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What Guns of Today, Will Hold Value / Appreciate Most?

25K views 115 replies 76 participants last post by  dsa1115 
#1 ·
I have some 'fun money' coming and I'm looking to get maybe 2-3 new firearms, but do wish them to be a decent place to have money sit

The question isn't of guns made in the past, which I have a sense for what's "hot", but in your opinion, what new guns being sold now that will hold value and maybe appreciate a bit?
 
#33 ·
Very few polymer guns ever hold their value but are great buys used. Older Colt & S&W Revolvers are holding their own. The Colt Gold Cup and Python/Anaconda models are still $$$. S&W 29 and 629 also. Older Winchester and Remington bolt rifles are doing well. I have 3 Remington XP-100's that are very nice and accurate. Same with their 700VS models. The older stuff is the good stuff.....but I love my FN SCARS's.
 
#38 ·
I have some 'fun money' coming .... what new guns being sold now that will hold value and maybe appreciate a bit?
My first stop would be to locate a gun Collector bird dogged by your local gun shop. He or his buddies might have some pieces to retire and can show you the appraisal books that track history of values & projections as investments. Older owners w/no interested offspring to inherit make the best deals.
 
#40 ·
I don't think many guns manufactured today will increase greatly in value with the exception of guns that are made in limited numbers.

High end limited 1911's are a niche and I don't really see them going anywhere percentage wise in the future.

I would scan the auctions and see what people are buying now and realize there will be more collectors but no more guns.
 
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#41 ·
I will second Colt revolvers. Colt may survive but they will never produce the Pythons and Anacondas of old.
Still have the hang tag for my Colt Anaconda PDT 83/8 inch barrel with factory porting.
I paid the dealers full asking price of $469.95 about 1995. I will entertain offers north of $2500.00.
 
#42 ·
If your wanting an investment get an Edward Jones account. For your personal enjoyment spend it on firearms. I would pick one gun I really wanted and invest the rest. In a few years you can take some of your profits and buy several really nice guns. That’s an opinion from a guy in his 50’s. If I were a younger version of me, I would spend on guns and not worry about tomorrow. Are you as confused as me? LOL !!
 
#46 ·
Firearms are hard to figure, not a suggested retirement investment. I have early colts, fnh browning's but had no idea if they would escalate in value or not. Better to buy what you're interested in & enjoy them and if they go up it's a bonus. Just my opinion, hope you enjoy your selections.
 
#48 ·
If you think about why the Chinese AK’s and Norinco’s went up when they stopped importing them. It’s not that they were that much better than anything else, they just could not be bought any more. So fast forward to a couple of years ago, all things Russian Kolashnikov Saiga have been stopped from importation. I would not be surprised to see Saiga begin to take on legendary status and climb dramatically in value like the Chinese Polytech.


Otherwise, if you buy any quality gun from a quality manufacture that is produced in smaller numbers because of it’s high price or discontinued production, they tend to generally go up in value. Like Colt, their last gasp effort 1911’s of today will never be worth what a previous 70 series 1911 is going to be worth. Again, it is always related to perceived value. When I bought my Python in 1978 for $389 that was a huge amount of money for a hand gun. My buddy bought a S&W 28 at the same time for significantly less because he could not afford the Python. Sales numbers on Pythons were likely lower than similar guns of the day.
 
#49 ·
Buying an older S&W revolver, or nicely made used shotgun (Beretta, etc.) would be the one's I think would only have upside and minimal risk. I don't collect, but if I were looking for a reasonably safe place to put money by buying a gun (and not investing more traditionally) I would want something that would at least likely hold its value. Buying used and buying something already in demand seem like the best predictor of at least holding future value.
 
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#51 · (Edited)
If you think about why the Chinese AK’s and Norinco’s went up when they stopped importing them. It’s not that they were that much better than anything else, they just could not be bought any more. So fast forward to a couple of years ago, all things Russian Kolashnikov Saiga have been stopped from importation. I would not be surprised to see Saiga begin to take on legendary status and climb dramatically in value like the Chinese Polytech.


