Building Confidence

[FfNJGTFO]

Update: A bit of progress, today. I was able to get the HG to fit into the delta ring on the main barrel assembly. It does fit. So, now, I have to put the gas tube back in after mounting the block to the tube. I have my gas block roll pin tool and, with a little bit of lube, that may help me get it across the block and in/out of the tube. Then I have to alight the block onto the barrel hole. I have my plastic pieces for that.


I was delayed a little bit because I was involved in re-assessing my priorities in re: the election and what weapons I need to secure pronto before they get scarce from being "hogged." And I struck a huge score, over this past week.


I just completed my first successful Gunbroker auction! And it was to recover one of the items I lost when I had to sell it previously. The very first gun I ever owned.... a Sig Sauer P226 Nitron. The exact same make and model I owned previously but NIB. I think I was successful because I watched the auction very carefully. It all comes down to the last 15 minutes of the auction.


I made the first (prelim) bid at the minimum bid price, roughly 1.5 days before the auction ended. I kept watching and there was no activity at all, until maybe 2 hrs before the auction was to end. Then someone outbid me by $5.00. But, thankfully, I was watching it directly and saw the bid. I was able to counter the bid by another $5.00. And that was the last bid put on the item when the auction closed. I won the auction!


After that, it was just arranging things with the merchant, who was very pleasant and helped me when Paypal wanted to screw me by not letting me send the entire price in one transaction. I had to do it in two transactions, one 24hrs later than the first ($500.00 limit per day). This worked, and the merchant shipped within 3 days. My FFL received the pkg today!



One thing to be aware of when using GB is the "15 minute rule..." also known as the "Going... Going... Gone" rule. It's used to discourage "sniping" (ie. someone out bidding someone else at the last minute with only a short time left in the auction). If a new bid is received with less than 15 minutes left in the auction, the closing time is extended by 15 minutes past the time that last bid was received, giving the other bidders time to counter. So, say the auction originally ends at 19:00hrs, and at 18:55, someone puts in another bid, the ending time is extended to 19:10. If I then counter that last bid at 19:05, then it's extended to 19:20. If no other bids are submitted, then the auction ends at 19:20 and the last bid wins.



I'll go to pick up my P226 on Monday. Once picked up, I'm going to send my P320 into Sig Sauer for that "voluntary upgrade." THen I'll work with my FFL to figure out how we're going to manage my purchases. He actually still has some things I could get from him, still in his inventory. But I'd rather hold off on those (I pretty much know he'll still have them) and finish up with the other things I need to get on the open market.



I'll try to work on the gas tube assembly this coming week. I'll keep you posted. Winning that auction was a big deal. Now I feel confident I can get other things on GB, as long as I vet the merchant.



Thanks all!

[DrHenley]

Automated sniping is one of the infuriating things about bidding on eBay. You'll have a winning bid right up until the moment the bidding ends and then suddenly lose it by a small margin without any chance to put in a competing bid.

[FfNJGTFO]

Originally Posted by DrHenley

Automated sniping is one of the infuriating things about bidding on eBay. You'll have a winning bid right up until the moment the bidding ends and then suddenly lose it by a small margin without any chance to put in a competing bid.

Precisely why they implemented this "15 minute Rule...." on Gunbroker.