Unobtanium Guns That I Wish Weren't So Hard to Get

If you’re a firearms enthusiast (as it’s likely that most people reading TFB are), you probably have a list of guns you want. Unless you’re one of the fortunate few to have an arsenal rivaling Heckler and Koch‘s Gray Room, the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, the NRA’s Whittington Center, or this guy that Nick met at a match several years ago, budget and availability are often limiting factors for new gun purchases. Of course, some guns are harder to get than others. Manufacturing runs and timeframes, frustrating legislation, importation challenges, the ravages of time, and a host of other factors can have a significant effect on the availability, accessibility, and price of various guns. The hardest pieces to procure are sometimes referred to as “unobtanium guns”, with the term being a sort of colloquial reference to these firearms’ difficulty (or sometimes impossibility) for us to acquire. Today we’ll explore a handful of the unobtanium weapons on my personal wish list, by no means comprehensive and in no particular order. I’m pretty sure that more than a few of you will find some commonality between my list and yours.

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TFBTV: James' Personal AK Collection
The Complete History of the Colt Single Action Army in One Man's Collection

See the entire history of the Colt Single Action Army (S.A.A.) pistol in one man’s collection! From the earliest models that were issued to the United States cavalry, to $20,000 pistols with engraving and pearl grips, and S.A.A’s that were owned by celebrities, this is an incredible collection that spans from the 1870s to the 1970s! The Colt Single Action Army is an incredible piece of Americana which revolutionized firearms design near the turn of the 19th century and set a new standard for reliability and effectiveness. If you’re a fan of history, westerns, or beautiful handguns, check out this video!

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Photograph Your Inventory Of Firearms – In Case Of Theft

Last week, Springfield Oregon police had a run in with a criminal. To no one’s surprise, the suspect is a felon and was illegally in possession of a firearm. One of the officers commented that people should photograph your inventory of firearms.

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President Hayes' Unexpected Arms Collection

Admittedly, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums was not a place that I expected to have an impressive collection of firearms, both on display and in storage.

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James D. Julia Auction House has Merged with Morphy Auctions

James D. Julia Auction has become a division of another auction house called Morphy Auctions effective of December 14th, 2017. The merger was announced on December 21st by Dan Morphy, the president and founder of Morphy Auction Company.

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Firearm Showcase: The Williams Sporter Carbine at the Cody Firearms Museum - HIGH RES PICS!

In January, just before the 2017 SHOT Show, I got the opportunity to travel to Cody Wyoming to visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to see some of their rare firearms and bring photos of them to our readers. The folks at the Cody Museum were tremendously helpful in getting high quality pictures of the weapons in their collection, and so I’d like to give a big “thank you” to Ashley and Danny!

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A Trip to the Bundeswehr's Fantastic Defense Technology Museum in Koblenz, Part 8: Weird & Wonderful [GUEST POST]

The history of modern small arms is in part so fascinating because of how many firearms have been developed even in obscure circumstances, and how many of those obscure small arms still exist in museums and private collections around the world. Even though I make learning about obscure modern small arms my hobby, I am continually surprised by the new and unique weapons I uncover both on the Internet and in real-life excursions to some of the aforementioned collections.

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A Trip to the Bundeswehr's Fantastic Defense Technology Museum in Koblenz, Part 6: Assault Rifles [GUEST POST]

The history of modern small arms is in part so fascinating because of how many firearms have been developed even in obscure circumstances, and how many of those obscure small arms still exist in museums and private collections around the world. Even though I make learning about obscure modern small arms my hobby, I am continually surprised by the new and unique weapons I uncover both on the Internet and in real-life excursions to some of the aforementioned collections.

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A Trip to the Bundeswehr's Fantastic Defense Technology Museum in Koblenz, Part 5: Submachine Guns, Cont'd 2 [GUEST POST]

The history of modern small arms is in part so fascinating because of how many firearms have been developed even in obscure circumstances, and how many of those obscure small arms still exist in museums and private collections around the world. Even though I make learning about obscure modern small arms my hobby, I am continually surprised by the new and unique weapons I uncover both on the Internet and in real-life excursions to some of the aforementioned collections.

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A Trip to the Bundeswehr's Fantastic Defense Technology Museum in Koblenz, Part 3: Submachine Guns [GUEST POST]

The history of modern small arms is in part so fascinating because of how many firearms have been developed even in obscure circumstances, and how many of those obscure small arms still exist in museums and private collections around the world. Even though I make learning about obscure modern small arms my hobby, I am continually surprised by the new and unique weapons I uncover both on the Internet and in real-life excursions to some of the aforementioned collections.

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Incredible Polish Radom Collection at NRA 2016 (RARE Guns!)

Do you like history? Do you like Poland? Do you sing the lyrics to “40:1” in the shower when no one’s around? Then boy have I got a treat for you! At the 2016 National Rifle Association Annual Meeting, there were more than just companies showing off their wares; there was an entire section for collectors, as well. One of the booths that caught my eye (you’ll see exactly why in a minute) was that of the Virginia Gun Collectors Association, which was showing off the largest Radom Vis pistol collection in the United States:

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