How much value does a rifle lose over X years?

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Kryogen

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Just wondering how much value in % a rifle/scope combo loses over time.

Talking about a regular hunting rifle with a regular scope. For example, a regular hunting rifle with a regular scope, etc.

Lets say it cost 1250 2 years ago.
How much should it sell for 2 years later?

maybe lose 1/3 of the value, and sell for +- 66%. I dont know, I am having a hard time figuring out how much to sell or buy used firearms for.

Seems like some people are selling them for like 80-90%. Am I the dumb one selling them for 66% ???

Just wondering what you guys think.
 
Lets look at my existential dilemma.

My point is I wanted to sell my hunting rifle to get a precision rifle.

For example I am selling a very normal savage synthetic stock hunting rifle with a bushnell scope. Cost me 1250, asking 800. There are people who are interrested to buy it, and now I am wondering, am I just dumb to sell it for 800 and loose 450$ over 2 years? Should I just keep it instead? But the point is, I'm probably not going to hunt nor target shoot with this hunting rifle anymore if I get a precision rifle anyway, so it's just money sleeping in the safe.....

What should I do :p Sell at a loss, or keep and not use it, or sell for more?

Now I am feeling guilty to sell a perfectly fine hunting firearm at a loss to buy a precision rifle that I dont need just because im addicted to firearms :p
 
Depends on what it is, how rare it is + how much the buyer wants it ;)

Simple as that.

I've paid more for a late 80's model than it would have cost to buy a new one.
 
life is too short to keep #### you don't want... especially if you know you won't use it!

Get what makes you happy and will keep you interested and passionate about shooting!

If it makes you feel better sell the hunting rig to a friend, nothing wrong with giving a buddy a good deal!
 
Ever buy a new car? Commercial guns are not necessarily going to appreciate. If a model is selling, the company will make more, the dealers will stock them, and ship to whichever store wants to put it on the rack. This is guaranteed to hold down any resale value. Why buy used for the same price as new? Assuming a new one with a warranty is unblemished and trouble free.

If the company stops making them, the resale price goes up. Winchester stopped making lever guns in New England (a fellow I know wanted a .44Mag carbine and was panicked he would never find one), any one with one asked and got big dollars. Even custom guns don't have a strong resale value; why not just order one from the guy and get exactly what you want? Conversely, no one wants to send very much on a simple economy model .22 regardless of what a new baseline example goes for. The need better be pretty specific.

Military surplus guns are another story. Lever Arms was flogging Garands for $150 in 1997. They now sell on the Exchange for $800 and up. Same gun, just the grease is older. I have a catalog page from Century International with an FN49, G43, MAS44 and AG42. Those were price all under $200. Put a zero on the end of that for a G43 nowadays. It is all supply and demand. And, I blame price hikes on the internet.
 
The average gun that is easy to find will drop in value depending on the condition. Rare or discontinued guns that are in high demand can actually increase in value.
 
Rare or desirable guns appreciate. Bottom end items depreciate like a dodge. Buy accordingly, hold on the hunch that it will become a collectable, and ditch the stuff that has no future.
 
Keep in mind most guns are largely an emotional purchase. 90% of us don't need more than a basic $500 rifle; like we don't need a $40k new vehicle when a $10K used one will do. Unless the gun you are offering for sale has emotional appeal to buyers, it probably won't sell for more than 66%-75% of new cost. I wouldn't pay more for such a rifle and wouldn't expect to get more if I put mine on the market. If it has been used extensively a rifle may not bring much more than 1/2 it's new price. In my local buy and sell some clown has had a Norc M305 on for $650 for months. I would offer $300ish.
 
You may be able to work a trade with someone and possibly come out a bit farther ahead. Problem is when you buy low end stuff its still low end 10yrs later and the shoppers on this site are canny shoppers-lots of them know their stuff. Still if you take what you can get and put it into something better it will hold its value much longer. Its a matter of time too. I sold a 1900 vintage Winchester 1894 recently for over $900. In 1900 it probably sold for $30 new maybe less. Be thankful you are able to sell and move on.
FYI a lot of "precision" comes from the shooter and the ammo you shoot. There is no substitute for practise.
 
