Appropriate price for a 'basic' Springfield M1A?
- Thread starter nntw
- Start date
"...They should have..." Nothing about the rifle's current Canadian value though.
The problem with M1A's is that they're so pricey most retailers don't carry 'em. None of the site sponsors. So finding a current retail value is problematic.
You really need to see the thing before you make an offer. Find out how many mags(legal) it comes with etc.
The problem with M1A's is that they're so pricey most retailers don't carry 'em. None of the site sponsors. So finding a current retail value is problematic.
You really need to see the thing before you make an offer. Find out how many mags(legal) it comes with etc.
skinnadoor
Regular
- Location
- BC, Canada
Wanstall's had the basic blued for $1999 new.
skinnadoor
Regular
- Location
- BC, Canada
Offer him $1500.... after you have it field stripped to verify all the parts are ok, no cracks... and the barrell is good... rifling is good.. especially at the end of the barrell.
allarile260
Regular
- Location
- London, Ontario
I forgot how much Springfields go for used.. I saw one basically new for $1200 on a different Canadian Gun site EE, the guy was desperate for $ and it was immaculate.. I'm depressed I didn't take it. Hope you get the rifle at a fair price! $1500 seems fair if it is in good condition.
Last edited:
Email the serial number to springfield prior to purchase to ensure that there were no "recalls" for warranty issues. There were rifles with bad bolts and receivers not machined enough under the bolt roller at lock up. I know these incidences are rare but pays to know for sure. New and recent manufacture springers don't have these issues as far as I know.
If you can get a well looked after one for 1500.00 , that's a good price for seller and buyer alike I would think.
If you can get a well looked after one for 1500.00 , that's a good price for seller and buyer alike I would think.
Remember that guy at the clinic that was so p.o.'d when we told him that his rifle was a recall and that it had bolt spec issue's...
I thought that he was going to hit me with the rifle.
Wow that's going back a couple years but yes, I remember. It was 2 springers, 2 different owners, 1 a recall bolt, the other had bolt roller/receiver contact.
Not common finds but again, pays to know what to look for.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I would check the age for sure, have a serial number? The "golden era" for M1A's (see Wikipedia) was quite awhile ago, receiver finish was the best and often many parts were good USGI. My last M1A was all TRW with a serial number around 40,000. Current ones, the few times I've seen them in stock retail $2,000-2,700 new, if you can beat $2,000 significantly lightly used you've done well.
Not trying to start a fight and I realize that there is an issue with the exchange rate over the last several years. Why is it that a guy can pay $399-$450 for a Norinco and then ask the same out of it used but a Springfield is worth 75% of its new price? There are not a lot of them and and it seems the demand or at least interest is growing..
You raise a good point Seafury. Not everyone sells their box stock used norcs for full pull, but yer right, a lot of them do , and oddly enough, there always seems to be someone ready to spend full pull on said used rifles.
As for springfields, I'll be honest, last time I looked at a retail price tag, they were solidly over 2K in most places I looked. This was when our dollar was wayyyy less than U.S.
These days, the prices seem to be coming down so that will change any used springfields current resale "value".
The other thing at play is the "demand" for springfields is clearly not matching the demand for the cheaper offshore alternative. And that probably is causing the resale value of the norcs to hold their own.
It would be nice to see canadian M1A prices come down some more to put them in reach of more folks budgets. My only "real" complaint with springfield is in my opinion they are way overpriced from the get go
please don't flame me for that comment, it's just my opinion.
As for springfields, I'll be honest, last time I looked at a retail price tag, they were solidly over 2K in most places I looked. This was when our dollar was wayyyy less than U.S.
These days, the prices seem to be coming down so that will change any used springfields current resale "value".
The other thing at play is the "demand" for springfields is clearly not matching the demand for the cheaper offshore alternative. And that probably is causing the resale value of the norcs to hold their own.
It would be nice to see canadian M1A prices come down some more to put them in reach of more folks budgets. My only "real" complaint with springfield is in my opinion they are way overpriced from the get go
please don't flame me for that comment, it's just my opinion.You raise a good point Seafury. Not everyone sells their box stock used norcs for full pull, but yer right, a lot of them do , and oddly enough, there always seems to be someone ready to spend full pull on said used rifles.
As for springfields, I'll be honest, last time I looked at a retail price tag, they were solidly over 2K in most places I looked. This was when our dollar was wayyyy less than U.S.
These days, the prices seem to be coming down so that will change any used springfields current resale "value".
The other thing at play is the "demand" for springfields is clearly not matching the demand for the cheaper offshore alternative. And that probably is causing the resale value of the norcs to hold their own.
It would be nice to see canadian M1A prices come down some more to put them in reach of more folks budgets. My only "real" complaint with springfield is in my opinion they are way overpriced from the get go
Interesting questions about supply and demand and various other economic factors. There are probably going to be more people interested in the less expensive rifles, rather than the Springfields, just on the basis of cost, particularly if they figure they get most of the benefit of the M1A at a fraction of the price. And the larger customer base may keep price up, even for used examples.
The market for the M1A might be a bit more problematic. A luxury good, and priced accordingly. Limited supply, but also limited demand- not as many people willing to to buy them.
I don't know that I really see prices coming down much on them- those that have them want to at least get their money back, at least that's my perception from the EE.
I think also the US and Cdn markets are quite different... the AR is probably the US platform of choice, but because it's restricted in Canada, you probably get people in Canada interested in the M14/305 who might otherwise prefer the AR.
Last edited:
I think people ask retail prices when posting a Nork for sale because they expect the buyer to jip the price down. If you think about it, what else can a guy do, I mean it's already cheap.
Selling a big ticket item, the seller may ask $100 more than he expects which might be 75 percent of retail. If a guy with a Nork did that, he'd be higher than retail.
Selling a big ticket item, the seller may ask $100 more than he expects which might be 75 percent of retail. If a guy with a Nork did that, he'd be higher than retail.
