TargetTalk

That is because it's old stuff - who wants to shoot a P240... :-D It's nicely made, but of no real practical value today. There are almost no variants, unlike the P210, so it's not rare at all. Same goes for the 208/215, especially the non-"S"-models. I can get a AW93 for less than 800 Euro, so why spend any money on a 80 year old design? That is why prices are so low. And try to get spare parts for a P240...

I paid 24,000 Euros plus the juice for a thoroughly obsolete Borchardt C93, and a like amount for a pair of W+F 06/29 Swiss National Match Lugers. These guns are nicely made, but of no real practical value today. There are almost no variants of either design, unlike the M1911 or the P08, so they aren't rare at all. What was I thinking?

Concerning the P240, I needed a three caliber set to complete my P210 collection. Their price on eGun is less than half of the going rate in the U.S. So I bought a bunch in order to pick and keep the best specimen. The rest are like money in the bank, given the availability of listings on Gunbroker.

Ah, the great master of disaster at work again :-D

"Complete" the 210 collection? That would be well beyond 200 different pistols then... I wonder that you bother, for a Luger collector something as common as a P210 shouldn't be worth the attention. Smells like "no plan, but tons of money to spend". Can't be the money from the Maserati... But as you obviously enjoy showing off - friend of mine has a very nice Borchardt that cost 1/3 of yours. Americans at work. As for the long barreled Paras, it's well known that W+F reported all such barrels scrapped, so one wonders where they suddenly came from... especially since we saw those faked model 1898 Paras last year, and some VERY dubious P210, too. But yours must obviously be good, looking at the price tag ;-)

Just between us chickens, are you a licensed importer, Mr. zeleny? If not, be afraid, be very afraid. Last I looked BATFE permits non-importers to bring in occasional guns for personal use or for transfer within your state. And the rule for personal use is you get to keep it forever.

If the rules haven't changed and if you're planning to dump things on Gunbroker, don't get caught. Doing ATF licensed activities without the appropriate license can be very costly.

The W+F pistols in Kessler's auction were featured in Faustfeuerwaffen der Eidgenossen, as belonging in the author's collection. I am satisfied with this provenance. The C93 at Hermann Historica was previously undocumented. I bid high. Kudos to anyone who can buy such things low. I still have the 1974 Bora. Should have bought Lugers instead.

I am a student of firearm history and construction, not a true collector. My purposes are well served by a study of representative variants, not aiming at completeness. I import guns for personal use, on ATF Form 6. I do not intend to resell them. But it's good to know that my heirs will enjoy easy access to well publicized and densely populated sales fora.

Tycho wrote:That is because it's old stuff - who wants to shoot a P240... :-D It's nicely made, but of no real practical value today. There are almost no variants, unlike the P210, so it's not rare at all. Same goes for the 208/215, especially the non-"S"-models. I can get a AW93 for less than 800 Euro, so why spend any money on a 80 year old design? That is why prices are so low. And try to get spare parts for a P240...

The fact that these are "old"designs is essentially meaningless. The current World Standard Pistol record is still held by a Hammerli 208, also the one before that as well. The new World Centrefire Record was set last year by a Russian shooter using a 40 year old Toz revolver - itself based on a design well over a hundred years old. You'd be lucky to get your Matchguns to last 5 years, never mind 40 years.

P240 and 208 parts are plentiful and freely available. A gunsmith/machinist just down the road from me is making .38 P240 and Smith & Wesson Model 52 barrels.

I shouldn't speak for Mr. Tycho's motives, but I think perhaps he was just tweaking him for what could be viewed as "showing off". I'm personally
happy to see people buying expensive trinkets, even if I would not choose that means of spending my money. Earning great wealth in a free economy is a sign that you provide a good or service that your fellow man values. The personal accomplishment or value is the cause, the wealth is the effect. More power to him if that is the case! Of course, people who simply inheret wealth, or who get it via a lottery ticket or a lawsuit, seem to confuse the cause with the effect, and want people to think that the act of having trinkets is a sign of personal value, rather than vice versa. (Think "bling" among the underclass). Perhaps it was this possibility that irked Mr. Tycho. I'm not sure into which category Mr. Zeleny, whose adult accomplishments seem not to mitigate his need to use his Harvard alum email, falls, but he doesn't have to justify his spending decisions to anyone.

I have a lot of experience with buying pistols and other items on egun.de. MapleStory Mesos
Rift Gold
RS Gold