Should I kick myself, and if so, how hard?

[Heartland Patriot]

So, I went to the FW Gunshow this past Sunday. I saw one or two things that caught my eye, but not too many. One that did was a Sig P226. It was forest green. I inquired about it and the man behind the table said it was made in 1993 and was a former German police pistol. He had bought a batch of 12 and did a refurb on them, all new factory springs, etc. (His sign said he was/is a Sig armorer.) The ones that had good exteriors got sold as-is. Four or five of them had some significant holster wear on the outside, so he refinished them in something like Gun-Kote, can't remember the name of the product, but baked on stuff he said wouldn't chip. It also came with two or three 15 round mags. He was asking just under $600 for it, and I kind of feel like kicking myself that I didn't buy it. But, my income tax money hasn't come in yet, and you can only do what you can do. Should I be kicking myself, and if so, how hard?

[MoJo]

No. Why spend $$$ you don't have? When you do it puts you in the same league as the gov'ment.

[Thomas]

No. Why spend $$$ you don't have? When you do it puts you in the same league as the gov'ment.

+1

[smoothoperator]

Last time I looked, you could get a CPO SIG 226 in that price range with a warranty.

Don't kick yourself unless you like the idea of an aftermarket green finish by some dude you never heard of. Also, guns lose most or all their collector value when they're refinished so unless you really liked that color....

[Heartland Patriot]

Alright, I hear what y'all are saying. My problem is that when I look around on the "interwebs", I see all kinds of prices for used firearms of a given make/model. It makes it hard to know what I should pay vs. a new one. Now, I understand if its something really old and collectible, and especially if in great shape, that its going to be worth a lot of money. But I'm just talking about guns that are current or semi-recent production...I'm sure I've complained about this before in some earlier thread, but unless you do a LOT of research, it seems like you're either going to end up paying too much or you're going to kick yourself for letting something get away. Obviously, I was afraid I'd done the latter. I appreciate the replies so far.

[sugar land dave]

Unless you feel about the Forrest Green the same way the ladies feel about the Flamingo Pink, I think you made the right decision.

[PR1042]

http://www.summitgunbroker.com/226_40_cal__.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mot7981]

I agree with earlier posters. Don't spend $$$ you don't have. There are a lot of great firearms out there and the previous post just goes to show there will always be another deal. Besides, the chase is almost the funnest part.

[wgoforth]

Bought a new P226 this summer for $650. It was the E2, so had night sites, SRT package, short trigger and 3 magazines.

[OldCannon]

I've been buying (and selling) guns long enough now to know that "great deals" are not a one-time event. Be patient. When you have the money, you'll find another good deal. These are great times to be a gun buyer, trust me.

[The Annoyed Man]

So, I went to the FW Gunshow this past Sunday. I saw one or two things that caught my eye, but not too many. One that did was a Sig P226. It was forest green. I inquired about it and the man behind the table said it was made in 1993 and was a former German police pistol. He had bought a batch of 12 and did a refurb on them, all new factory springs, etc. (His sign said he was/is a Sig armorer.) The ones that had good exteriors got sold as-is. Four or five of them had some significant holster wear on the outside, so he refinished them in something like Gun-Kote, can't remember the name of the product, but baked on stuff he said wouldn't chip. It also came with two or three 15 round mags. He was asking just under $600 for it, and I kind of feel like kicking myself that I didn't buy it. But, my income tax money hasn't come in yet, and you can only do what you can do. Should I be kicking myself, and if so, how hard?

If you were there on Saturday, you should be kicking yourself that you didn't accost the old fat guy waking around with a beautiful M1A he was trying to sell. He'd have gladly sold it to you.