I have a list of guns that I want. I see one on the list I buy it. I was at a LGS a few weeks ago and saw a gun on my list. It was a Browning BLR White Gold Medallion with maple stock in 308. So I bought it. I did not even know that had a sale going on at 15% off until I got the rifle to the counter. So the price went from $1372 to $1189. I guess I got lucky because I would have paid $1372 for it., It is new in the box. I sure do like saving money even if it is by accident.
How do you price and gut check a new gun purchase?
- Thread starter Ru4real
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golfer_ray
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I love many of these responses, and will add that I've my worst deals by trading on armslist, and my best deals at gun shows and pawn shops.
I have to admit that when I purchase On-Line I use all of the rigor and scrutiny I talked about in post #1, the OP.
But in a gun store, I tell myself I’m in control, but that’s BS for me. If I’ve been thinking about it, and they have it, I’m probably walking out with it, no rigor or scrutiny, usually, at all.
Sort of like when I walk into a donut shop to “just get a coffee”. Yeah, right.
But in a gun store, I tell myself I’m in control, but that’s BS for me. If I’ve been thinking about it, and they have it, I’m probably walking out with it, no rigor or scrutiny, usually, at all.
Sort of like when I walk into a donut shop to “just get a coffee”. Yeah, right.
I will spend weeks, months, even years looking for the right deal on the right gun. Research and searching greatly increase the probability of actually wanting and appreciating the gun I have purchased.
I spent over a year searching for the right deal on a S&W 625 in 45 LC. A Dan Wesson 744 (44 mag) with 8" barrel and scope plus mount and chest holster came up on one of the sites I watch for $600. After a couple weeks I called the guy, agreed on $550 and drove 4 hours each way to purchase it the next day. I have never missed the S&W 625 for a minute. I later picked up a 4" barrel for the 744 which made it perfect for my needs and I still have less in it than the 625's I was looking at.
I also keep a mental list of guns I would like to acquire and know the going price for them. When the right deal comes along I jump! My collection is extensive enough that there really isn't anything that I need RIGHT NOW! Occasionally I will impulse buy a gun but it is usually because I know the gun, I know the market and the going price and know I can sell it for more than I paid for it. I picked up a CZ75D compact with 5 magazines for $375. I always wanted to see what the CZ75 craze was about but didn't have much use for another full size 9mm so it seemed like a good purchase. I found that I am not impressed with CZ75's and the compact is too small for my big hand. The heavily curved trigger is way too small for my fat finger and pinches my finger on each shot and even a compact steel frame gun is too heavy tfor carrying. I am confident I can sell it or use it for a trade for more than I paid for it.
Occasionally I will come across a deal too good to pass up on a gun that I don't really want. I will sleep on it and let my senses come back to me and pass on the deal. I spent over a month looking at a Super RedHawk in 480 Ruger that had been professionally shortened to "Alaskan" length for $600 on a local site. I probably could have picked it up for $550. Thankfully it finally sold before I broke down and bought it. It would have been fun to play with but I am confident I would have gotten bored with it in pretty short order and the cost of dies, brass and bullets would have added up.
I remember the good old days of agonizing over mail ordering a Nagant gas seal revolver on my C&R license for $79. Or a CZ52 in 7.62x25 for $109. Etc. All the time with my parents shaking their heads on the money I was wasting! Looking back now I wish I had ordered even more than I did! But at the time it felt like prices / value on the old war horses would never go up! Who would EVER pay more than $79 for an SKS? At least that is what all my buddies at the time told me.
I spent over a year searching for the right deal on a S&W 625 in 45 LC. A Dan Wesson 744 (44 mag) with 8" barrel and scope plus mount and chest holster came up on one of the sites I watch for $600. After a couple weeks I called the guy, agreed on $550 and drove 4 hours each way to purchase it the next day. I have never missed the S&W 625 for a minute. I later picked up a 4" barrel for the 744 which made it perfect for my needs and I still have less in it than the 625's I was looking at.
I also keep a mental list of guns I would like to acquire and know the going price for them. When the right deal comes along I jump! My collection is extensive enough that there really isn't anything that I need RIGHT NOW! Occasionally I will impulse buy a gun but it is usually because I know the gun, I know the market and the going price and know I can sell it for more than I paid for it. I picked up a CZ75D compact with 5 magazines for $375. I always wanted to see what the CZ75 craze was about but didn't have much use for another full size 9mm so it seemed like a good purchase. I found that I am not impressed with CZ75's and the compact is too small for my big hand. The heavily curved trigger is way too small for my fat finger and pinches my finger on each shot and even a compact steel frame gun is too heavy tfor carrying. I am confident I can sell it or use it for a trade for more than I paid for it.
Occasionally I will come across a deal too good to pass up on a gun that I don't really want. I will sleep on it and let my senses come back to me and pass on the deal. I spent over a month looking at a Super RedHawk in 480 Ruger that had been professionally shortened to "Alaskan" length for $600 on a local site. I probably could have picked it up for $550. Thankfully it finally sold before I broke down and bought it. It would have been fun to play with but I am confident I would have gotten bored with it in pretty short order and the cost of dies, brass and bullets would have added up.
