Why I avoid gun auction sites online

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I've bid on a few guns on auction sites, but never got them.....there is only so much I am willing to pay, esp. if I can't physically handle the gun; pictures can only tell you so much.
The last several firearms I've bought have been used....not so much looking for 'bargains' as it is they were just there at the right opportunity. I would imagine that if you were looking for a specific type & caliber of firearm, and needed it right now for some reason, then the auction sites would be the place to go.

Sometimes patience can be rewarding........

I looked for YEARS for a Stevens 311 in 16 gauge with 26" barrels and IC & mod chokes to go with my 12 gauge (same barrel length and chokes) and 20 gauge 311. I know they made them; I have an old Savage catalog that lists them....but they apparently weren't made in great numbers. I could find the gun with 28" barrels and mod & full chokes, but not the 26 and IC & mod that I wanted. One day I walked into a gun shop and found a Stoeger 16 gauge with I.C. & mod chokes, for the same price that the used Stevens were going for. I bought it and haven't looked back....I've been quite happy with the gun. And as fate would have it, the 12 gauge has since become dysfunctional and I gave the 20 gauge to a friend!

There are other places to find good used firearms locally....don't overlook small, out-of-the-way gun shops, pawn shops, local ad papers, and local websites.