Will there be any new Classic guns?

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usmarine0352_2005

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There are always Classics, items/things that make their mark in history and also have value's that rise significantly as they get older. Guns such as original Winchester 1984 lever actions, Colt SAA's and even the Colt Python which is relatively new.



The question is: For guns will there be any new Classics?




This is a hard question since once you reach a point in history of certain things it seems there is no more chance of something becoming Classic as classic also pertains to age.


Such as a 1970 Dodge Charger and 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, those are classics. You most likely won't see a 2008 Ford Mustang or a Dodge Viper 2007 ever be considered classics. I think cars, like guns have reached the point where there will be no more classics.




What do you think?

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There may be a few... However its doubtful IMO, since so many guns moving towards plastics, MIM, etc.
 
tarosean said:
There may be a few... However its doubtful IMO, since so many guns moving towards plastics, MIM, etc.
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I wonder if there were any people who said the Model T would never become a classic because it was made on an assembly line?

Maybe the Corvette couldn't become a classic because of all the fiberglass.

I'm sure if those materials and processes were available to John Browning, he would have used them.

I'd consider the MP40 and STG44 to be classics, and they are stamped.

The Ford Edsel sold terribly and was universally panned during its day, now it is highly sought after. Hard to judge what will become a classic based on what is going on today. Even then, the Mustang and other pony cars became so popular because you could rent them, or have them as daily drivers, and then on the weekend throw in a roll cage and race them. There are plenty of guns today that can be daily carry and used for competition on the weekend. Glocks, H&Ks, SIGS, all fairly modern designs, all have rabid fan bases already.

Besides "classic" is a very subjective term.
 
Interesting question. Somehow I think it will be the failures or the ideas which never reached MASS production.
I monitor the auction sites regularly and I see many firearms from the seventies and eighties, which would now be entering the classics category, selling with multiple bidders. Firearms with less than desirable reputations. Say, the automag pistols in .22 caliber for example.
 
If I had to venture a guess I'd say that M16 pattern rifles with original features such as non-railed, full length hand-guards, integral carry handles, and fixed stocks are the most recent "classic gun." A classic gun being an iconic gun that has become obsolete or gone out of fashion.

One problem is that guns are produced in larger quantities now and more ubiquitous.

As far as 'significance,' glocks are the model for an entire generation of pistols, they started the plastic framed striker fired revolution.

The Ar15/m16/m4 will be iconic of an age of American warfare after it is replaced. It will be hard to replace, requiring a breakthrough in small arms on the order of the Garand -> M16 change, which will make it all the more iconic.

'retro' M16 pattern ARs are already pretty much 'classic,' all the contemporary stuff is carbine length, railed, fancy adjustable butt-stocks, etc etc.
 
If I had to venture a guess I'd say that M16 pattern rifles with original features such as non-railed, full length hand-guards, integral carry handles, and fixed stocks are the most recent "classic gun." A classic gun being an iconic gun that has become obsolete or gone out of fashion.

One problem is that guns are produced in larger quantities now and more ubiquitous.

As far as 'significance,' glocks are the model for an entire generation of pistols, they started the plastic framed striker fired revolution.

The Ar15/m16/m4 will be iconic of an age of American warfare after it is replaced. It will be hard to replace, requiring a breakthrough in small arms on the order of the Garand -> M16 change, which will make it all the more iconic.

'retro' M16 pattern ARs are already pretty much 'classic,' all the contemporary stuff is carbine length, railed, fancy adjustable butt-stocks, etc etc.
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But will these guns bring about a significant increase in value as they age or will they fall along the wayside.


Also, the rarer the gun the higher the value in many cases and with the M16 and Glock there were quite a few of them made.


Also, just because something is popular, doesn't make it a classic. The movie Gone with the Wind was very popular and also very well acted which made it a classic. The Twilight series of movies is extremely popular but I don't think anyone will say they will go down in history as a classic movie.

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I have a friend who bought blue gobs of Star Wars action figures right after the first movie was released, usually several of each, and kept the majority in their retail packaging.

When the 4th film was released in 1999, and the craze re-sparked, he was offered a silly amount of money for those original unopened figures. Why? Because they were classics? Who can say what's a classic?

The simple truth is he was one of very few people who had bought these little trinkets new and preserved them all, as a complete set, just as they were. New fans and old fans of the film series were scooping up new figures and just had to have the older ones.

It was rarity and pristine condition combined with suddenly soaring demand that commanded the high dollar offers.

It'll be the same with firearms. Will my Glock ever be a classic? Will it ever be hard to find an all original Gen 4 Glock 22 that's been holstered a lot and fired a lot and has some wear? Nope. There are bajillions of Glocks just like mine. On the other hand, can the same be said for a low serial number a NIB first run .45 GAP Glock that was given to a retiring Glock executive on the day it was test fired and which he put in his safe along with all the related papers and never fired again?

