What Firearms Would You Buy As An Investment?

[W.E.G.]

Storage space becomes an issue pretty quickly for 99% of us.

Then there is the issue of at what point have you become a "dealer" if you are flipping a large volume of relatively inexpensive guns.

For high-value guns, you need to become an expert in particular guns, and you need to be willing to walk away from deals/sales that are "just OK."

Lastly, you need to beware that your hobby will become work.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Not necessarily, but you do need to separate your personal shooters & collectables from the investment guns. You don't get attached to the latter.

 

[22-rimfire]

The problem with guns is they are difficult to liquidate at near market prices. Most of us buy what we like and form attachments with the "collector pieces". If the fan hits, certainly regular firearms will be in demand. I would suspect the highest demand will be with handguns. It will have to be quite a "fan" for things like AR's to be in high demand. You aren't going to walk down the street with an AR and not draw attention to yourself. Most of it will be negative attention from police, as you will be viewed as a predator. But having a few AR's and ammunition is not a bad thing.

 

[taliv]

the fixed supply of machine guns makes them seem like a solid investment to me. perhaps a better store of value than dollars, though obviously not as liquid.

at today's prices, I think AR15s are a good investment. I don't think they'll get cheaper, and any little crisis and they'll go way up.

ammo and components are a good investment if you can buy them cheap enough, though the latter is limited since you can only safely store a relatively small amount.

There are SO MANY standard capacity magazines out there that their prices will take decades to go up if we get another >10rnd ban.

 

[Mike OTDP]

I'll add some more comments.

First, the 'collector's edition" guns are rarely a good investment. An AR-15 with a logo to tart it up is still an AR.

Second, anything that is still in production is also a bad investment. It might be a good bargain, but your neighbor will get the same price.

Third, quality is a good investment.

Fourth, antiques are a good investment IF you know the guns. It's why I own duelling pistols and percussion revolvers, but not longarms. I know the former, not the latter.

Fifth, C&R stuff can be good if it's in limited supply. Moisin-Nagants were made in the millions. Cz-82s? Not so many. I bought my East German Makarov for $179 ten years ago. I could sell it for twice as much today.

 

[teumessian_fox]

In case nobody's said it yet, guns are a terrible investment, with a few exceptions. For example, if before the current Poser-In-Chief was elected you bought a truckload of ARs and then sold them when an AR was going for about the price of a compact car. Then that would have been a good investment.

The other exception is if you find someone ignorant about the value of their guns, like a widow.

A third exception is finding someone desperate for money. In that case it's not any particular gun you're looking for. You're just looking for someone who's ready to "give away" their gun.

 

[bluetopper]

Any quality manufactured handgun made of blued steel and wood is not going to go anywhere but up.
And any semi auto rifle that shoots 7.62x39 or 5.56/.223 and the ammunition for it. The ammo is probably the best investment of all.

 

[SaxonPig]

I wouldn't. This is #46 on my list of 100 FAQs.


Firearms as investments.

46. Guns are generally not the best investments. There are more profitable ways to make money in the long term. Granted, recent economic events have proven disastrous for many investments, particularly in the stock market, but over time more money can be made via traditional investments than by hoarding guns. It generally takes many years for guns to appreciate enough to make a clear profit and by then inflation has wiped out most of the gains.

 

[22-rimfire]

I tend to agree with the blued steel guns from manufacturers like Smith & Colt as being reasonable investments if you buy them "right". "Right" unfortunately means you are buying at FFL dealer prices (50-60% of current market value) and may be viewed as a predator. That does not change the fact that they are hard to convert to cash at near market prices within a reasonable timeline such as a week.

Saw a blued 4" Smith Model 19 the other day for $400. I was tempted. It fits into the "any blued gun from a quality manufacturer" approach.... The thing is I bought a NIB one two years ago for this price which means I could not sell my NIB example and make a dime in two years. Long term it may be a reasonable investment, but short term, it is not an investment at all. There lies the problem I have using ordinary firearms as an investment vehicle.

If you want to tie up money in firearms and call them "investments" to make you feel good about taking all of that liquid working capital out of your savings, then do it because you like the firearms, not that you are going to make a bundle of money within any reasonable time frame.

Machine guns may still be a good place to tie up your money if you are thinking long term.

 

[Jonah71]

The only guns I could possibly sell for a profit just happen to be the ones I don't want to sell. For almost 2 years I've been trying to convince myself that guns are a profiitable investment. I'm finally learning to appreciate my talent for self deception. I'm not buying them to make money. I'm buying them because I love to shoot handguns of all types and calibers. And the more I buy.....the more I want. Hello.......my name is Jonah, and I am an addict......

 

[BlacklabelOP]

want to invest buy ammo... lots and lots of ammo!

 

[mboylan]

Automatic weapons are dropping in price. There are a fixed number of transferables. Might be a good time to buy over the next year and flip in 5 to 10, if you can get a good deal.

 

[marv]

If I had tubfulls of disposable cash I would buy Class III full auto firearms. They have been appreciating regularly for the past few years.

 

[leadcounsel]

The real problem with Class III weapons is that the bottom could fall out IF one of three likely scenarios plays out:

1) A significant price increase to the tax stamp. Currently set at $200, it's likely due for a tenfold increase.

OR

2) An outside (hopeful) possibility of lifting the ban on new manufacture or importation.

AND/OR

3) Ammo prices skyrocket again. Who can feed a full auto with high ammo prices?

Any of these would collapse the Class III market IMO.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Almost all of mine are shooters, but some are 40+ years old and NIB, never assembled breakdowns...

I also like 100year+ firearms in rough but working condition. Some of these are worth $300.00+ in parts when you can no longer shoot them.

In order to have real "investment" firearms you need big money and safe queens, even then the trends would have to be followed, like the WWI, anniversary post indicated.

Don't forget you have to sell them, as soon as you are going to keep this one and that one, your profits go down and your cost in safes goes up.

The best way I found to "invest in firearms" is to trade newer, inexpensive, popular firearms for outdated legends, or trading up. Of course it is win win as we each get something we want/need and to some trading a 100+ year old single shot for a new $180.00 shotgun is "trading up".

They might be right, time will tell.

 

[russ69]

Russ,

Just like everything else, buy low and sell high. So if you are going to do that, used firearms are the way to go. If you find a nice one at a good price, jump on it. I would also specialize in handguns because they are easier to store than rifles or shotguns. Bottom line, cheap but desirable used handguns.

Thanx, Russ