Every time I am on a forum or talking with a buddy and the question, “Should I sell this one gun?” comes up, I always say, “No. You’ll regret it.” I’ve heard so many regret stories that it makes me sad to think some people may spend the rest of their days mourning the loss of their old Winchester .30-30. Well… to be honest with you, my time has finally come. For about a month now I have asked my trusted gun friends if I should sell one of my guns. No one can actually answer this question correctly for me, it is something I have to decide myself, and after weighing all the pros and cons, I have decided to sell it.
First, I hate shooting this gun. I’ve shot less than 100 rounds through it and I’ve had it for a little over half a year. Next, it is just a tad too big to carry in the summer in my Flashbang bra holster. I like my guns to be multi-purpose and this particular gun is not. And last, quite frankly, I need the money.
There are thousands of reasons why people decide to sell their guns. Two of the biggest ones I hear are “I need the money” and “I have no use for it.” Both are very valid reasons. Before you run off and do something rash, you should evaluate just exactly what gun you want to sell and the reasons behind selling it.
For example, my particular gun is a dime-a-dozen gun. It’s fairly new on the market, plus you can find plenty of used ones online for a decent price. If I ever felt the need to purchase one again, I won’t have a problem finding one. If you have a gun that is high in demand or is very difficult to find, you might want to rethink selling it. The hardest question you are going to ask yourself is, “Will I regret this sale?” You will regret the sale of a gun that holds sentimental value, one that you inherited, or one that someone gave you. Especially if the gun isn’t worth much. You might not ever shoot the Mossberg 500 you bought yourself at 18, but since a Mossberg 500 retails new for less than $300 are you really going to get that much for one used? It will mean a lot more to your son or daughter one day than the $100 you will get for it on the used gun market.
If you have an old gun, you might want to hang on to it because it will increase in value as time goes on. If you aren’t desperate for money, I’d keep it.
Believe me, plenty of us gun nuts have made poor decisions in purchases and had to suck up a loss by selling these bad purchases. If you hate the gun, don’t shoot it, it no longer serves a purpose, and it has no sentimental value, then go ahead and sell! Gun sales laws differ from state to state. In Texas, I can sell a gun to anyone who can legally own a gun without anyone else involved. An individual sale requires zero paperwork. The ATF’s website reports, “When a transaction takes place between private (unlicensed) persons who reside in the same State, the Gun Control Act (GCA) does not require any record keeping.” However, if you are going to sell your gun to a person who lives in another state, the gun will need to go through a FFL transfer. Remember, even though the ATF states that an individual sale is legal, each state has their own laws apart from this. Before selling your gun, check your local laws.
Before you sell your gun, do research on how much it is worth. The Blue Book of Gun Values is an excellent resource and the perfect place to start. Just like the Kelly Blue Book for cars, the Blue Book of Gun Values is going to give you the gun’s worth, not its actual street value. Unfortunately, we cannot expect to get exactly what the value is worth. It just doesn’t work that way.
Second, look on GunBroker.com or GunsAmerica.com and see what the average rate your gun is going for. It is fair to expect about the same amount. The gun I am selling is going for around $400 on average on GunBroker.com, so I should not expect anymore than that. Like anything, you decide to sell, decide on the lowest price you will take and go from there. In Texas, selling at a gun show is also a viable option. People are there to browse and buy and you might just have the deal they are looking for.
Do you have any gun-selling regrets? Tell me about it!
Hello,
I know this is old post, but if any of y’all are still active I could use some advice. I recently won in a raffle a Remington 700 model sps varmint .308 and i am not sure if I should sell or keep. I already had 4 people tell me they are wanting to buy it if I end up selling it. This is the first rifle I have owned and I have never been hunting, not that I haven’t wanted too, but never had the chance. I have always liked shooting guns with friends, pistols at the range and would like to go to an outside rifle range too shoot it. However, I would have to put more money into it like a scope and maybe a few extras, but don’t know if I would use it all that much. I don’t know what the average use of a rifle is and it probably varies on person and purpose. Plus I could use the money if I sold it to buy something else I have been wanting like a handgun of my own or say wheels and tires for my truck that I could use the money to go towards. These are just my thoughts and they probably seem very scrambled. I just don’t want to keep it and have it depreciate after using it a few times then always say I could’ve gotten more money for it and used it for something else. On the other hand say the opposite I should’ve never sold it, it’s one chance that I could’ve had to own a rifle that I didn’t have to put all my money into.
