This is just how I do it, but I feel that guns are interesting and for enjoyment and shooting. I have inherited quite a few, found good deals from fellow shooting club members or people that go with the herd and need the lasted trendy toy. Once I lose interest in it, it’s eligible for sale or trade.
Guns I regret letting go:
- Bersa Thunder .380. It went with a PPK, and honestly the bersa shot rings around the PPK. After 15 years I simply bought a new Bersa for about what I sold mine for and the new one is in better shape. I’ll never let this one go.
-Beretta Silver Pigeon over and under. I stopped shooting skeet. A local gun shop gave me about what I paid for it in trade so I got a couple years of skeet league for only the price of reloaded shells. I thought that was a good deal. A couple years ago my wife made me get a dog, so me and dog have been hunting pheasants. Every bright sunny fall day, walking in the open fields I think I miss that shotgun.
Every time we are out in the rain or snow, or push out way through blackberry brambles or thick brush I think “I would not be out here if I was worried about my pretty shotgun” and every time I take the third shot I am glad I replaced it with an Ithaca Model 37 from 1946. That model of shotgun is what my dad always carried. His was 16 Ga. which he traded on accounts of no longer being able to find shells. I’ll never trade this one- a “tactical” oriented gun shop owner was surprised at how fast I whipped out my wallet to give him $175 for an old shotgun with some scratches on the stock but perfect bore, action and trigger. Never gonna sell that one.
As for selling to gun shops- there was a time there was a real deal pistolsmith 40 miles from my house. I sent as much business his way as I needed or wanted or more. He could not make a go of it and left the state for a paying job. The gun shop I had a good relationship closed it’s doors. There is another shop run by some young guys I will always check with before going to a big-box shop... but mostly now I buy and sell and trade with fellow club members or people I meet online.
Tips for buying and selling
-timing. Sell in time for hunting season or pistol league or when tax refunds just showed up.. or in a pandemic... Buy when the prices are low.
-trends. Some fellas always seem to need the latest trend. Find that guy that sells his Glock 19 to buy a Glock 43 which he sells for a Hellcat which he will sell in six months to buy a p365. He’s having fun and you can get his lightly used gun for a great discount over new.
-Don’t buy junk. Then again, know your diamonds in the rough. I would almost say I regret selling my hi point 9mm carbine. The thing was crazy ugly, not accurate, but always ran. Why? I could have fun now making a nice wood stock for it, just for fun.
- Know a little home gunsmithing. I don’t mean “own a lathe” I mean... can you take things apart enough to do a proper cleaning, replace springs, fix a scratch in wood or metal? Do you own a proper set of screwdrivers and a punch set?
I picked up a Single Six .22 from a fellow that was a bit evasive on its operation. Seems the base pin fell out every shot. There was something odd about it, I offered a lowball and he grabbed the money and ran. It turns out he had installed the base pin locking pin spring on the wrong side, so the base pin was always free unless you pushed the button, then the base pin locked. See? And I thought I was going to need to call Belt Mountain for a locking base pin. I put the spring in it’s proper place and presto, works as it should (except it wasn’t accurate because of that single six thing about .22wmr) so I sold it for almost double what I bought it for.. but learned I wanted a single six or seven (got one! If it’s a Shooter it might be a keeper!)
This is just how I do it. How you do it is up to you. It’s a hobby.
Ps. On reflection, I wish I had a shop with a lathe and an end mill and... ack. I need to stop watching Midway videos on YouTube!