During the good times, guns are an investment that will consistently increase in value. During the bad times, they can safeguard your property and family more than any other investment in your portfolio. Either way, the reality is that Americans like their guns. Best of all, there are consistent trends where Americans tend to buy firearms based upon outside forces such as elections, in the wake of mass shootings, or proposed policy changes either locally or nationally. But what about buying a gun as an investment?
Guns are a tempting investment, with their bad boy appeal and potential for soaring values. Whether your tastes are traditional or you are looking for a custom firearm, guns are a tangible commodity and, as with any commodity, many investors view it as a hedge against stock market volatility. But before you drop a bundle at the gun store, like most anything else, you have to buy right and know what you’re buying.
At the onset, I would tell any investor to take a careful look at the guns being built today and decide which of them will be tomorrow’s collectible. There are certain guns that are mass produced and very functional but getting any significant return on your investment is not likely unless it was previously owned by George Washington.
When investing you should buy the types of guns that have a history of increasing in value. History has shown (whether in art, cars, or guns) when there are no more products available or there were a limited number of the products ever produced, the value of the available products increases. A prime example of this is when Kalashnikov Concern or Izhmash firearms were sanctioned by the United States in July 2014. The result was a run on all remaining products available in the United States and, thereafter, ever increasing prices as the sanctions continued and it became apparent such products may not ever be available again. A similar situation is currently underway with the expansion of the U.S. sanctions against Russia to include Molot-Oruzhie in June of this year. We reached out to FIME Group, the exclusive importer of these products, to find out which products had been imported in limited quantities. We were informed that less than 300 units of the following models were ever imported into the United States: VPR-54539-02; VPR-65G-01; VPR-76239-02 and VPRS-308-01. We were surprised to hear that less than 200 units of the following models ever made it to the United States: VPR-12-12; VPR-223-01; VPR-223-02; VPR-223-03; VPR-243-02; VPR-3006-02; VPR-3006-03; VPR-76254-01; VPRP-223-01; VPRP-76239-01; VPRS-223-01, and VPRS-308-02. Finally, we were impressed to learn that less than 50 units of the VPR-223-02 and VPR-223-03 ever made it to the United States.
If history is any indication, then the value of Molot products (like their Kalashnikov Concern and Izhmash cousins) have a strong likelihood of increasing in value. Moreover, those of you who are able to grab one of the models where there was a limited run should make sure you secure your investment as it may turn into a part of your personal portfolio.
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Previous Shooter’s Log articles and reviews of the Molot VEPR: