Another Friggin Caliber Ammo On Order

[Glenn B]

Somehow, I once again found myself drawn like a moth to a flame and wound up in Geneva, NY this past weekend. As usual, the main reason I was there was to attend the most recent Hessney Auction Company's rod & gun auction.

Yes, I bid but no I did not win any bids. I say that quite literally because I do not believe you "win a bid" when bidding at an auction; that has to have been a term thought up by a shrewd auctioneer to make people feel good about paying to much for something on which they bid. On the other hand, I did have the high bid on a few auction items and just look at what followed me home:




That is a Marlin 1936, 2nd variation, probably produced in 1941 or earlier. It has a goodly amount of case color on the receiver and lever and that is a good thing. The bluing is EXC overall, so far. That may change in my estimation once I take the wood off to do a thorough cleaning. The pics show a lot of the case color but not all and I am guessing that is because I took them under incandescent lighting. The best most real looking shot is of the left side of the receiver. All in all there is some very nice red, blue, green and yellow coloring.

I just ordered a case of Federal 170 grain round nose 30-30 WIN from TargetSportsUSA.

I also picked up a Springfield (made by Savage as I understand) Model 944, Series A, single shot 12 gauge shotgun. The shotgun was $100.52 out the door. Not a bad price for an apparently G to VG condition gun cosmetically and one I hope is in full working order.



Both of the guns seem to be in full working order but I have not test fired them yet. Once I get the ammo from TargetSportsUSA, I will have to take a trip to the range with them.

In addition to that I picked up about 4 small lots of ammo. There was one box 30-30 WIN in all of that but I had not been planning on bidding on it when I attended the preview and thus never checked it out beforehand. So, I bid on it in the blind which I rarely do and never recommend doing. It wound up that it is pretty old and somewhat corroded around the copper jackets where the jackets meet the lead on some of the rounds. I may clean it and shoot it or may just get rid of it; decisions, decisions. The other lots of ammo included a couple of boxes of 44 REM Magnum (two separate lots of one box each)and a lot containing two boxes Hornady 200 grain FTX Leverevolution ammo.

As usual I had an excellent time. Had a few drinks the night before at the Hotel Exchange bar. On Saturday, after the auction, I stopped at the Hotel Exchange for their special steak dinner - only $10 for a salad, basket of bread, veggie, potato and a 14 to 16 ounce boneless NY Strip Steak that was out of this world excellent.

I hope to head that way again soon, within the next month or two, to get my next fix attend another of their auctions and have another $10 steak diner. Their next firearm auction is in March but is an Early Gun and Military auction which I doubt I will attend. I'll probably go to the Rod & gun auction in April if I can make it.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[togmaster]

I like that Marlin. Nice find.

 

[ArmedCorgi]

Beautiful rifle! 30-30 is a great caliber. A lot of fun to shoot.

 

[Podmonkey]

That is a gorgeous rifle! That case hardend finish is just beautiful!

 

[Glenn B]

That is a gorgeous rifle! That case hardend finish is just beautiful!

It looked even better with a thin film of Break Free CLP on it.

I have seen a few of these for sale on GunBroker since Saturday and they had little to zero case color remaining (one was even badly rusted and that one is not listed anymore so maybe it sold) and the asking prices were just under what I paid for mine. Add on shipping and an FFL fee and even at the lowest acceptable bid price on GunBroker, you'd be paying about the same for a lot less rifle. It's nothing I could turn around for a lot of profit, maybe an instant $100 bucks or so but I think this one a keeper for at least a good while of shooty goodness.

 

[Podmonkey]

Oh I'd definitely keep it, thing has character. Not to mention the fact the jerkoffs at Remington have completely ruined Marlin now.

 

[NirvanaFan]

What are the prices generally like on the firearms? Are there ever any deals, or does everything go for pretty much retail? I've got family down in Ontario County, so a quick trip to Geneva isn't a big deal.

 

[Glenn B]

What are the prices generally like on the firearms? Are there ever any deals, or does everything go for pretty much retail? I've got family down in Ontario County, so a quick trip to Geneva isn't a big deal.