To the right collector, that Glock is a "classic" and worth a lot of money. That's true even though the hypothetical buyer of this probably not so hypothetical Glock will never fire it.
 
I'm into boats a lot. The Boston Whaler 13 was considered a "plastic" novelty in its day. Made in an entirely different way with different materials. Now it is every bit a classic. Times change.
 
Not saying the Beretta 92 was a quantum leap like the 1911 Browning,and being it is a military firearm.

I would venture to say,it will be one of the first of the modern firearms of the boomers generation to go classic.
 
I'm going to assume Classic means Rare & desirable. If it doesn't, you can ignore my reply.
Classic can also mean a revolutionary design like the 1911. I'll leave those replies to others.

The formula is
Not made anymore + Desirable piece in its own right = Classic

Finite supply and infinite demand always helps too.

If you take a modern gun and the manufacturer changes just ONE thing for the worse (like MIM parts), that sort-of makes the older ones instant classics. They will never be made the same way again and the supply is finite. Of course, the gun has to be desirable in the first place. Nobody cares if Hi-Point changes their manufacturing process.

A modern example is pretty much any Marlin gun. Since they moved plants, the older ones (old being just <2009) are now more desirable to some folks.
 
With modern modular and plastic designs filling up the gun stores any old-school steel and wood gun has the potential to become a 'classic'.
I'll cast my vote for the original Wingmaster.
(edit: and the Chiappa Rhino as the Edsel of guns)
 
In my humble opinion any Browning firearm made and assembled in Belgium, be it an over/under shotgun or a Hi-Power pistol will certainly become classics if not already. Just check their used gun prices.
 
I think cars, like guns have reached the point where there will be no more classics.
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This has been said about everything from cars to planes to comic books to movies and tv shows.

Ultimately, it's not generally possible to pick out what will be considered a classic in the future, as it takes time and reflection to determine what is or is not a classic.
 
How old is modern? WWII era count?

I think the MG-42, Garande, M-1 carbine and P-38 would all be considered classics.

If you want newer, the M-16, Steyr AUG and Beretta 92 pistol will all qualify if they don't yet.

Then you have weapons that are not just "classic" but actually "ICONIC" like the AK-47.

Lastly, I feel that the original Dodge Viper will be considered a classic car.
 
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I'd say the formula is:



Rare + Desirable + Increase in value over time




And no, it is not about Fads.




Just because one person thinks something is a classic doesn't make it so. I mean something that is tangible and that most others consider a classic. You may think a 2004 Ford Taurus is a classic, but that doesn't make it a classic. You may not think that a '70 Dodge Charger is a classic, but it is considered a classic by most everyone else.

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Maybe some of the custom jobs? Don't ask me which ones because I have no real interest in them.

Oh, wait, wait!! Doesn't Ruger make a Charger? But, alas, it has no cylinders.:D
 
the first hand phaser will be a classic but the stuff out now is just a re-hash of the classic stuff with different materials.
 
Classic may also be defined as something that represents an era. The '57 BelAir isn't especially rare in the classic car world, and the first generation GM F-bodies (Camaro/Firebird/Trans Am) aren't that rare either. But they are very desirable, and that desire is becaue they represent particular eras. It's hard to say if the guns that are currently around will be recognized as classics in the future - but I suppose if energy based weapons become the norm in the future, then all projectile guns will probably become classics.
 
The word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality.

I could put the Colt SSA and 1911 in the classic category.

I'd like to put Stoner's M16 in there, he created a weapon that has endured, not unlike the lever action rifles that came on the scene over a 100 years ago. In some ways the M16 is a bit like Ford's model T. It will evolve and change, like the T and someday we'll be using a weapon so different it will be hard to see the original.
 
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gen 1 glock 17 is already borderline classic
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Since many are using the car analogy.... Id equate a glock to a Toyota. Good and reliable yet will never be a classic.
 
Toyotas are now showing up at the classic and antique car shows - mostly old Celicas and Corollas, when they do show up. And the VW Beetle - a basic, functional, utilitarian vehicle is considered a classic. Functional and basic doesn't take something out of consideration from being a classic.
 
tarosean said:
Since many are using the car analogy.... Id equate a glock to a Toyota. Good and reliable yet will never be a classic.
Click to expand...
Classic Toyotas...

AA / AB
Origin
MR2
2000 GT / GTs
Older Landcruiser

...to name a few.:)

One never knows what will become a "classic" in the future. Who knows? Maybe Hi-Point Carbines will fetch a bundle in 50 years.:D

ETA #1: Speaking of POS's becoming classics... One BAD Messerschmitt

ETA #2: Okay, just one more. I forgot about the 300

Anyone think some of today's budget-priced firearms will make it to classic status like the Messy or Beemer above?:)
 
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