How do I do it, finding the good ones

[usnmars 136]

OK, I get asked all the time how the heck do I find some of the guns that I find at such killer prices.  The number one key is to recognize a diamond in the rough.  Like my dad told me when I went to get my first car and he didn't help pay for it, "you'll appreciate it more when you have to work for it."  This mentality holds true for the gun world also.  I went to an auction yesterday and picked up some guns cheap, almost giving them away cheap.  But the ones I was snagging people were asking why, why would someone want that thing.  Well as long as the bores are good, you can fix everything else up fine.  The first thing I do when I see a gun I like, no matter the condition it is in, is to look at the bore.  Wood can be replaced, repaired, or refinished.  Metal can be parkerized, blued, or re polished.  But once a bore is toast, there is no going back.  So as an example I picked up this Lithgow Enfield for far less than $100 yesterday, people laughed when I got it.  But sure enough the bore is a friggin mirror, the gun just really needs to be cleaned.  I will post some after pics but I assure the gun looks mint to my eye, almost perfect.  Once I clean it up and post pics, you will see my vision    Just be on the lookout for a dirty, ugly gun.  What can you make out of it, can you rework it to look purdy?  I picked up an original Krag Carbine yesterday for $175 because it looked like a turd, I got it home and wiped it down and its a real gem. 

[RecessedFilter 222]

Large reason why I buy as many T53's as I can. Usually around 150 bucks, you have to go through quite a few to find a decent bore but once you do, there's no reason NOT to buy one or more. Plus some have some nice trench art on them. I love trench art.

[Njbanshee 9]

Where is there a gun auction? That sounds like fun.