Firearms Friday: A Long Absence

It had been over four months since I was last in a gun shop so it was nice to return to Tanner’s Sports Center this week and catch up with some of the guys behind the counter. While most of my visits in the past consisted of looking around to see what interesting items had come through the door and what I would like to add to my wish list, this time it was a completely different trip as I was seeking some information regarding the current prices should I do a little bit of safe cleaning. Even with conversations such as this, knowing they are not going to be making a sale, I got help from at least a half dozen employees who were happy to help figure everything out. Try getting that service just before closing time at some of the retail chains (and some of the other local shops).

Of course, while we were chatting I couldn’t help but take a look through the used cases just to see what was being offered and how much some of the firearms were selling for. And, as many of you know and experience on a regular basis, when you look you can’t help but ask to touch. This was the case when I caught a glimpse of a FN Five Seven in excellent condition. I had only handled one other in the past but that is years ago at this point. I keep forgetting how light, functional, and comfortable those handguns are. But, I was not there to buy (and I have never spent that much on a firearm) so I handed it back for someone else to steal at $899. That might be right up there with the Desert Eagle as a couple of my lottery guns.

After chatting a bit more I left wondering when I would be able to make it back to the store again. Time is not something that I have a lot of and it will be difficult to make it back (especially with the ongoing construction that is still jamming things up for mile surrounding the store. Maybe there are a few other, more convenient, places that I will have to reluctantly explore. Now the next task will be to find a few minutes to get on the range and enjoy this difficult and relaxing hobby. However, my next trip may be sooner rather than later to the store to take them up on the prices that I was offered. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Firearms Friday: Wish List

#1 on my wish list... IWI Tavor IDF.

It really doesn’t matter what you collect of what you enjoy as a hobby, everyone has a wish list of some kind. I can remember when I was younger collecting baseball cards of teams and players as well as filling coin catalogs with every date and mint mark… there was always a certain card or coin that I was looking for at any given moment. Even now, whenever my wife and I are in a new place or walking through an old bookstore, we try and find something Wizard of Oz related to fit into her collection. She may not have a defined wish list but there are certain things that she looks for when browsing through the aisles.  

Generally speaking, for some people it is one or two items while for others the list is far longer than that which you own. I definitely fall in the latter of the two and it is actually a pretty diverse list of firearms ranging from the inexpensive Diamondback DB9FS, Zastava CZ999, Walther CCP, and Smith & Wesson SD9 to a Cabot Guns 1911, Detonics Defense STX, IWI Tavor IDF, Smith & Wesson 500 Performance Center, Binelli M4, IWI 50AE Desert Eagle, and FN PS90. Like I said, a rather diverse group. Heck, I just like things that are a little different and it really doesn’t matter what the price is… it is a wish list after all, a mix of the realistic and completely unreasonable.

And, of course, there are the mid-range, easy to find items. The ones that you regularly pass up even though you ask to see it every time you walk into the door of the gun shop. Sometime they will even have it ready for you. Many of these firearms are on most lists like the Sig Sauer MK25 (P226 Navy), Walther PPQ M2, Smith & Wesson M&P 45, CZ P-09, FNH FNX45 Tactical, IWI Jericho 941, and many other similar guns. Then there are the ones that occasionally come in and you end up kicking yourself for not picking it up when you see it put out in the used case. Prime examples of this for me include the Khar K9, Smith & Wesson 39-2, Styer Mannlicher L-A1, and Walther PPS.

Finally, there are the ones that you have yet to find either new or in the used case… Sometimes it is all about timing and just being the lucky one to find it in the case soon after it is put out. My timing is rarely a positive attribute which is why I have yet to find a Colt All American (2000), BUL M5, IWI SP21, or LionHeart LH9. None of these are particularly expensive firearms especially when well used examples are found but they just don’t surface often.

As many of you know, wish lists can be both a means to focus your efforts and also a frustrating practice. Most lists, in the end, wind up being “if I win the lottery” lists but that doesn’t mean that you can’t just keep track of the items that have piqued your interest. After all, there may be an inexpensive but relatively good quality alternative on the market that you don’t know about yet. And, you never know, maybe you find that unbelievable deal on one of those unreachable items on your list… the kind of situation that you usually only hear about second hand. You just never know so keep working on that wish list.