Otherwise, if you buy any quality gun from a quality manufacture that is produced in smaller numbers because of it’s high price or discontinued production, they tend to generally go up in value. Like Colt, their last gasp effort 1911’s of today will never be worth what a previous 70 series 1911 is going to be worth. Again, it is always related to perceived value. When I bought my Python in 1978 for $389 that was a huge amount of money for a hand gun. My buddy bought a S&W 28 at the same time for significantly less because he could not afford the Python. Sales numbers on Pythons were likely lower than similar guns of the day.
Big E3 has nailed it. The determinant of future price is future relative scarcity. Assuming that a given model is made with high quality materials and skilled labor, and assuming that it is recognized as having fundamental utility (which will cause many consumers to demand it) then price will go up inversely with the supply. In other words more supply will keep prices down. In the case of AR15 and its derivatives, there are many high quality producers, so supply is high and the prices remain relatively low, on average. The exception is when consumers perceive/believe that restrictions are threatened, causing a surge in demand, and consequent price spikes. The same thing happens to prices when import restrictions, or limited production runs cause supply to be limited (or cause supply to stop altogether).

So, as a shopper, look for models/makes that are likely to be quantitatively-limited by future decisions by producers and/or regulators. Of course no one can know exactly what will happen in the future, so to some extent choosing for this reason (expectation of future appreciation) is a gamble. One clue is to look at historical patterns. As Big E3 highlighted with examples, imports from quality foreign makers--particularly former east block countries like China, Bulgaria, and Russia, but also from non-former east block countries too, like Germany and Israel--tend to be limited "runs", and are likely to be sold at "competitive" prices during introduction, but then to rise in price once the industry and consumers realize that the "run" is over. Ditto for truly limited runs by major and high quality US manufacturers.

This is not true for all imports or US makes, however, particularly if production/design quality is perceived to be low or uneven. I won't name any countries or US firms in this set; you can easily imagine the names of some of them.
 
#52 ·
Hi Point hundred dollar bill limited editions.

Not joking.

If I'm not mistaken, it very quickly doubled in value. I've been searching for one for years, and it's never been offered for sale in CA AFAIK.
 
#53 ·
I fancied myself as a collector until I figured out I was terrible at it. I bought a Colt AR-15 on the day Clinton signed the assault weapon ban. Sold it (without shooting it) 4 years later for the exact amount I paid for it. I was lucky. I used to get excited and maybe go out and buy 5 identical guns with the idea of shooting one and collecting for future sale the others. Rarely worked. I bought 3 Makarovs and a close friend was looking for a father’s day gift. I sold him 2 of the pistols at cost. I have a bunch of SW99s I bought in for <$300 and some 45 cal. SW99 NIB for <$350. Now days no one has much interest in those pistols and many folks don't even know what they are. I did buy 5 Sig SP2022s for <$275.00 but half of them are in the now orphaned 40 cal. Buy what you like, shoot it and figure if you lose a few bucks it was cheaper than renting. In the long run the real cost is ammo.
 
#55 ·
OP if you're still set on buying as an investement forget new guns. Look at old Colts, S&W revolvers, Luger's, pre 64 Winchester M 70s, M 12s, M 52s, red letter 37s. Belgium Browning's, High Standard pistols. There is some interest in red pad Ruger's and #1s seem to stay desire able.
 
#56 ·
Any limited or no longer in production, NIB pieces should do well. Maybe not Python well, but there will be a demand.

Gillie Glocks
RTF Glocks
Frying Pan Glocks
Front Serration Glocks

No-Lock S&W Revolvers

Browning A-Bolt Shotgun

Mini-14 Factory Folder

Etc..
 
#60 ·
You guys have done a great job of creating a valuable thread

I'm not buying guns as an investment to compete with the market, thou that'd be nice, but not essential. I just want them to hold value, even if they do dip a little initially, like Glocks.

With Glocks, there's a pretty good "floor" beneath which they don't go, unless a desperate seller

I shoot all my firearms, well, with two exceptions ... a Springfield WWII M1 Garand that's all original, and a K98 Oberndorf-made Mauser converted to 7.62 by the Israelis ... those are my personal museum pieces

I have a few classic SW revolvers, and right now, the current Korth & Nighthawk and Kimber revolvers are what seem to be generating the most itch right now
 
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