The high bids are all too often what some arsehats are willing to overpay. How it works is they start the bidding at whatever starting price they can get from a bidder. Some already have a starting price when the live auction starts because they just recently started up the auctions online prior to the live bidding date. In other words, they have the auction open online first. I made some bids online for one such auction but think that is a potential big mistake on a bidder's part because you are bidding sight unseen. Yeah, they show a pic or three of the gun but sometimes all one side and no great quality to any of the photos. Once they get a starting price, bids go up in increments of $25 for the most part until it gets to a point when they raise it to $50 increments although you could still shout out a bid $25 higher and they usually accept it if the bidding has slowed at all. Some bids on guns go in increments $5 or $10 if they are lower priced or not getting all that much interest. Bidding goes until no one else is bidding and then the gun to the highest bidder. That is for guns. Ammo, accessories and such can be bid on in a slightly different manner depending on the lot layout.

After you bid, there are two additional costs over and above your bid. For everything on which you have the high bid, there is a 10% buyer's premium for those paying by cash or check (drawn on a NYS bank) or a 13% buyer's premium for those paying with credit card. Then add 7.5% sales tax to the total of your high bid(s) plus the premium. That and the seller's premiums are how the auction house makes money.

Many folks, in fact way too many, seem to forget about the buyer's premium and or sales tax when bidding or maybe they are just total arsehats wo have no comprehension of how much a particular gun is worth or worse yet they believe they are winning something by being able to outbid someone to win a bid. You are not winning anything at an auction. What you are doing is buying somethin for the price you are willing to pay, that is if your bid is the high bid. Some people just do not get that or are too moronic to do research and a little math beforehand to determine what amount of money they are or should bewilling to bid. A couple of quick examples one of a moron, and one of someone getting a good deal from this auction:

Someone bid $325 on a unfired in the box (in other words a new) Henry Lever, in 22LR with round blued 18.5" barrel. I can get that very same gun, here in Nassau County from my nearest dealer, for $327 out the door. Yet that bidder had to pay a total of $384 if paying by cash or check- or paid $395 if paying by credit card (all rounded off to nearest dollar) to get it out of the auction house door. They are readily available rifles and I would bet you can get them for less up near Geneva than you can near me - so why bid that much! There were a few to several more guns that went for more than I would have to have paid at my local dealer.

Now if you do your research ahead of time, you can get an excellent deal. Yours truly picked up an unfired in box (with all papers and accessories and thus new) Browning Citori Lightning Grade I, O/U shotgun, 12 gauge, 3" chambers, invector chokes, 28" barrels for $828 out the auction house door (premium & tax included). I am sure had I asked a higher starting bid and been more patient, it would have sold for more but I needed money at the time. I wound up selling it and made a modest profit. The guy who bought it from me got it for a song and was probably singing all the way to the bank if he too sold it. Man that was one nice gun and a very good deal I got at the auction.

Then there are the truly collectible pieces and they almost offer at least several if not a couple or few score of them. You can get a good deal on some of them and at other times they go through the roof above any book price or online auction price I can find. I am no expert on collectibles so cannot tell if those were good or bad deals but can say wow some have had an awful lot of interest. They also sell a bunch of lower end or older less than collectible because of condition issue guns, not broken but maybe old and worn usually. Mind you, if then know a firearm is not fully functional they let the bidders know and I base saying so on what I have seen there but also beware all are sold "as is". The bidding on these older lower end guns - the ones at the tail end of the firearms portion of the auction - often goes t an extremely fast pace and some can be an excellent deal going for as little as $25 to $50 for an older 22 or 12 gauge single shot. I bid $85 on that Springfield 12 gauge ($101 out the door and maybe not a great price but certainly not a bad one either).

You can go to their site to look up recent auctions to see for how much something sold. The most recent Rod & Gun auction results can be seen here: 02/11/17 Rod & Gun Auction, the before that: 12/3/16 Rod & Gun Auction. And yes, if you check you will see I paid $562 for that Marlin - out the door because I paid by check (and hope to never to be that hard up again to have to ever again use a credit card because that extra 3% can really add up quickly).

