Guns - Worth Selling?

jyl · jyl's Garage

OK, I am thinking about selling some guns, and wanted to know what people think they might fetch. Yes, I am being l-a-z-y in asking, I'm sorry. But, hey, someone might want one of them too.

Mossberg 500. 12-ga. Blued finish. Short barrel w/ bead sight. Long barrel with vent. Black nylon furniture. Also pistol grip. Fired maybe 100 times, looks new.

Marlin 39A. .22LR. Blued finish. Walnut furniture. A couple small marks, maybe call it 95%.

Smith & Wesson 449. .38SPL. Scandium frame, steel cylinder. Fired some (maybe 500 rounds). Carried occasionally but no holster wear. 98%.

Detonics CombatMaster. .45ACP. Seattle gun. Polished stainless slide, matte stainless frame, rubber Pachmayr grip. Blade in rear sight is not original. 2 Detonics magazines. Extra recoil guide/spring assembly, original zipper pouch.

Also, I have never sold a gun. What channel do you guys recommend? Gunbroker? FS forum in a gun BBS? Don't think Craigslist takes gun ads.

No reason, just want to move some guns I don't shoot much and buy some that I will.

HardDrive · 11-20-2008, 07:36 PM

How old is the Marlin? Does it feed well? Do you ever get up to Seattle? Meet me in the middle somewhere?

competentone · 11-20-2008, 07:43 PM

I can't give you any values, but would suggest searching Gunbroker to see what similar ones are selling for. If you are already signed up with Gunbroker, you can search the completed auctions to see what things have actually sold for, but even seeing what others are offering them for can give you a good starting point.

I've sold a number of firearms on Gunbroker. It's a good bit of work (taking photos, writing descriptions, getting payment and FFL from the buyer, packaging and shipping), so I only sell if I think the local market won't give me the price I'm looking for.

If you are new to Gunbroker and have little or no feedback (or no feedback from selling) it may be more difficult to get a maximum price. I had sold a number of firearm related accessories and had decent feedback before I put my first firearm in the auction.

For items that will sell OK in the local market, I prefer to just put them on consignment with one of the local gun shops. It sometimes took a while, but I've usually gotten the price I wanted when selling on consignment.

Private local sales are an option too if your state allows it, but I've only done private sales in response to someone local seeing my Gunbroker auction, or with people I know. I've never advertised in someplace like a local paper. I've done a trade or two at gun shows, but don't like having to carry something to a show -- and trading can be difficult if you don't have something "generic."

Right now, I wouldn't suggest selling anything. There is a lot of interest in buying and prices are up, but I think demand for anything and everything that shoots bullets will get a lot higher when the next administration starts to push through some of the laws they are planning.

Guns are probably much better than "money in the bank" right now -- especially if you figure inflation.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

The best forum classifieds are glocktalk.com, sigforum.com and arizonashooting.com. SIGforum is pretty nationwide, Glocktalk folks usually want to do in-state transactions, though they are nationwide and AZshooting is usually local, face-face. Gunbroker has been pretty good for me and gun shows even better.

jyl · jyl's Garage

competent - yeah, I was thinking selling later would be better - but I'd be turning around and buying another gun(s) so timing cuts both ways.

hard - I will get the 39A out of storage and check it out. I bought it new in the late 1980s, so its not a "classic" one.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Everyone I know is buying guns, not selling them!

kmhemi · 11-21-2008, 03:56 AM

I'd LOVE to have that Detonics 45 those are one sweet little 45. I have had 3 of them and like an idiot I sold them. If I ever get another one it will be a keeper.

Seahawk · 11-21-2008, 05:22 AM

http://www.gunsamerica.com/939403132/Guns/Pistols/Detonics-Pistols/Detonics_Combat_Master_45acp_1970_s_Bellevue_W.htm

Nice Gun

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Mossberg 500A's are dirt cheap. I just bought one recently brand spankin' new in the box for under $200.

I'd wait too - 'specially if Nazi Pelosi and Obama and their ilk start tinkering with guns/ammo regulations. I guarantee it won't be for the better and the value of keeping both on-hand will only increase.

Besides, the worse the economy gets and the more problems there are, the more likely it is we might see zombies. Don't get caught without your zombie boom-sticks.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Good point. The .22LR is not likely to stop a zombie, but the 12-ga . . .

kmhemi · 11-21-2008, 06:09 AM

A .45 will blow a barn door right through the back of a zombie's head.
The .22 will just rattle around in there like Pac Man.....

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I'm starting to have a little more respect for .22 than I used to. I won't penetrate a whole lot, but hit flesh with it and it will do a lot of damage. It's dirt cheap to buy and stockpile and a lot of fun to shoot. I have three .45's and honestly, I'm afraid to shoot them at the range anymore. The ammo is just too expensive and I already feel very competent with all three of mine. I think I may just go qualify once a year to make myself feel good. But I'll be shooting .22 a lot more at the range these days. I have a 1906 Winchester pump .22, which is a hoot and I have a Walther P-22 for the wife. My 10/22 needs a bipod and some more hi-cap. mags to be my home perimeter Gatling gun.

jyl · jyl's Garage

I see reloading in your future.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Yes, I used to reload a lot. But I can't feel like I really have my own home, since I rent now and don't want to set up a reloading assembly line in my current house or garage. Besides, getting back into it would require a pretty hefty initial investment.

competentone · 11-21-2008, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I'm starting to have a little more respect for .22 than I used to. I won't penetrate a whole lot, but hit flesh with it and it will do a lot of damage. It's dirt cheap to buy and stockpile and a lot of fun to shoot. ... My 10/22 needs a bipod and some more hi-cap. mags to be my home perimeter Gatling gun.

I've been thinking for a long time about getting a suppressor -- on a 22 with a number of high-cap mags, I've been thinking it could be a pretty effective "home perimeter" defense gun.

It would at least be "demoralizing" to any zombies that attacked; they'd be seeing their buddy zombies dropping and wouldn't quite know where the fire was coming from.

A scared zombie is probably just as good as a dead one if one found oneself under attack by them!

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Getting a suppressor legally will put you on BATF's double secret probation list and I just don't see how it's worth the trouble for a .22. I always wear earplugs and muffs at the range and I hadn't shot a .22 for a long time. When I fired off that first shot yesterday in the 10/22, it was so quiet, I thought it was a squib. If law and order ever break down and the laws really go out the window, I'd build my own suppressor for "wet work".

competentone · 11-21-2008, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Getting a suppressor legally will put you on BATF's double secret probation list....

I'm sure I'm already on that list -- and probably a whole lot worse lists!

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

hmm...I've been pondering a 12ga. I suppose it isn't really legal for you to mail it to me and me paypal you money though

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by competentone

I'm sure I'm already on that list -- and probably a whole lot worse lists!

Class III requires to pretty much waive your 4th Amendment rights. You have to sign that one yourself. And BATF doesn't get FFL records (AFAIK) unless they're tracing a gun used in a crime. They can't just snoop them for the hell of it (yet).

competentone · 11-21-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Class III requires to pretty much waive your 4th Amendment rights. You have to sign that one yourself. And BATF doesn't get FFL records (AFAIK) unless they're tracing a gun used in a crime. They can't just snoop them for the hell of it (yet).

Class 3 items do not involve any waiving of 4th Amendment rights.

When an FFL goes out of business, his records go to the BATF.

I've purchased plenty of firearms from FFLs that have since gone out of business.

Of course, the "lists" I am on, which certain political elements would consider make me "dangerous" (to their goals of world-wide socialism), relate to organizations I have been members of.