Is it just my luck, or are guns hard to find right now?

rickk · March 09, 2011, 06:17:46 PM

I haven't gone on a gun buying spree in a few years. I am used to just stopping by a dealer and telling him what I want and having it be there in 2 days max.

I ask my FFL buddy to get me a pair of Vaquero's. I live in a town with a major New England distributor and my buddy knows everyone there. He comes back with one and tells me the next one that comes in is mine.

I also ask him to get me a SS Rossi 92. He tells me that they tell him they come in "regularly" and the next one is mine.

That is 3 weeks ago... no change.

I do some calling to friends who work at Ruger. They should be making some Vaquero's maybe next month. There are none in the pipeline.

I order online from Taylors 1858 Remmie to complete a pair. Two weeks go by... nothing happens. I call them. The lady I talk to laughs when I tell her what I am calling about. She says someone will call me back. No one calls me back. That was last week. I call again yesterday and get someone else. She tells me that they don't have any, don't know when they will get any, and puts my name on a list.

Is it just me, or is that the way the gun business is now?

joec · March 09, 2011, 06:38:05 PM

In the last two months I picked up a new Uberti Cattleman 5.5", a used ASM 1873 4.75" and a Rossi 92 all in 45 LC. I might add the whole set is in Case Hardened finish. Now I buy most of my guns through Bud's since they are local for me but also have found they can pretty much find any gun one wants.

Here is an example, they had the 20" octagon barreled case hardened finish listed on the internet for $425 which I was looking for. Well I went in the next day to order and pay for it to find it was gone. I told them I wanted them to find me one and got a call withing 2 days saying they found one. When it came in I paid $413 instead of $425. I also have free FFL charges since I'm a range member with them so the ASM I bought used was the price I paid for the gun before it was delivered.

So in fact you ought to try calling them and see if they can find what your are looking for.

Pettifogger · March 09, 2011, 07:44:49 PM

It's the way the cowboy gun business is. You have to remember that many of these guns are produced in VERY small quantities compared to what sells in the U.S. market (1911's, Hi-cap plastic guns and black rifles). I have seen some of the guns you describe sit on dealers' shelves for months and some cases years before they sell. As a consequence the cowboy style guns, and particularly the weird ones like conversions that have a very small market, only get run periodically. If you miss the production run sometimes it can be months or a year or more before another batch is run.

Shotgun Franklin · March 09, 2011, 10:42:31 PM

All I know is the local market. You might contact Dury's Gun Shop is San Antonio. He seems to keep well supplied. He will also ship to your Dealer.

Cholla Bob · March 10, 2011, 07:35:54 AM

Quote from: Pettifogger on March 09, 2011, 07:44:49 PM
It's the way the cowboy gun business is. You have to remember that many of these guns are produced in VERY small quantities compared to what sells in the U.S. market (1911's, Hi-cap plastic guns and black rifles). I have seen some of the guns you describe sit on dealers' shelves for months and some cases years before they sell. As a consequence the cowboy style guns, and particularly the weird ones like conversions that have a very small market, only get run periodically. If you miss the production run sometimes it can be months or a year or more before another batch is run.

Never thought about it but that sure makes sense.

Patrick Henry Brown · March 10, 2011, 09:54:24 AM

I've noticed lately that the used market is not as plentiful as say a year or so ago. I think most folks are trying to hang onto what they have if possible, and hoping not to sell.

Wild Horse Hans · March 10, 2011, 10:45:39 AM

I have the same problem. Been waiting on 2 Schofields from Taylors since before X-mass

rickk · March 10, 2011, 11:33:32 AM

Quote from: Wild Horse Hans on March 10, 2011, 10:45:39 AM
I have the same problem. Been waiting on 2 Schofields from Taylors since before X-mass

Wild Horse Hans... did Taylor's actually accept your order or did they just put you name on a list and tell you they would call you if any showed up?

Wild Horse Hans · March 10, 2011, 04:24:09 PM

I orered them from my local gun shop. I think he set it all up at the SHOT show. Today he said it shouild not be much longer and I trust him so I hope by the end of next week I will have them in hand.

rickk · March 21, 2011, 04:46:22 PM

Taylor's is still out of stock of Uberti 1858's

Today Midway changed the expected delivery date from 3/21/2011 to 1/1/2012. I assume that means they haven't a clue.

Big T · March 21, 2011, 05:25:42 PM

Look on gunbroker or auction arms , I see alot of them on there , texas gun tarder is good for texas residents as well ,,t

rickk · March 22, 2011, 07:57:49 PM

DGW lists the Uberti 1858 - 8" in stock, so I ordered one. Lets see what happens.

kurt250 · March 22, 2011, 10:41:27 PM

give buffalo arms a try. there in idaho. i don't know what your dealer charges for ffl guns but they always seem to have what i want. they also have a great catalog with lots of cowboy stuff. they have a very good web site. good luck, kurt250

rickk · March 23, 2011, 05:50:34 AM

My dealer charges me 5%, and both he and I are welcome to visit a major local distributor in person. The distributor is in the same town as me and two of the sales people are on the same gun club board of directors as I am on... kind of a good arrangement.

