used AR price question

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greyling22

greyling22

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with all the AR's out there that can be had for under $750, why don't I see used AR's going for 500-600 bucks? surely there are people moving to higher quality guns that should be selling their starter guns right? or at least their starter uppers. but I can find complete uppers new for cheaper than I can find any used ones for.

I know there are plenty of people "just trying to get their money back out" of a gun they bought at a wildly inflated price a year ago so I don't count them, but even before the craze, I have never seen an AR cheaper than the cmmg bargain bin guns at 550+shipping. Is there still just too much demand?
 
I've always wondered this myself, I see several beat up shotguns, handguns, and other rifles all day long, but i never see a old AR i could have snatched at a reasonable price. Id be ecstatic to find someones 20 year old A2 they have had riding under a truck seat for the last 19 years they decided to part with under $400.

Surely these guns have to exist, but it seems every AR purchased is being saved for that rainy day or red dawn. I've settled on getting mine one piece at a time, but its always made me wonder.
 
Now that you mention it...

I see few used ARs on the shelf in my area. And usually, they are in pretty nice shape. I don't recall ever seeing a beat up used one.

I've seen a couple of used uppers at gunshows with some wear (ex .mil uppers, for example) but even they weren't in too bad of shape.
 
There are a lot of people jumping on the AR bandwagon, churning out parts by the thousands. There are talented machinists with $$$ in their eyes, making a lot of components for sale to anyone with the cash. The market is becoming flooded. These $50 lowers are a prime example: http://shop.si-defense.com/SI_Defense_AR_15_7075_Forged_Lower_Receiver_p/si ar-15 lwr-frg.htm

I predict that before long, we will see a glut in the market and ARs will be a lot cheaper.
 
Disregard that link. They obviously made an error. The price on that lower is now $350! :eek:
 
WOLVERINES!

Seriously, I think most people like the AR platform enough that if they shoot it much, they keep it.

Also, ARs were not all that common until they started to be banned (1993 or so, I know the federal AWB was 1994) and really exploded in popularity in the last 2-3 years, so there won't be that many that are older on the market compared to the number that are fairly new.
 
Most AR's are bought to fondle. I know of several guys that have nice new carbines with nary a round through them. Consequently if they go up for sale, they are going to be in pretty darned good shape, and command a greater percentage of new value than a beat up old 870. Sexier guns seem to hold value better.
 
I traded a decent AK I picked up for $350 in the peak of the price gouging. I bought 5 mags ($50) before I decided AK's ere not my thing. I traded it a month or so later for a Delton "kit AR" that someone couldn't get to run right. It came with a extra stripped upper, nice gun case, several mags, scope, BUIS, some ammo, tools, and a bunch of other misc. It needed the barrel torqued correctly and the gas tube tweaked a little and it is now 100%. It has tool marks and scratches from an inexperienced builder but is in perfect shooting condition. I sold off the upper, scope, tools and have about $175 in the end package.

Deals like this are far and few between, but they are out there.
 
So where do you guys see AR's in 10 years, will the prices be lower as everyone who wants one will have one.
 
Why sell the whole rifle when you can just add a new upper (0r lower) and have a "new" rifle? Lego guns ... always "new". :)
 
With all due respect to Rusty (who is essentially correct).....

I buy rifles to have RIFLES, not a collection of sub-assemblies which can be mixed-and-matched for the purpose of the day. This is also why I don't buy Encores, and my Contenders have exactly one barrel each. A couple of my Encore-owning friends have recently converted to this train of thought, and they seem to happier than they were, that is, having several rifles rather than one frame and a number of barrels.

It's just another approach to the same end, and with the bulk of the cost being tied up in the upper end of the AR-15 rifle I don't think it's much of a penalty.

They sure are a flexible platform, though.
 
you wont find a used Bushmaster for under 750.00 even a beat up one. they ar ebuilt to last lifetimes.
Click to expand...

uhh, sure, if you're the sort of AR owner that puts 2 mags through it, cleans it and sticks it in a safe for the rest of your life
 
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