices, on the whole, on GB than any other site, but there are unrealistic dreamers selling on all auction sites. As Docster mentioned, Robertson's lists on GA. Look carefully at the many photos they post. Some of their stuff is much better than other pieces, but they are very good to deal with.

[** I recently snapped up an Argie Sistema on GB because the buy it now price was rather low for that particular pistol and it had just been listed. When it arrived, it looked good, but the sights weren't original and someone had chamfered down the front of the slide to make the new sight fit. To complicate things even more, the original grip on one side fell to pieces on the fifth shot ... it had been cracked and glued back together. That said, I wish the slide hadn't been modified, but I bought it for a shooter anyway, and the replacement sights are actually very good. Even though the slide was cut down a bit, whoever did the job was a craftsman, and they also did a trigger job on it. It's got about the nicest pull of anything I own. Also on the plus side, the seller is sending me replacement 1911A grips for it. Not ideal, but it will be a very good shooter. You win and you lose. That one was still a moderate win, but I was expecting a big win.]

 

[zebramochaman]

I have used gunauctions.com extensively but I buy many of my C&R guns from SOG. You can only buy from them if you have an FFL (FFL03 C&R is acceptable).

 

[pasadenatim]

I check the A-1 Reading Auction site who are located near Gettysburg PA. They specialize if Firearms auctions. Mostly modern and hunting, but usually have C&R's mixed in. Generally, are in good shape coming from estates and personal collections. I recently picked up an Enfield No 4 (T) less scope and mount, but was under $500.

 

[somd_mustangs]

My own preferences are Gun Broker and Auction Arms (gunauction.com) but by far the most activity for me is on GB, which has a much larger selection, especially of obscure C&R stuff. A big disadvantage is that there is not really a whole lot of recourse on these sites if the item is not as described, other than bad feedback to the offender. They typically don't get involved to resolve problems unless it's egregious. Fortunately I've only had two bad experiences (deliberately misleading descriptions) but didn't get hurt too badly. On Auction Arms, check out seller "JackTheDog" - always has good stuff, always accurate descriptions and great photos. His auctions are an industry standard for current values. He also ships to C&R in Maryland

Also gotten some really good deals on http://www.gunrunnerauctions.com but with this site, you gotta be on your toes as the descriptions aren't always accurate (has 200+ consignment guns to deal with each auction cycle so that's understandable). And once you win, it's yours period. Like most "real" auctions, "you bought it". But Scott will answer any detailed questions and provide over-the-phone descriptions if necessary.

In addition to the excellent advice stated in previous posts, you have to be lucky, swift, and careful, not necessarily in that order. It also depends what you are looking for. If you're looking at purely collector guns you are really better off buying directly from a trusted source. That way you are assured of quality and typically a generous return policy. My favorite is Legacy Collectibles in PA, which is primarily focused on pre-WWII and WWII PP, PPK, Luger and P.38. Great people to deal with and they offer fair prices for high-quality, original, non-import collector guns. They also recognize C&R in Maryland.... just stay away from my P.38's

http://www.legacy-collectibles.com

Bear in mind that sellers like Robertson's will more than likely be offering guns with import stamps which is not very desirable for collector value, but a good deal for shooters.

 

[dancnr]

I have used GB, it helps to know the features of what you want, sellers often seem unsure. And I have bid on Rock Island Auction lots before. They are harder to score a deal on, but you can get that piece you are looking for for a fair price. The regional auctions tend to have the more common C&R stuff, the premier ones get pricey, but the stuff in them is nice. I have been meaning to pay attention to the different auction houses but haven't much. And right now the budget is going towards other projects...

 

[Boom Boom]

GunAuction, JackTheDog, straight shooter, zero BS

 

[somd_mustangs]

Yup, JackTheDog is a superb guy to deal with. Literally a foundation of Auction Arms. Great photos. Knows his stuff, has tons of reference materials to make sure what he has consigned is the real deal. Nice guy too. I think I've bought 10 guns from him out of the 12 or so purchased via Auction Arms... all good with no hiccups, received within 2 days of payment.