Ideas about gun investment.

I'm hearing rumors that the "new" FN Winchester Model 70's with the controlled feed are the best yet. What if you laid out $1000 or so and bought a deluxe version in an obscure caliber with a beautiful walnut stock. Leave it in the box and see what it would be worth in 10 years or so.
 
I'm hearing rumors that the "new" FN Winchester Model 70's with the controlled feed are the best yet. What if you laid out $1000 or so and bought a deluxe version in an obscure caliber with a beautiful walnut stock. Leave it in the box and see what it would be worth in 10 years or so.
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It only has an opportunity to be worth more if they reduce quality or stop making that model or chambering or they significantly raise the price (inflation comes to mind).

If you are dead set on making firearms and investment you look for something that will not be produced or can't be produced at an effective cost point. K22 for example or many of the finer milsup rifles...think Swiss or Swed.
 
If you're going to buy guns as an investment, start by getting a C&R FFL ($30/3yrs). Then research milsurp values and buy low from wholesalers or gunbroker.

The nice thing about this as an investment strategy is that they will be less likely to be targeted for bans since they typically lack "evil features".
Investing in semiauto military style rifles or handguns opens you up to the risk of having your collection end up on a registry and eventual ban list.

They also appeal to many of the sort of people that are otherwise anti gun and vote for the political party most likely to propose and endorse unconstitutional legislation.

A functional rifle that can be used to put meat on the table or a handgun that can be used for self defense will always have value, but they aren't that rare and are still being made.

A WWII mosin or mauser is no longer being made , and will kill deer every bit as well as 70 years ago. They will continue to appreciate, even after magazine fed semi autos have to be turned in upon threat of incarceration.
 
Thanks for all the good conversation. My foray into gun investments is now over. Taking some posters advice< I went out and spent $200 on a very clean, matching sn#, Norinco SKS. It came with 10 boxes of ammo and a larger capacity magazine. Stock was clean, had cleaning kit and bayonet. Tucked it away. check back in a few years to see if it holds value. thanks again, forum members.
 
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$200 is a good price for a norinco in that condition.

Only 10 rd clips are available for the SKS.

If you decide to get a higher capacity magazine for it, be sure to hang on to the original fixed mag.

The same thing is true if if you get a bunch of aftermarket parts like stocks, scope mounts, etc. The paradox with SKSs is that "upgrading" them actually lowers their value if they can't be restored to original condition.

Mosin nagant 91/30s are wholesaling for under $89. buying 3 91/30s and a case of ammo will be a secure investment a long time into the future, even if there is a general economic collapse or breakdown in civil order (war, riots, natural disaster, etc)
 
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$500 is light for current collector stuff, but buying just about any milsurp is a good idea. Commercial hunting rifles do not hold their value as well and do not go up in value. Pre-64 Winchesters aside.
Milsurp's do. Supply and demand. Supply is limited and the demand is high. Paid $175Cdn for my 1903A4, sans original scope, but with the mounts, 30 years ago. Same amount for my M1 Rifle. The 1903A4 has increased in value by well over 1,000% in that time. The M1 by roughly 500%. The accessories, bayonets, etc. have increased by roughly 500% too.
There's no reason to think that a Mosin-Nagant, in good condition, won't do the same 20 years from now.
 
Buy military surplus or buy used.

Buying a new gun and making a profit on it is unlikely.

Most military surplus goes up.

A used gun should go up in value - eventually.

Say you buy a used rifle for $300. That rifle cost $450 NIB. At worst you should hold you own. But let's say in 10 years that rifle costs $600, I bet yours will sell easily for $400.

Not much of a rate of return and it requires the leg work of buying and selling. But I think it's a safer bet than buying a new gun in the hopes it will go up.
 
Only thing I can say is that regardless the weapon, focus on the source.

Person to Person deals, auctions and estate sales are great sources for good deals on firearms (even non-collector grades)...once a firearm hits a gun store they will seek to take the value for themselves (as would anyone running a business).

Just bought a 1965 Marlin .22 Model 39A Golden yesterday from an estate sale for $300 delivered. The firearm is about 90% and in beautiful condition and probably would have a trade-in of $400 and a gunbroker.com sale price of $500-$600. The longer it sits in the safe the better, but you won't typically earn year over year increases that would compare to other investments, instead focus on that initial purchase price.


AR's/AK's are a good bet over the next few years and always have the added bonus of the risk of going "back on the list" meaning your grandfathered weapons shoot up in value if they can't sell new ones. For example, I was buying and selling old 30 round clips during the last ban for about 3x what they sell now.

Have a "Pickers" mentality and think about the source, you don't want to buy your "investments" from someone that sells firearms to earn a living in this case.
 
The real question should be: What guns being produced TODAY will become HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE in the not-so-distant future.

Isn't that what we all really want to know. I have a good idea of what NFA items, antiques, and military-style guns of yesteryear will continue to appreciate. But, what is the FNC, or Galil, open-bolt Mac10, or Superposed 12 gauge of 2011? Something relatively "cheap" ($500 +/-) that you are going to kick yourself for not buying 10 of them today?
 
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