When they do get in a gun or two, they are pre-sold, or well above the normal retail price.There are one or two mom and pop stores still selling at fair prices, but nothing lasts. NOTHING...
My list is short, with a half dozen items...
An M1 Garand - because I shot one in National Match Competition while on active duty with the Corps
An M1A National Match, known in the Corps as the M14, same reason... shot the Match Grade M14s in Competition.
Colt Gold Cup National Match - Shot them in the Corps and in PPC and loved them.
Ruger #1 Varmint in 223 - I have 223 ammo and have always wanted a #1 Single Shot.
Tommy Gun, just because. Semi Auto is fine. Actually prefer the Semi Auto, less paperwork and don't want to be on the list.
A Single action Ruger or Uberti in .357 (Birds head with a short barrel.) - I owned the Ruger 22 single action and a 357 Blackhawk and liked them both.
These are all guns I "want," not need. If they never showed up, my life wouldn't end. I have things to shoot.
My friend emailed me and told me he had something I might be interested in. He would give me a great price if I did. He had to dig through his safe to find it, and Yup... he still had it.
Ruger .357 Maximum, new in the box.
Yup, you read that right, 357 Max. They are getting harder and harder to find, and this one is so NEW in the box it still has the zip tie around the hammer.
I asked what he wanted. He told me what the local dealer had offered a few years before, an insult. He said my offer had to be less than that, a real low ball offer. "Friends don't make money off Friends." As a joke, I made my lowball offer. He accepted.
We went thru the process of finding the two FFL dealers and a couple weeks later the box arrived. I received a box with the NIB Ruger and two boxes of ammo.
Good thing, no ammo, no brass, and no dies are available. Everywhere said Out of Stock or Backordered.I am going to shoot this thing.
He sold it to me because we are friends and I certainly wouldn't turn around and sell it to make a profit.
He wanted me to shoot it, and to enjoy it. I can shoot .357 mag in it, and I can reload for that. If I can find additional brass and or dies from someone who sold their gun...
... I'll shoot the Max in it as well. I might use this to drop a few yotes with the 357 Maximum ammo. I understand it's a good hunting round as well. My research says this Ruger Model has been discontinued, and told me why, mainly because the owners couldn't follow directions. Use of bullet weights less than 158 grain was specifically discouraged, and there were lighter bullets factory loaded, especially the 125 grain JHP. But those were likely loaded for the TC Single Shot handguns or the other 357 Max Rifles. Those who followed the Ruger Guidelines didn't report problems.
I hope to start on the berm for my range in the near future, as soon as my boo boo hand heals... I'll have 100 yards to safely test 'er out. The gun was designed for Silhouette shooting, and was very popular. I know it was supposed to be very accurate. I can't wait.