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[NirvanaFan]

@Glenn B thanks for all that info! I really appreciate the detail you put into it. I may have to attend the next one. I really want an old gun or two that I can hang on the wall. No need for them to be in operable condition.

 

[Glenn B]

They sold a non-operable Enfield at this auction. Think it had been a parade gun. If you are going to get anything - get one that works but is just old and in someone's way and thus in the auction. The best ones to look at for that are usually in the last 1/4 to 13 of the firearms offerings. Then to sucker you in, they do the outdoorsy art, decoys, mounts and finally the ammo. Other things like reloading equipment, firearms accessories, books, fishing stuff start before the firearms auction but keep running concurrently in another room until all out.

 

[NirvanaFan]

They sold a non-operable Enfield at this auction. Think it had been a parade gun. If you are going to get anything - get one that works but is just old and in someone's way and thus in the auction. The best ones to look at for that are usually in the last 1/4 to 13 of the firearms offerings.

I just looked through all the firearms and saw that. Those single shot percussion pistols are awesome. That Torador percussion musket was awesome too. I think I even got my wife on board.

 

[Glenn B]

Well, I made an inquiry of Marlin to get some more info about my 1936. They replied asking me to send photos so I kind of, sort of, almost expected them to really come up with additional information beyond what I already had. Then after sending tem about 7 or 8 photos, they get back I touch saying:

Thank you for visiting Marlin! We certainly appreciate you taking the time to write in with your question. According to the serial number provided, your Model 1936 was manufactured sometime between 1936 to 1946. Unfortunately, we can't date exactly when this model was manufactured, because of the fire that destroyed our records from 1906 to 1946. The Model 1936 was manufactured from 1936 - 1948. Please check attachment for more information.

Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our Consumer Services Department at 800-544-8892, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, EST, Monday through Friday.

That as me wondering two things:

1) Why did they insist I send photos, after me already having given them a very a detailed description of my Model 1936 and with them obviously already knowing they could supply no further information?

2) Why does every other source indicate that the Model 1936's with a B prefix were only produced through 1941 and Marlin seems to have no clue as to that?

Oh well, my guess is that I dealt with two different customer service reps. I figure the first customer service rep had more of an interest in my inquiry and wanted to see pics to see if he could give more info about it but that when I sent in the pics, they went to a second rep who was not as interested. Just a guess on my part.

I also guess I have already found out all I am going to find out about it.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[spat]

Well, I made an inquiry of Marlin to get some more info about my 1936. They replied asking me to send photos so I kind of, sort of, almost expected them to really come up with additional information beyond what I already had. Then after sending tem about 7 or 8 photos, they get back I touch saying:



That as me wondering two things:

1) Why did they insist I send photos, after me already having given them a very a detailed description of my Model 1936 and with them obviously already knowing they could supply no further information?

2) Why does every other source indicate that the Model 1936's with a B prefix were only produced through 1941 and Marlin seems to have no clue as to that?

Oh well, my guess is that I dealt with two different customer service reps. I figure the first customer service rep had more of an interest in my inquiry and wanted to see pics to see if he could give more info about it but that when I sent in the pics, they went to a second rep who was not as interested. Just a guess on my part.

I also guess I have already found out all I am going to find out about it.

All the best,
Glenn B

Could be that some of them have a particular feature that would allow them to date it more precisely, but yours didn't. One of those "decorative feature x was only offered in '39" kind of thing.

 

[Phauxtoe]

LOVE your Marlin!
It's worth a new caliber investment. It could be worse, you could be buying a lesser known way more expensive round.

Hell ihave seen box after box of 30-30 at garage sales!

 

[Glenn B]

I ordered that case of 30-30 WIN from Target Sports USA at 1:59 this Wednesday afternoon and it was delivered at 11:49 this morning. At less than 46 hours from order to delivery, that is an excellent turnaround time as is usually the case from Target Sports USA.