is there a blue book for guns

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George Van Amber

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I am planning on selling my 'Colt 45-Mark4' that has never been fired. Would like to know the estimated value of it. And I think it is a Match or government issued. It is in storage where it has been for many years so I can't remember exactly if it is a Match or not. The only thing I have ever done to it was oil it once in a while.
 
Blue book of gun values from amazon.com is $30 and change delivered....can't bert it. Took 4 days for me to get it
 
The problem with the Blue Book is that the price a store will offer you is that of 60% condition if the gun is 100%. This is so that the store will be able to resell the gun at their desired profit margin.

The other problem with the Blue Book is that it frequently gives prices that are inflated for "your" region of the country.

If you want to sell a firearm it often comes down to what the same gun brings across a dealer's table at a show if you make the sale face to face yourself to another individual or -20% of what the dealer has on his stock if you want him to pay you for it.
 
Blue Book is good for a general idea. As hso said, regional differences are also a BIG factor. Using the Blue Book grading system is a little difficult.

Kevin
 
Check out your gun and list the specifics here, or down under "auto's" and you'll get some ideas of what its worth.
 
On the other hand, if you look at the collectibles in one of the blue books and then ask a dealer why his item is so much higher even though there is no finish,"I don't think those prices are anywhere near right."

You can find such prices, you just have to dig. I don't know where they get their price schedule from. It's supposed to be an average of gunshows and store prices, I believe. They certainly don't go to the shows and stores I do.
 
The Blue Book of Gun Values is the best grading and estimater of firearm value that is available. If you feel the prices are out of date, then so be it. Pricing tends to be about a year out of date and value is very subjective. Pay an appraiser to give you a estimated value. But who knows one of them? Ultimately, the "value" is what someone is willing to pay for a gun and not a penny more. That value will depend on asking price, advertising, availability, commonality, condition, mood of the buyer, etc. and these factors float in a buy-sell market.

If the price a dealer will pay you for a gun is not to your liking, then sell it yourself.
 
I'd be happy if the prices were only a year out of date. Gun prices vary widely all around the country. The Blue Book doesn't take any of this into account.
For my money it's worthless.

AFS
 
Blue Book Value

One thing I do like about the blue book is that it contains information I don't always know. Simple stuff, that can mean a lot about a gun and its value.

For instance, I bought a Weatherby MKXXII with scope for $130. Had it for a year before I bought the Blue Book. I just liked the rifle, the finish was so nice. Reading the blue book told me I had one of the first ones, made in Italy, and that with a box magazine it was worth more than a tube fed model. I learned a lot about that gun from the book.

What's the gun worth? Well the Blue Book says in 95% condition,with scope, rosewood front cap ect, ect, it's worth about $450. Could I get that? No! But it makes me feel real good about my bargian at $130.

It's a constant process of leqarning. I also just got my second Baretta Mod 34, except this was a 7.65 instead of a .380. I never knew they had them. Simple stuff, but the book makes it real clear when you don't have an expert around.

There are guys here that know, but it seems when I'm at my gun club I run into a lot of real "pretenders"...and I like having some idea from the book before I show it around
 
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