Guns for Investment Purposes

So much is dependant on your location when buying right comes in to play.
I think this sight is one of the best ways to find information on gun values I have seen yet.
The auction sites have a lot of fishing going on there.
If I were looking to invest I would find a local person with some firearm knowledge to assist me.
My investments have not produced much because I get the itch for a new gun and end up selling at a loss or break even way too much.
Example is the Python I traded for a Light Weight Ruger .308 twenty years ago.
Well now I wish I had the Python.
I would look for single action Colts and 1911 Colts now or older Smith and Wessons as always buy low sell high. Quality counts and Buy American we need the work.

Au, Pb, and Dinty Moore

Quoting:"As for your local argument, it is 100% sound, but as I answered, if you want to take your chances that your gold will be worth something if America does have a sudden and violent fall and we do face food shortages and real civil unrest, I am much more confident of my ability to swap an old mossberg 28" 2 3/4" shell shotgun that I paid $200 for, for a dozen #10 cans of Dinty Moore than a gold coin that I paid $2,000 for." This is why I own lots of "Dinty Moore, and a copious rack of 12ga shotties. But I didn't pay for them in Au. "And as I explained in detail in the article, the other ways America can and more likely will go show very little risk for your investment to be worth much if anything less than you paid, and there is a decent chance for a small return if you buy stuff right." True Leadcounsel "thinks" he knows about investing, but he knows jack-shaft about its reality. Buying retail is not as cool as buying at a fire-sale. I do it that way. I am patient and wise, an opposite type to leadcounsel. My re-sold profits in armory exceed 700% so far in 1020. That equals approximately $20,000. My gains in Au not even the IRS will ever know. And sometimes I buy guns using Au.

I am now 70 years years young and wish to leave something behind for my grandchildren that will only increase in value as time goes on.

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I wouldn't advocate it as part of a financial portfolio for sure. But, I'll leave mine a few.

Any gun that my grandparents left me is worth far more to me than any other gun or the money that it would cost to buy the gun. Money comes and goes, when there isn't enough, the Feds just have more printed.

What a crock. In 2006, i bought gold for $450 an oz. Now it's over $1300 an oz. How many of your guns have trebled in value over the past 4 years, hmmm? Gold is a far better investment. No laws, no serial #'s, nobody afraid of it, can sell it easily, etc. Get some 1/10th oz coins, and the best price on the net is "The Coin Shop", in Farmersville, NM.

...wish to leave something behind for my grandchildren that will only increase in value as time goes on.

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I don't think the OP is looking to have them become independently wealthy. I read that he wants to give them something of quality that will retain its value. I'm 63, have a grandson coming in 6 weeks, and I've thought the thought. If I had a choice, I would today prefer to own a rifle that had been important to my grandfather over a gold coin that he owned.

My gifts to my grandson that I currently own will include:

CZ452
M1 Garand
1903a3
1917 Eddystone
Finn M39
Assorted S&W handguns

Hopefully the list will grow longer and the transfer won't occur any time soon

Then he should retitle his post.. Because "nostalgia" has nothing to do with "investments".

You're an angry man, Gunzee.

His post says nothing about investments, and yes, you're an angry man

Raeford, as much as I enjoy all of the firearms I own or have owned most make miserable investments, as most do. If you want to leave something for the grandkids a good mutual fund is the way to go. Not nearly as sexy as a quality Smith and Wesson but a lot more Practical.


There are some exceptions, there is currently listed on Gun-Broker a Smith and Wesson that sold for $70.00, in 1937 and has a bid price as of now $10,300.00 and I expect it will come close to $15,000.00 before the auction is over.

If guns were a great investment wouldn't you hear more about people who made their fortunes investing in guns? And I don't mean people who invested in an arms company either.

If you are interested in the well being of your descendants-- invest in their education, or buy them some land/a house/a condo or some indexed mutual funds.

"I am now 70 years years young and wish to leave something behind for my grandchildren that will only increase in value as time goes on."

So it sounds like to me you're looking for an heirloom - something of sentimental value that will not be worthless 5 years after you gift it and could maybe increase in value as it becomes more nostalgic and is passed through your family.

I would personally choose a Colt SAA in a classic caliber e.g. 45 colt. Either purchase a plain jane factory one and leave it plain jane...shoot it and let your descendents know you shot it and enjoyed it so they can shoot it sometime and then tell stories about how granpa shot coke cans at 100 yards or purchase one with some mild factory engraving and do the same.

Or....purchase one from nutmeg. I have one of their revolvers and it's a work of art and shoots well too. Some people may debate if nutmeg colts will hold their value as well as factory colts. I think they will.

For long guns...doug turnbull just did a run of 1886 winchesters for a little less than 2k - brand new with his awesome work refining them to original standards. They are chambered in 45-70 - I have one and everyone really enjoyd it.

None of these heirlooms will probably increase over time as much as real estate or precious metals or other traditional investments...but they will retain more tangible heirloom personality when passed from one generation to the next.

If you don't want to buy something new...then in reality, the gun and pocket knife and fishing pole that you use the most - regardless of how beat up it is, will probably be one of the most cherished items that you leave behind. It's not the item itself that makes it valuable to your family...it's you and their memories of you associated with those items.

L.W.

