Rifles That Are Hard To Find But Worth Searching

Above, purchasing my Winchester 94 at Ron Peterson's Firearms in Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was on the lookout for a good pre-64 Winchester 94 in .30-30 around eight years ago (shortly after moving to New Mexico). 

Then, in 2019, I was browsing a gun store in Albuquerque for something to do (I had a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida the next day for a cruise) when I spotted one made in 1962 in great shape. I put it on layaway and picked it up when I got back to Albuquerque. It was just under $500. Today, that same rifle would fetch double (or, in some cases, triple) that amount. Thank God I got it before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

Since that time, firearm prices have climbed since the 2020 pandemic. Some rifles have even become harder to find. That is the topic of an article in The Avid Outdoorsman. 

They begin it with:

Every gun shop has that empty spot on the rack where something good should be. You ask about it and the guy behind the counter gives you the same look you’ve seen a hundred times: “If one comes in, it’s already gone.” These aren’t just collector toys, either. A bunch of the toughest-to-locate rifles are the ones that actually make sense in the field—smooth actions, sane weights, magazines you can live with, and accuracy you don’t have to apologize for.

What makes them scarce varies. Some are discontinued. Some got caught in the hype cycle and never came back down. Some are “boring” rifles that owners quietly refuse to sell once they realize what they have. Here are 20 rifles I’d keep hunting for if you want something that’s hard to snag but easy to appreciate once it’s in your hands.

The Winchester 94 made the list, which is not at all surprising!

To see what else made the list, go here.