I don't know if this is my best but it's good enough to start a thread.
The Tompkins was an immediate post-WWII attempt at an American-made free pistol. Americans have never been able to make a competitive free pistol. The Tompkins, High Standard, and Green were all failures in the market. Under 300 Tompkins were made. One in Excellent or better condition should run $4K+.
I found one at my LGS in well-used condition with a replacement stock. It was totally out of place in the used-pistol case, having been acquired as part of a bulk purchase of an estate. It should have been priced somewhere north of $1K but they had it marked at $400. They had no idea what it was and, given their focus on defensive firearms and in-shop sales, they had no desire to invest the time to research it and sell it online. I went so far as to tell them what it should be priced and encouraged them to sell it online to maximize their return. They showed no interest in doing the work and after they let it sit in their case for 3 more weeks, I happily took it off their hands.
Yes, for those with a sharp eye, that *is* a trapdoor action on a .22LR pistol.
What rare-gun finds have you managed to stumble across and pounce on?
The Tompkins was an immediate post-WWII attempt at an American-made free pistol. Americans have never been able to make a competitive free pistol. The Tompkins, High Standard, and Green were all failures in the market. Under 300 Tompkins were made. One in Excellent or better condition should run $4K+.
I found one at my LGS in well-used condition with a replacement stock. It was totally out of place in the used-pistol case, having been acquired as part of a bulk purchase of an estate. It should have been priced somewhere north of $1K but they had it marked at $400. They had no idea what it was and, given their focus on defensive firearms and in-shop sales, they had no desire to invest the time to research it and sell it online. I went so far as to tell them what it should be priced and encouraged them to sell it online to maximize their return. They showed no interest in doing the work and after they let it sit in their case for 3 more weeks, I happily took it off their hands.
Yes, for those with a sharp eye, that *is* a trapdoor action on a .22LR pistol.
What rare-gun finds have you managed to stumble across and pounce on?