...and I would have ordered one today, had the guy in charge of the gun dealer's online department gotten back to me. I called their main number and was given a number to call for online sales since they are offering this rifle at the offered price GunBroker.com. I then called their online department three times and left messages after the second and third calls but have received no return calls (I guess the guy had been busy.). So, I called the store number again. I was told that the online department is open again tomorrow and someone will contact me about this rifle and me buying one:
The gun is a Marlin 1895 GBL in 45-70 Government. I already have a bid on a Marlin 1895G Guide Gun in the online portion of the upcoming Hessney Rod & Gun Auction set to be held live on August 12th. They start the auctions online but it is ultimately a live auction on the auction date. Now, I am pretty sure (but not certain) that my high bid amount online will not hold and someone else will outbid me either online or at the live portion of the auction. There always is the chance though that my bid on that one will stand, since it is not too far off from former selling bids for the same model). So, if I buy the 1895 GBL now, I could wind up with two similar guns when the other auction ends in mid August.
You may be wondering then, why buy this one now while my bid may win on the 1895G at Hessney and thus I'd be stuck with two of almost the same rifles? Well - I just found out a couple of days ago that Marlin is offering a $100 rebate on them. That discovery was made right after I placed a bid with Hessney Auction Company on the 1895G. What crappy timing. The price on the 1895GBL (the one being offered via GunBroker) including the buy it now price, shipping and the FFL fee on my end, is the best price I have seen for this model and then there is a $100 to sweeten the deal. The one at Hessney is not eligible for the rebate because the auction will be held after the rebate period ends. There also is the fact I much prefer the 1895 GBL over 1895 G. The advantages of the 1895 GBL over the 1895 G are that magazine tube of the GBL holds 6 rounds as opposed to 4 of the G, it has a large lever and can be operated while wearing gloves, it has a pistol grip stock as opposed to straight stock, it has that really nice looking laminated stock. That makes it the gun for me.
Well, what really made it the gun for me is that I won a raffle back in June and instead of taking the prize (a Henry Big Boy rifle), I opted for cash. That money has just been waiting to be spent and I figured I would spend it at the Hessney auction in August. I had been viewing the Marlin page for the 1895G and consequently came across the 1895 GBL and was immediately bitten by the I gotta have it bug. So, I will put that money toward it. The only messed up thing about this all is if I wind up with the high bid on the 1895G at Hessney, I have no clue where I am going to get the money for that one. I kind of doubt I will have the high bid since I set my high bid at $350 but you never know. It could wind up that a bunch of other folks who had a similar interest in the 1895G at Hessney also heard about the Marlin rebate offer which is applicable to all Marlin 1895 rifles as well as some others. Maybe they will get theirs now and bidding interest for the one at Hessney will be nil beyond my bid. That is a chance I am willing to take though, in my experience the one at Hessney will go for at least $50 to $100 more than my current online high offer. Had I not seen the deal on the 1895 GBL, I had been planning to bid a bit more on the G at the live auction. Then again, if I buy the GBL tomorrow, I may not even attend the auction (whom am I kidding).
Of course, this all depends on whether or not the dealer for the GBL gets in touch with me tomorrow to answer a few questions for me. I'll only close the deal if they give me satisfactory answers to my questions. I need to find out if, I order it online tomorrow, the receipt will reflect tomorrow as either the order or purchase date. I need to assure that so that I will know if it will qualify for the rebate which requires the purchase be made by July 30. Sometimes, when you order online, they do not charge your credit card until they send the item and everything on the receipt reflects the sale and order date as the day it shipped. That would not work in this case. A rep at Marlin assured me that the receipt or invoice only need show either the billing or the order date as by the 30th, they do not care when I pay for it if the order is shown as made before the 30th. Maybe I am worried about nothing but I want to rest assured the purchase is eligible for the rebate so I am waiting to speak to the dealer's rep tomorrow about the date thing. Then, I can use that rebated c-note on a few boxes of ammo for the 1895GBL.
All the best,
Glenn B
