[Previous entry: "Forget the rule of law"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Knife-making workshop"]

10/12/2006 Archived Entry: "Gunshow Swap"

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Blogispondent Ian here again. I went to a gun show the other day, just because it was there. I wasn't really looking for anything, but you never know when you'll find a good deal on ammo or something, right? Well, I took along this generic Glock I had that I was trying to sell, thinking that maybe I could find a buyer.

I got in, and roamed through the show for an hour or two, pretty well covering everything (it was a small show). There wasn't anything particularly interesting there, just the usual stuff...and no bulk ammo (my main interest at shows) at all. I was carrying the Glock in a case with a hand-written "for sale" sign on it, and not getting much attention. A few dealers asked to see it, but my price wasn't good enough for a dealer to profit on.

As I was getting set to leave (literally; I was heading back towards the entrance), I had a guy ask if he could take a look at the Glock. He set down the pistol case he was carrying, and I handed him my pistol. He hefted it a couple times, inspected the barrel, and then commented to me, "Actually, I'm selling a .45 here too."

With a line like that, I figured I'd be heading back home any moment now, with my Glock still in hand. But just for kicks, I asked what he had. So he popped open the pistol case he'd been carrying, and the contents just about jumped out calling my name. It was a pristine Argentine Sistema 1911, military crest on one side and "D.G.F.M. - (F.M.A.P.)" on the other. Not a hugely valuable piece, but a gun with just the right combination of historical interest, practicality, and style. My hand just instinctively reached down and wrapped around the grip. I looked at it a bit more thoroughly, and asked what price the fellow was asking. He answered with a number also the same as my price on the Glock. We both went back to looking at the pistols, and finally I asked, "Would you be interested in swapping?"

"I was just thinking about that," he answered.

So, a few moments later, I walked out to my car with a shiny new 1950s-made 1911 in my hands. I didn't plan to get one, and I really have no need for it. But how could I resist?

Of course, now I'm facing the issue of whether or not to keep it. I could certainly use the cash value for other things, and if I keep the new Sistema, I'll need to make some modifications to it (mainly adding an ambidextrous safety and filing out the magazine well so that mags will drop free). It's such a beautiful gun that I'm hesitant to do that to it. I could instead swap it again for any number of other things I really have more use for...

Life is full of tough choices, isn't it?

Posted by Ian @ 07:43 PM CST
Link