The New Vaquero (in SS) that I picked up so far cost me $525. I hear that isn't too bad a price.

I have a Ruger factory contact who is keeping an eye on the production schedule for me. Last time I checked they were going to run another batch in April. I sent another email last night to try to get a closer approximation.

Dances With Coyotes · March 23, 2011, 10:05:31 AM

I just got my two Ruger New Vaqueros SS 5.5" barrel for $513(apiece)+$6ins w/ free shipping from Bud Gun Shop online.

rickk · March 23, 2011, 11:47:20 AM

I'll check out buds, thanks.

I looked at Buffalo Arms. Sadly for me, they don't carry the Rossi 92. They do seem to have the 1858 Uberti Remington so if Dixie doesn't work out I will try the Buffalo Arms route.

Speaking of Dixie, the online status info looks like they have 1958's in stock and that they are going to ship me one today. On top of that, they are on sale right now for $275. My luck might be getting better.

---

Added later:

I checked Bud's ... they are out of stock the the SS Vaquero in 45 as well.

rickk · March 25, 2011, 05:02:10 PM

Ahhh... my luck is getting better I think.

I got a call 5 minutes ago. My second New Vaquero is in my FFL buddie's hands and I can pick it up tomorrow... Yippie for me ;-)

rickk · March 28, 2011, 04:21:14 PM

Well, I now have two shiny New Vaqueros, and my second Uberti 1858 New Army arrived today as well.

The ones that 1858 Uberti's that Dixie is selling are identical to the the ones that Taylor's have on back order, only they are 40 bucks cheaper at Dixies. For what it's worth, the guns differ in age by about two years and the serial numbers are about 2000 apart. I guess the math works out to about 1000 a year. This explains the difficulty in getting one's hands on one I guess.

If you want an 1858 Uberti, now might be the time ... they state 1 to a customer on the web site ....
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1041

Just need the 1892 Rossi to appear and need to finish some new holsters and I will be in business.

EDIT: I double checked... time flies as one gets older it seems. I bought the first 1858 from Taylor's in early 2007, so that works out to about 500 of the 1858's out of Uberti a year if the serial numbers are sequential.

panhead pete · March 28, 2011, 07:15:50 PM

I ordered a Uberti 1860 Henry about three weeks ago. I was told 60-90 days. Just came in last week, go figure?!

Panhead

rickk · May 11, 2011, 08:54:15 PM

Well, the search for a 45 colt rifle to complete my 45 colt trio dragged on...

Marlin no longer makes a 45 Colt version of anything. They stopped when Remington bought them out. Not popular enough was the story. Their web site still advertizes it, but I think they left their web site guy behind when they left Connecticut and went "wherever" they went. Marlin no longer has any valid contact info. I had to contact Remington to get that story.

Rossi 92 in 45... none in distribution to be found. I'm sure there are some in shops around the country, but none around where I am, and none where my FFL buddy can find one. Rossi has no valid phone number to call for such help. I guess they don't need potential customers bothering them any more than Marlin does.

Well, I have three American made Ford's trucks in the driveway, an American made Tractor in the yard as well. I have no problem shopping American if I can find what I want at an affordable price. I run across Henry Repeating Arm's web site (not for the first time mind you) and look at the "Big Boy" a few times.

Yes, I read about the "controversy" associated with Henry, as they are not clones of the rifles made by the New Haven Arms Company. They are actually closer to the Marlin 336 in fact. And there also was some controversy centered around them jumping the gun on claiming they were SASS approved for a while.

But, they are SASS approved now, and a SASS sponsor, so in my mind that is all history. Anyway, if I want controversy, I will go to work and surround myself with my co-workers, or maybe discuss with Mako about the number of grains of BP in a CC. I go to the range to leave all that controversy stuff behind me.

Anyway, I search the web, and find that most people that actually own a "Big Boy" love it. They have a lifetime, no BS warrantee (sorta like Dillon, which I also love). The story is that they work right out of the box... no gunsmithing needed. No one who owns one seems to dispute that story.

So, I set my FFL buddy out on a mission to find me one.

He calls a couple of distributors... none to be found.

That is a line that is getting old to me.

I call Cabela's in the next state... same lame story.

I call the number on Henry Repeating Arms' web site. Unlike Marlin and Rossi, they actually have a number that I can call.

The guy that answers is Anthony Imperato. Anthony is the president of Henry Repeating Arms. I have a conversation about this whole situation with him. He gives me the name and phone numbers of two distributors that he just shipped some rifles to. He also follows up with an email later that day telling me that if those places don't come through, that he will have one shipped directly to my FFL.

Before I get home to read the email however, I called my buddy, he called one of the two distributor's that Anthony gave me the names of, placed the order, and it is supposed to arrive on Friday.

I looked some more on the net when I got home. The common theme is that when anyone calls, Anthony usually answers the phone. When someone has a problem, he fixes it. That is the kind of company that I want to get my money.

And, (changing subjects) on top of all that, Taylor's finally got in some Uberti 1858's and is shipping me the one that I back ordered a few months ago, which, counting the one that I got from Dixie last month will mean I actually will have 3 of them all of a sudden. Maybe I will do a cartridge conversion on one of them when I get caught up.

Yippie for me I think.

Rick