If a new currency was introduced today, what would its value be? Ask gold. How many of them do you need to buy an ounce of gold? That's how much something is worth.

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I have introduced a new currency..it's called the crap. I asked gold how much crap it would take to buy an ounce of gold...gold said one crap. Would you like to trade me an ounce of gold for a crap?
Can someone please explain to me why "precious metals" and "precious stones" command the prices they do. Why are they so valuable or precious? Tell me what these items produce or do. I have no need for any of these items. I believe people are brainwashed to think it is really worth $1300 and ounce. Sorry for the rant.

I am now 70 years years young and wish to leave something behind for my grandchildren that will only increase in value as time goes on.

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Buying for an investment is different than buying as something to pass down. As an investment it's purpose is to be sold later on strictly as a means to make a profit. I gotta think that buying a gun to pass on to your grandchildren would be more for sentimental purposes rather than, "here, sell this in a few years and make some money".
As a sentimental or heirloom piece, I'd choose something that would be of interest to YOU so that regardless of their later interests, it would be the connection to YOU that mattered to them. Could be a inexpensive model or it could be a $100,000 double. Make it what YOU like.

Can someone please explain to me why "precious metals" and "precious stones" command the prices they do.

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Because people pay those prices.

The ONLY value of a mutual fund or a gold coin is "how much can I get for this."

The value of a quality or historic firearm is SO much more. Where has this been. Ohhh look at the care and craftsmanship. Cool, it's so accurate and fun to shoot. Wow, it's so handy to have for hunting/self defense/home defense...

Gold is oh so boring. Sure, it has gone up. A lot. But what goes up must come down...

If you're going to get into something with no intrinsic value, you gotta strike fast. In and out. Gold is not a long term hold. It's a quick buy. Hence why it's gone up so much.

As I said before, we only need to look at the housing, internet, and other sham bubbles that raced to their peaks and crashed. When folks start selling gold it's gonna come crashing down.

I invested into a few guns a couple years ago. They still are worth what I paid. But, in hinde sight. I should have invested into ammo. It has quadrupled in the last year.

Here's one that will never go down in value:


USMC M40A1 w/Leupold Mark4 built by Tactical Rifles

If you don't want to buy something new...then in reality, the gun and pocket knife and fishing pole that you use the most - regardless of how beat up it is, will probably be one of the most cherished items that you leave behind. It's not the item itself that makes it valuable to your family...it's you and their memories of you associated with those items.

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Well said, you cut right to the heart of the matter.

Material possessions are just things that have no real value. Think I'm wrong? Just wait until you come face to face with death. Suddenly the only thing of real value is other people, and the memory of ones who were important to you.

Guns and ammo are a good investment. Paper fiat money not backed by gold or anything else and printed by the banks of the Federal Reserve not the US Government is only good as long as EVERYONE thinks it is good. I was a Paratrooper Grunt out in the jungle of Viet Nam in 68/69 and if I remember right they changed the MPC, Military Payment Currency during that time, which if I remember correctly left the Vietnamese with a lot of old worthless MPC that they could not trade in.

If things get real bad, and they hopefully will not, the money, the stocks and bonds, all intangible investments will be worthless, and as far as gold at $1300 an ounce, I would rather have pounds of non hybrid seeds, a defendable perimeter, and a good water source.

Keep in mind that using guns for "investment" is technically illegal, as you're not supposed to buy with intent to profit, even at a much later date. If you're going to do this, it needs to be low-key and justifiable; you can't just have a ton of valuable safe queens that are kept mint just for this purpose.

I don't own 'investment' guns. I do however own a 'working battery'.

....you can't just have a ton of valuable safe queens that are kept mint just for this purpose.

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That is debatable. I believe you are technically correct in terms of resale if done as a business. In which case, you would probably need a business license and be subject to zoning restrictions in an urban area. It would be a matter of sales volume and probably over a period of time. There is nothing wrong currently with owning say 100 or a 1000 safe queens and then to sell all of them off. The BATFE has better things to do than bother a collector who happens to want to sell off his collection. He clearly is not in the "gun business". The BATFE has defined this pretty carefully in their requirements which can be found online at their web site in the FAQ's.

Sales tax is another issue and that may eventually somehow get enforced. I read that FFL dealers in Washington are being required to charge sales tax on the value of a gun (like you would a car if you bought it used from an individual when transfering the title) on transfers. I suspect it is being done because "they can" and using a FFL dealer is required for out of state purchases. If the law is changed in most states where a FFL dealer is required for private transfers of guns, then the sales tax collection may happen if required.

Sraggerlee213.

... you REALLY do need to get out of the house more often. This world is crammed full of money. But you'll never see it!

leadcounsel ;

You should have been around the place about 2,000 years ago. You could really be rich now, following your spout-off of Au-trends! All the known Au in the world now is equal to about 4-dozen semis, fully loaded. How's that for a guaranteed scarcity! Better than Mutual Fool Funds.

I don't know about that trailer load stuff, but I'll bet our wives have way more than that stored in their jewelry boxes.

You should have been around the place about 2,000 years ago

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If I had been armed with guns around 2000 years ago, a GUN and AMMO would have conquered the world! I would have been the most powerful man in the world and had all the gold, silver, jewels, women and luxuries a person could ask for (if I were so inclined)...