An idiots Guide to Buying & Selling

In truth buying any kind of firearm is a questionable investment, despite what we convince ourselves at the time. So why do we buy? I speak for myself but would imagine that with few exceptions most of us are the same! My gun rack shows both practical and items of questionable use, some bought due to their curb appeal and others… well you know. Plus we all have our little passions, or what I might terms as ‘what if’ guns.

I shall not bore you with the whys and wherefores of every gun I own but here’s a good example. I have two shotguns, both Section 1 (high capacity) a Remington 870 pump-action I have owned since the 1980s and that I used for Practical, the other a Browning Maxus semi-auto – circa 2009. Both are cleared for 12-gauge slug for boar shooting, but it’s the Maxus that does 99% of the real shotgun work – pigeons etc. To be frank I love the 870 and consider it the most reliable smoothbore on the planet, yes I use it but really keep it for nostalgia so it’s taking up a slot that could be filled by a more useful piece, or turned into cash.

PERCEIVED VALUE

In these financially uncertain times and either new or 2nd hand it’s a buyer’s market, and never more so than in the latter area! Truth is people are not buying like they were and even hitherto safe bets are much harder sells. So if we accept that nothing we buy is forever, we will at some stage consider getting rid of it. With this in mind how can we maximise on the potential value of what we have? Equally if you are looking for something, you need to consider how to approach your possible ‘dream gun’, that sooner or later could be something you want to get rid of… I kid you not as I have bought, sold and re-bought the same gun – life is circular!

MAKES

People in general are very badge-conscious and this brings a perception of potential worth, I am too but for more quality/ability reasons. Regardless of condition - a BMW will initially be considered a far better car than a Ford and the same holds true with anything. However, with modern firearms build quality has improved out of all proportion to price!  A Howa 1500 will cost you around £500/600 and will shoot just as well as factory rifles costing considerably more. Plus and most important – cheap or expensive, good or bad performance is down to the user and if you can’t shoot then that’s that.

I met a guy with a custom Remy 700 it was a beauty, however he was not! Too much money, too few manners and only too happy to point out who made his gun and how good it was. He let me shoot it and it was brilliant without question, I watched him use it and to quote my favourite expression; he could not have shot his way out of a wheelie bin from the inside! Given his lack of ability he could have saved himself £2500 and bought a Lee Enfield!

CALIBRES

This is a weak area for me as I get to see so many new/different calibres and appreciate their abilities. To be honest and with few notable exceptions the advantages offered though undeniable are negligible in general use. However, most of us are not like that, so stick with the garden variety stuff – 223 Rem, 243 and 308 Win etc., even numbers like 270 Win, 30-06 Springfield and 300 Win Mag can be a bit big and exotic and overly powerful for some. Many gun shops will not bother stocking the seemingly rarer stuff. Plus some of it is more a reloading-only option; my 6.5 Grendel and 8.5x63mm are good examples, great if rather specific calibres, but there are few factory loadings available. So selling either one of these would mean the potential buyer was prepared to reload, which is not always the case!

TYPES

Just because you like it; doesn’t mean… There are many and diverse gun types around by far the most popular are bolt-actions in both rim and centrefire and 22 LR semi-autos. Everything else is marginal, lever-actions are more popular in pistol calibres, but less so in fullbores. Single-shots well probably most popular with classic BPCR shooters, but I have seen very few people with single shot hunters.

Now we come to the nitty gritty buying and selling, which is naturally approached from two different views - the vendor and potential buyer. Cost is the first consideration and one where many get it totally wrong. Just because a rifle cost you £1500 does not mean it’s worth it in today’s market place, you need to be flexible and set yourself realistic parameters. I am always happy to negotiate, though am equally prepared to refuse a sale if the buyer is taking the Mick. I had a gun up for £550 and the buyer offered me £350, I said no, he said I had to sell it to him. I said happy to but not at that money, but he was not prepared to deal and I declined as I was not prepared to lose that much money.

This is often where the buyer has the upper hand as many of us sell to raise some cash usually to finance our next, ‘must have’ gun. I have got some seriously good deals by being hard-nosed, but as I illustrated if the vendors’ resolve is high then you need to be flexible.

NEVER SAY NEVER, NEVER…

There are ways to add value and therefore up the price and that’s accessories. There are very few guns I have bought that I have not added something to, be it a sling or something more specific. A good examples is my Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, it has a 1.5-6x24 scope in QD mounts, red dot sight, iron sights, 5 x25-round and 2 x 10-round mags, tactical bag, bipod adaptor, sling, torch and foregrip. In money spent it’s worth well over £1000, however in the real world I’d put it up for £900 and be prepared to go lower to a pre-set limit. A lot of money to lay out but you’re buying the package. Conversely you can break up it up, as separately the accessories will usually go quickly. With most guns I sell I make a point of at least leaving the scope mounts on as that sweetens the deal.

One man’s meat is another’s poison, or just because you think it looks cool doesn’t mean they will! People do the most outrageous things to guns in the name of cosmetics and I am guilty to a degree, well I used to be but wised up. My lovely little 6.5 Grendel CZ527 custom, wears a DIY Dura-Coat digital MARPAT (US Marine pattern) camo finish. At the time I thought it was great, on reflection I know it’s not! It’s unlikely I’ll ever sell the Grendel as it’s a sweet and useful rifle, but never say never as you never know. If I did it would be down to Riflecraft for a quick Cerakote of black barrel and moddy and brown stock and we are done!

Equally re-colouring a scope can make it unsellable too, as can strange modifications. Back in the day a friend of mine bought a nice 8” Artillery Luger, not rare just a DWM but in good nick and a shooter. He had a rep for being weird and turned it into a target pistol, the end result, which was badly done was not only hideous but hideously unique. Suffice to say he ruined a nice gun; are you getting the idea?

END GAME

OK I think I have made my point, now some more advice. If possible and I would strongly recommend it; shoot your potential new purchase before parting with your readies. Never buy sight unseen as what looks good outside might not be so inside. I will always take a cleaning rod with me and give the barrel the once over, also strip it down to see what’s what. Ask how many rounds it has had through it and that sort of thing. Go on the internet and do a search on that model/make of gun, forums can supply some good advice on specific problems and faults. Likewise check the stock for example, it might be cracked, or the advert might say it’s bedded and it’s not, not everyone is honest! Also check the gun number against the vendor’s FAC, sounds a bit extreme, but you never know.

In most FAC to FAC deals once you have the gun it’s hard to give it back, as it will be on your ticket and off theirs so you need to be making the right decision.

Another thing to consider is; is it worth it? Assuming your dream gun is in Scotland and you go there to look at it, that is going to cost a good few quid in fuel, which will have to be factored into the price. Finally and I address all the potential sellers out there – do you really want to sell it? Of course I do, I never shoot it anymore; been there done that and it’s over. Don’t come crying to me a year later when you suddenly regret your rash action that raised some dosh for your next dream rifle! Like I said I bought, sold then re-bought the same rifle a few years ago as despite what I thought I could not live without it! There are a number of websites that deal in buying and selling of guns and equipment, our own is on www.gunmart.net