I would not even consider selling a firearm back to a gunshop for the reasons Banzaii stated. A private (face to face) sale will give you a better return on your money (assuming they are legal in your state).
Worked at a gun store/range. I saw exactly the same thing.Folks used to get highly irate when they would bring a gun to me to sell it back to the store. EVERYONE thinks that they should get back what they paid for it. EVERYONE. Even folks that know the business. Always amazes me and leaves me shaking my head.
This is how it's played out for me for the 30 years and different stores/ranges that I've worked:
Pretty much the standard quote is 1/2 of DISTRIBUTOR/WHOLESALE price (my price) - whatever % factor for wear and tear/condition. Our gun markup is generally +15% (15% is enough to keep the doors open and the lights on....barely).......so something that costs me $500 to put on the wall has a $575 price tag on it.
Call it a $600 pistol, out the door.......shoot a few boxes of ammunition through it, keep it for 6 months....then need cash for Christmas purchases.......trade-in for me to buy it? Yep, you guessed it......$250. They leave angry as hell......go to a pawn shop and get offered $125.....and come back to me a week later BEGGING for $350 or their old lady will leave them. That's when I put $250 cash and a bill of sale that they need to sign on the counter.....and 99.99% of them take the $250.
I then take that $250 pistol, with a few hundred rounds through it, send it to the gunsmith for a full detail clean for $35, and put it up on the wall as 'USED' for $450 right next to that new $575 one.........and sell the used one the next day.
At one point I audited our bound book and nearly 20% of our stock 'rotated' in this manner at least once before leaving forever. I had one Springfield Armory 1911 that I sold 4 times across 2 years before it never came back.
Want a nearly 100% predictor of that that 'rotating inventory' gun is going to be? Keep an eye on whatever gun the hero/villain uses in the latest action movie. Chances are that it'll be flying off of the shelves for the next month or so, only to come back in stacks the week after purchase, or the week after Thanksgiving when Christmas sales start. It's such a 'thing' that our distributor reps often call with 'movie specials' the week or two BEFORE a blockbuster movie comes out.
Trade in to buy something else? $300 STORE CREDIT ONLY that cannot be cashed out.
Same with rifles, except that any Franken AR that someone assembled from a lower and parts at home gets an auto minus of about 50%......even if you have the receipts to prove your high end parts.......If YOU built it, for me to re-sell it I have to disassemble it, clean it, and reassemble it, PROVING each part is what you say it is, if possible (and most parts are impossible to prove lineage in the AR world) and make sure it works......or I'm left with a dud that no 'manufacturer' will take on a warranty claim and I have to eat the cost of making it work........after all, it was sold as parts, NOT a complete rifle.
The harsh reality is, if you want more $$$? Go peddle it on ARFcom, I'll see you back here in a week.
As for bolt rifles, unless it's a limited run or a distributor special, no special consideration, even for accessories. Best bet is to sell those separately on ARFcom, Gun Broker, or Ebay, because my mark up on those is ABSURD, and you would be insulted by any offer I would make on them individually.
Jewelry is even worse. Everyone thinks it’s “an investment.”Worked at a gun store/range. I saw exactly the same thing.
Jewelry is even worse. Everyone thinks it’s “an investment.”
Good to know. I figure as much. Usually what I see is someone selling a $2000 rifle with $1000 of upgrades. Only shot 100 rounds once at the range then sat in the gun safe for a year.The gun stores I worked in had a slightly different formula but same idea. Our used gun formula was the same unless you had purchased the gun from us (we did have records after all), then the 50% of wholesale price was modified to about 80% as long as it was in like new condition. Optics were considered zero value as there was no easy way to determine whether they were reliable or not, so a $600 rifle with a $600 scope was....$600. The worst purchases were older guns like Lugers and old Win 94's, while they would easily sell, determining an actual value was really difficult. I once had a Luger come into the shop, after several hours work and talking with a local Luger guy, best we could come up with was that it was a post war gun built with some leftover prewar parts (DWM toggle, etc), not as valuable as the owner hoped, however in typical german fashion all the parts were serialized. Win 94's have a whole lot of "specials" depending on which dealer ordered them and what options were put together, short mag tubes, octagon, half octagon barrels etc.
I’m looking forward to stocking up on ammo and primers.In six months when people realize there is not going to be a civil war they are going to try to sell the handguns they paid way over retail. The Glock they paid $1500 for will only bring $200 due to the market being flooded with used guns.
Nice groupSecond attempt at the range...
https://ronsreloading.wordpress.com/2020/10/25/range-report-october-25-2020/
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Hah! I guess you haven't been to a gun store in a while.I have used GB in a pinch, but would rather look locally first. The largest gun store here locally usually has a nice selection of AR platforms, so I need to get out of my "safer-at-home" and make a visit.
As for the largest gun store in North Alabama, Larry's Pistol and Pawn, it would be hard to imagine the shelves being empty,
You might be able to find a A4 flat top upper from new Old Stock FN or other contract M16A4 as parts kit. Way cheaper. Sabre defense was selling some. You’d have to piece a stripped lower together in semi auto config. Might save you a few hundred bucks for mags, ammo, and sling.So I have a line on a Rock River Arms LAR-15 A2 NM rifle, which comes with a custom RRA carry case, 3 magazines, single shot sled, and sling for $1025 shipped. Looks to be in great shape over all. As an A2, it is not a flat top, and therefore optics choices become severely limited... which is what has me not hitting the buy switch. Thoughts on the deal?
I get that from people every time I take my Egyptian Hakim in 8mm Mauser to the range!Those tanker MB will knock my hat off when they’re next to me. It’s the way the air vents are pointed.
Never heard of said rifle, really neat, thanks for the info!I get that from people every time I take my Egyptian Hakim in 8mm Mauser to the range!
Nice. I have several german made as well. Smooth as silk and dead flat reliable.I might have a buyer for my W. German P226. Sad to see it leave, but it is too big to carry. My wife was thinking an XDS would be a better replacement. I cleaned it up and found a small amount of surface rust from storage in my safe too. It is cleaned after every use and stored with desiccant, but I guess that wasn't enough
It is a pleasure at the range. Easy to handle and doesn't really require aim adjustment between shots. I just wish it were smaller. The potential buyer's grandpa was born in W. Germany and collects items made there. If the price is right, I'll part with a tool.Nice. I have several german made as well. Smooth as silk and dead flat reliable.
Ah memories... (except for the chrome barrel)I ultimately ended up buying the RRA A2 NM rifle. My FFL has a flat top upper that he is donating his serves to sapping out the A2 upper if I find I am having issue with the irons. The rifle is coming to me as pictured.
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