Matthew,
Like you said, which gun you own matters on the person and purpose. For me, it is hard to beat the Remington 700 for the price and the caliber would be good for short- or long-range shooting. The caliber is also big enough to take any animal up to a bear in a survival situation. You said this is the first rifle, so I take that to mean you already have at least one handgun. Why not invest in a reasonably-priced scope and take it to the range a few times. If it is not for you, you’ll still be able to get your money out of it. The scope will only enhance the price, and the few boxes of ammunition you will have put through the rifle will not detract from the price, it will only break in and season the barrel. ~Dave Dolbee
Good morning. I know this is an old post, but I’m looking for some advice. I have inherited an gun safe full of about 20 shotguns, rifles, pistols, etc of varying different prices and models. I may keep one or two of the nicer ones but I want to sell them for the most part. What is the best process to sell these?
Rob,
There are a few points for you to consider. First, you can sell to a local gun store. The store assumes the cost if anything does not sell. Typically, you will get anywhere from 10 to 50 cents on the dollar. That may seem low, but the store puts out the initial money and assumes all of the risk if the firearm does not sell or malfunctions etc.
Second, you can consign the guns to a local store. You will not see the immediate cash, but as they sell, you will typically get 60 to 70 cents on the dollar.
If the guns are highly collectible of course, there are major auction houses (Rock Island Auction Company, James Julia), they will charge about 15% on average, there may also be listing fees – check out the details carefully.
Finally, you can sell through a private party sale. There are sites such as gunbroker.com. It is an eBay for guns. The site is a bidding site, or you can see what the average price for your gun is selling for and do a buy it now type option. Depending on your local laws, you could ship it to the person directly. This is not recommended and puts a lot of liability on you.
My recommendation for all sales to private party, is to require the transfer to be handled through a Federal Firearm License (FFL) (it may be required by law to go through an FFL, depending on where you live.) This ensures that the person(s) buying your firearms have been cleared by the government to legally possess them and eliminates your liability under the law if the purchaser commits a crime with the firearm later.
I hope this all helps. If you need more information or have other questions, please ask. I am sure other will weigh in as well.
The is another very good reason for selling your gun; your wife won’t let you get another one (at least, right now) unless you get rid of one.
I moved to Connecticut and sold almost everything I had. All I have left complies with their laws, so not much. As soon as I can move to a free state, I’m restocking the collection. I regret every firearm I sold and moving here.
I’ve got an H&K P-7 M13 with the squeeze handle cocking grip. Our SWAT team purchased 12 or 13 of these 9MM German made Semi Auto’s. Probably the most reliable handgun I’ve ever owned. My only complaint is that this handgun requires someone with fairly large hands for it to fit comfortely in the hand. I have small hands so it just doesn’t feel comfortable in my hand. It was a very expensive hand gun when we purchased them and I’m fairly sure they haven’t lost much value since they have become fairly hard to find now. Being a Law Enforcement Agency, we bought them direct from the factory in Germany at a very reasonable price. I was wondering what it might be worth in todays market place with 4 mags and two nice holsters. I’ve probably only put about 500 rounds through it during training on the range and have never had even a hickup from it. It’s like brand new from the box. They used to retail for around $1,200 new if you could find one that is. Is this a gun I should keep or think about selling since it never get any use these days now that I’m retired.
Respectfully Submitted:
David Cook
Sold a few guns, but the only one I regret selling was an amazing Chinese SKS I’d inherited from my father after he passed. For an SKS it had some great accuracy, I’d pretty much learned to shoot semi-auto rifle on this one and I’d done a stock swap to get a longer LOP. Got an amazing price for it, but regret it now! I needed the money for bills and other projects, but just knowing I’ll never see that rifle again kills me!
Alright, a couple of RG reholvers in .22, and a few top break 5 and 6 shot boot guns in .38 Short Colt and .38 Smith&Wesson too. Now I’m tryin’ to rationalise, like this is supposed to make me feel better about the other guns. See what happens when yuo sell guns?
Man I got rid of so many over the years, I’m ashamed of most. Can’t look back now,I guess. Heck, awhile ago I was thinkin’bout gettin’ a SOCOM, and now y’all get me remembering………Dangit! Now I’m all depressed. Thanks a lot!!!!! (Model 42, 43, pre64 model 94, Super X Model 1 Winchesters, Colt .45 1911, Colt .38 Super 1911 like new in box)…………CRAP!!!!
regreted every gun I ever sold!!!
I have sold too many guns to begin talking about. There are a few that I can honestly say that I regret selling like the Les Baer Premier II .45, but most of them I have been quite happy with the sale. Keeping a gun that is a safe queen or one that you hate is not an option anymore for me. I’d rather have something I like to shoot and can rely on.