How do you define "obscenely pricey"? Over the past six months, I've seen a bunch of pristine Charles Daly O/Us for sale in the $600-$800 range. You can get a brand-new entry-level Citori for about $1,300. You're reasonably close to Clyde's in Lansdowne. They usually a nice selection of new and used O/Us to eyeball, especially Browning. Another option is a brand-new SKB for about $1,200 from Larry's Trading Post in Gaithersburg. He sells through Gunbroker.