My example

I dug up a receipt from Dec. 1994 I purchased a Remington 700 BDL 22-250 $489 and tasco world class 3-9x40 W-A scope $169 plus tax. Total $658 before taxes. This gun was hunted well and had a couple scratches on it (one on the fore end and one on the floor plate. In Sept. 2011 I sold this gun for $575. In my opinion the most of the value of this sale would have been in the gun itself and not the scope as it was 17 years old as well.
I am no expert but I believe that I lost little if no money on the gun but the scope did depreciate.
 
stubblejumper said:
The average gun that is easy to find will drop in value depending on the condition. Rare or discontinued guns that are in high demand can actually increase in value.
Click to expand...

This pretty well sums it up. 10 years ago I was a active collector and most I had were in the best condition I could afford . Many were real NIB or unfired and 15-30 years old.
I took cancer and was told my days were few so started to sell off rather than leave a mess for my Mrs. I had excellent records with the prices I paid for every gun I bought right to the 60's.
From my experience, over all I never lost a cent on my handguns/restricted in fact probally made 25%. More on rare ones
Rifles lost maybe 10% on most unless they were pre 64 winchesters or rare calipers like 257, 280's etc. Take a new rem 700 bdl for example unfired you paid 489 for it 20 years ago and sell it today for 500. Shot guns only sold a few maybe 40 but unless high end model 12's, o/u brownings or small gauges like 410 and 28ga where I made maybe 20% I broke even overall.
Lost my shirt on a 20 gun new ducks unlimited collection and a New winchester lever collection. Never again on any of those. I read here time to time again about guys saving guns for retirement investment. I must have collected the wrong ones since it didnot work for me. Always remember low end guns will always be low end.. Just one man's experience:)
 
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A lot is lost in what you wanted then and what a buyer is willing to pay now.
Put together a rifle, scope, rings in combination may not be a sale item today.
What was practical and beautiful in the eye of one person may not necessarily meet any appeal to anyone else. Everything will sell given a willing seller and a willing buyer and therein lies a dilemma for many. If selling is an emergency and time of essence makes a difference from not being in a rush. Selling after Xmas is different from two months before hunting season.
I used the Gun Digest prices in US dollars as a guide when buying. Losses of 40% would seem reasonable. This is especially true when the CDN $ was so undervalued.
My 700 Sendero was over $1400 at one time and changed to $1100 when I bought mine. What it is worth today is not important because it is not for sale.
 
For those saying that low-end firearms will always be cheap take a look at the Springfield M6 survival guns, basicly throw away guns are listed for 1000$, they sit but the ones priced at 650$ to 800$ move pretty quick.
 
Turkeyslayer 1300 said:
For those saying that low-end firearms will always be cheap take a look at the Springfield M6 survival guns, basicly throw away guns are listed for 1000$, they sit but the ones priced at 650$ to 800$ move pretty quick.
Click to expand...

There is always the odd exception but who knows what make and model it will be at the time.
Example my model 12 28ga is appraised at 6K my grandfather paid under 100.00 for it. It was low end when he bought it, his 12ga bought the same time I may get a few hundred for it max
Low end will stay low end 99% of the time
 
Turkeyslayer 1300 said:
For those saying that low-end firearms will always be cheap take a look at the Springfield M6 survival guns, basicly throw away guns are listed for 1000$, they sit but the ones priced at 650$ to 800$ move pretty quick.
Click to expand...

Bad example. A Springfield (small name brandname) M6 (USGI origins) Survival Gun (narrow category) is not comparable to a Cooey .22 bolt or a CIL break shotgun. That is still a market value of 65 to 80% of new.
 
Perhaps look at this from another angle. The Savage action you are contemplating for sale is readily converted into a precision rig and thus will save you money in the long run with available stock mods, prefit barrels, triggers, etc.

So the value in what you have may provide what you are looking for in the precision game. Many have done so and proven this platform performs and competes with those who are spending several thousand more. It all depends on what you are looking for in the precision game.

IMO, the value of your current rifle is retained where modified, but it is perhaps lost if sold for a discount. Your addiction will grow. Just thought you may want to know some real value of the firearm you currently own. My two bits....
 
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