I remember the good old days of agonizing over mail ordering a Nagant gas seal revolver on my C&R license for $79. Or a CZ52 in 7.62x25 for $109. Etc. All the time with my parents shaking their heads on the money I was wasting! Looking back now I wish I had ordered even more than I did! But at the time it felt like prices / value on the old war horses would never go up! Who would EVER pay more than $79 for an SKS? At least that is what all my buddies at the time told me.
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hemiram
Member
I won an auction yesterday on a gun that I honestly didn't care about winning or not. That's how it usually happens, if I REALLY want a gun, I lose it, but if I don't care, I win the vast majority of them.
It's a nice gun and I got it slightly used for a lower than average price. The seller took a credit card without any upcharge, and shipping was $20 versus the other one I almost bid on with a $50 shipping charge, which is pretty much just another $30+ in the seller's pocket. Is it a gun that was going to complete my gun collection? Nope, just one of the "always wanted one of those" after shooting one when they first appeared about 10 years ago. I won't say what it is, too easy to find it and my info, but it's a upscale 9mm that goes for close to $1000 new, and I got it for ~$700 including shipping, less than average for the condition by about $140.
It's a nice gun and I got it slightly used for a lower than average price. The seller took a credit card without any upcharge, and shipping was $20 versus the other one I almost bid on with a $50 shipping charge, which is pretty much just another $30+ in the seller's pocket. Is it a gun that was going to complete my gun collection? Nope, just one of the "always wanted one of those" after shooting one when they first appeared about 10 years ago. I won't say what it is, too easy to find it and my info, but it's a upscale 9mm that goes for close to $1000 new, and I got it for ~$700 including shipping, less than average for the condition by about $140.
wickedsprint
Member
When I had discretionary income, nothing. Now I only buy guns based on a specific need that existing gun(s) don’t cover.
As the saying goes.. "time is money"... If I spend "X" days researching prices I am actually loosing money...
If I want it, I buy it. Guns are products that will last our lifetime( with few exceptions). Do you fret over your water heater, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc. etc., that does have a limited life, the same way?
If I want it, I buy it. Guns are products that will last our lifetime( with few exceptions). Do you fret over your water heater, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc. etc., that does have a limited life, the same way?
wiscoaster
Member
Well, heck ya, the members here are legendary.
At this point with me having more guns than I "need," the hunt for the next gun is often a significant part of the enjoyment and satisfaction of acquiring and having the gun. Gun acquisition is a more complex hobby for me than just "buying a gun" and having another one in my safe. The thinking-about-it and the searching for the right gun is something I enjoy, and is a stress reliever.
Most of the guns that I want these days tend to be in the 10 - 70 year old range, so in those cases I'm not just looking for the best price and availability on a NIB gun. I tend to spend time, and get enjoyment from, deciding which gun(s) I'd like to have, determining if there are certain year models or versions that I think I would enjoy owning more than other versions, and then finding that gun at a good price. A "good price" almost always means a price at which I could sell the gun and make money. I don't look at guns as an investment, per se, but I try to buy for less than I could sell just because I like knowing that the hobby isn't a money pit.
This is how I approach it, and how I get enjoyment from the hobby for me, but it's not to say that it'd be for everyone. If I looked at the gun hobby differently, I might see guns more as "tools," in which case it probably wouldn't make sense to search out my own personal Goldilocks gun every time.
Most of the guns that I want these days tend to be in the 10 - 70 year old range, so in those cases I'm not just looking for the best price and availability on a NIB gun. I tend to spend time, and get enjoyment from, deciding which gun(s) I'd like to have, determining if there are certain year models or versions that I think I would enjoy owning more than other versions, and then finding that gun at a good price. A "good price" almost always means a price at which I could sell the gun and make money. I don't look at guns as an investment, per se, but I try to buy for less than I could sell just because I like knowing that the hobby isn't a money pit.
This is how I approach it, and how I get enjoyment from the hobby for me, but it's not to say that it'd be for everyone. If I looked at the gun hobby differently, I might see guns more as "tools," in which case it probably wouldn't make sense to search out my own personal Goldilocks gun every time.
Hokkmike
Member
Just remember - researching, thinking it through, discussing, and all the rest is part of the joy of buying. How dry and dull it would be just to say "yep-that one-OK-done."
The thrill of the chase is real, and not just about wild game!
Laggy
Member
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- Sep 23, 2020
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It would not be the same.
Laggy
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Reloading is another level of this. Looking through manuals, determining powder, projectiles and for what purpose...
Chuck R.
Member
I don't fret over gun purchases, but to me half the fun IS the research.
I can spend countless time researching AR parts prior to a build, pricing chit out, sorting out what to get on sale where and when.
I'm now over the 65 gun mark, hard to justify needing anything unless I start shooting another competition and honestly my time is about maxed out on the matches I'm shooting now. IF I really really want something, I just bring my wife with me and mention "it's a pretty good deal' and I'll end up leaving with it. It will cost me something down the road in the form of a house modification or entry fees for a dog trial though.
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