Anyone having trouble trading/selling your bolt gun?

K

Kvon2

New member
So I own a Browning x-bolt white gold Medallion in .223. I've had it posted on a few sites for a little over a month now and also took it to an LGS. The LGS admitted they didn't really want it because they didn't think it would sell and said they didn't want to insult me with a $200/300 offer(I appreciated the honesty). They said they thought it would likely sit in the shop too long with the other bolt guns they have on the shelf.

It's a beautiful gun but it has become an expensive safe queen and I figured the money could have a better use.

Is anyone else having trouble selling or trading bolt guns?
 
I am in Orlando Fla selling my entire collection due to illness and the two I am having trouble selling happen to be bolt guns. I finally sold the Ruger American 22lr. But still can't find a buyer for a lnib Mossberg MVP Patrol in 556/223. It is the one that takes AR magazines which I thought would be a great selling point since it was for me.

I guess we will just have to hang in there till someone comes along.
 
Bad time of year to try selling a hunting rifle. But, I'd think there might be a call for varmint cal's. Maybe the problem is the black rifle's have simply taken ove the varmint rifle spot, for the most part. Seem's to me the bolt action is becoming a thing of the past! I have all bolt's and they are all I'll ever have. Hard thing for me was finding a bolt in a cartridge I want's in a blued rifle with a wood stock!
 
I have a Savage 11FL .223 in excellent condition I've been trying to sell. Accurate gun but no takers as everyone wants an AR15 in that caliber. I'd love to get $200 plus shipping for it. Wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. :D
 
If anything, let alone a gun, isn't selling, it is because it is priced too high for the current market conditions.

This is where the adage about the buyer setting the price comes from. It doesn't matter what the seller thinks it is worth; it only matters what a buyer thinks it is worth. It then comes down to how fast you need to move the gun.
 
Nobody wants an expensive gun anymore, not when there's guns that shoot just as good or better for a lot less money. Gunbroker is full of X Bolt's in every model there is from 719.00 - 1,250.00 and not a single bid on any of them.
 
Hawg has nailed the state of the gun industry right there.
Quality is a declining value compared to cheap guns that shoot just as well, for far too many people.
Denis
 
As stated above, wrong time of the year, and wrong price. Typically, you will have better luck selling bolt guns in September or October, and the prices have to be right, especially considering the offerings from some of the manufacturers (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc). A bolt action rifle like a Browning will sell at a sacrifice (maybe $500) if you find a buyer who wants one, but so many people are broke right now that cheaper is better. I just bought a Browning 30-06 about 4 months ago, and it still hasn't sold, but with deer season coming up it will likely get grabbed up. Bolt guns no longer rule.
 
I think the fact that it's an X-bolt is a factor, as well.
Few people are familiar with them, and the unusual appearance and bolt release make people hesitant.


That being said...
It took me over a year to sell a "LNIB" Marlin XS7 in .223 Rem, with an extra youth stock and spare parts. I had it priced very well -- notably less than I had paid for just the rifle, and I had already gotten a very good deal on it.
...But few people want a bolt-action .223 Rem. (Especially a model that was discontinued and no longer has factory support for repairs.)
Lots of interest. The only serious party was half way across the country, and only wanted it for the .223 bolt head (pricey and very difficult to obtain now).
 
This isn't a new trend. I've noted the trend going back 5-6 years. Shooters can buy a new bolt rifle for under $400 that will in all likelihood be more accurate. Aesthetics aren't important anymore, just performance.

There are some guys who will still pay a premium for guns they view as classic designs such as Remington 700's Winchester 70's and the older Marlin lever guns. But not much else.
 
Ironic to this thread, I'm actually looking for a tack driving bolt gun, 6.5CM or .308.
If that helps anyone, drop me a PM.
 
In my case it's extra hard because its a .223 left hand bolt. Since you can get a new popular caliber in bolt for $300 its getting even harder. I'll give it a shot on arfcom again in the fall.
 
I like bolt guns

I enjoy a nice bolt gun but I think some are just more popular than others. Also, in local shops they generally like to buy at 50% of whatever they think retail would be so it makes sense to tie up money. A bolts are pretty popular. I believe the X bolts have more plastic. Gun Broker or a private add on a gun board will get you more money but if someone else has to wait to be paid they always want it to be worth their time.
 
The demand for the para-military rifles lessened the demand for bolt action hunting rifles. Many hunters now use an AR or an AK/SKS. The crappy state of the economy has the hock shops full of bolt actions.

And, as noted above, hunting rifle sales are always slow at this time of year. I learned that during my thirty years of having a table a few times a year at gun shows.
 
Lets face facts.
As soon as you walk out of the gun shop, it is considered a used gun and the price a shop will give you is about half of worth. They have to make money selling it after all.
 
I can buy a sub MOA rifle new from several companies for under $400 in my pick of caliber. Selling a high end wood rifle is now akin to selling a luxury. They maybe worth it. It only to particular buyers
 
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