why keep this rifle?

[mdd]

This is a question I wrestle with on occasion. I have many rifles; some in redundant calibers albeit in different configurations. There are three or four that I have considered sending out the door because I never shoot them. Make no mistake, they are good rifles but they hold zero sentimental value to me. One is a 270 I bought used via gunbroker & have been frustrated at from day one because the seller blatantly misrepresented its condition. I've never even shot it so why keep it?
I know i'll get the standard "you should never sell a gun" replies. My question is why not? It's not a person, a pet, a friend, etc. Granted some of my rifles are like old friends and won't be owned by anyone but my son when I'm too old to enjoy them anymore. If a gun doesn't fall into that category then why not get rid of it?

 

[Gus-gus]

I completely understand. I actually understand since I am in a similar situation.
I have to many guns, frankly I just don't want them all.
I believe others will appreciate these guns more than I do, so I am selling them.

I say sell them.

 

[10-96]

I unnerstand too- to a degree, or thereabouts.

I adhere to the old saying "Never sell a firearm." Face it- once it's gone, it's gone. However- I have been known to come across a great deal on something I don't want for the pure use as trading wampum. After gaining one or more of these- it's off to the sale barn to acquire something I really do want.

But as far as just out and out selling something- naw, that ain't my brand of chew.

And saying that kinda made me think that the old days of good swapping and horse trading are nearly over. Once upon a time, fellers could bargain and barter and both come away happy. Now, mostly at the shows, it's all about "My stuff is worth above top dollar because I owns it- your stuff ain't cause I don't owns it. And NO, we ain't gonna trade fair cause that won't make me the winner." Yeah, I unnerstand businesses wanting/needing to keep their light bills paid- but the guys with the private tables ain't what they used to be. Yes, I'm rambling and probably don't make a lick of sense to anybody under the age of 40- so I'll just stop right here I s'pose.

 

[Norrick]

I am the type of person that doesn't like any overlap or excess when it comes to the firearms I own. I routinely buy and sell guns and refine collection of the very few guns I own. It is a process that basically involves losing money. I look at it as, the time I've used it, divided by the amount of money I lost, equals rent. I can figure out how much I've been "renting" the gun for per month/week/day whatever.

You have to be realistic in your value assessments though, its very easy to ignore tax and fees, and accessories that have added to the guns cost.

Every now and again though you get a gun that goes up in value, and when you sell it, its like someone was paying YOU to use it for that length of time.

My advice is, since you seem to dislike the gun, sell it for a reasonable price and dont worry about it. Money comes and goes, but anything that collects dust and isn't decorative or sentimental isn't something you should have regrets about getting rid of (maybe just regrets about acquiring in the first place).

 

[dirk_diddler]

Personally if I ever bought something that I later decided I didn't want I would sell it without a doubt. You sound like you have already made the decision that you don't want it so why hold on to it. Sell it and get something you would use/want rather then hold on to something else you don't care for. But I would still shoot it at least once so it wouldn't be a complete waste of my time.

 

[hardworker]

Don't listen to the "never sell" crowd. If you don't want it, you don't want it. A gun is no different than anything else you buy and don't want. Sell it. Put the money towards something else.

 

[VAhuntr]

I let a couple guns go the past few weeks that I never used and put the money towards something I wanted. I wound up getting a Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather in 270 Winchester.

 

[sundog]

If you do not want them, do not use them, then by all means get them to someone who will.

BUT, only if you use that money to replace them with another firearm that you want.

 

[Gunplummer]

I have been slowly taking the pile to auctions for the last two years. When you get old a lot of those guns are meaningless. I was lucky and most of the guns I have or had are military or collector sporting firearms and I did well at the auctions. The few ordinary guns I sold barely made what I paid for them. If you add 20-30 years of inflation, I actually lost on the ordinary guns. The point is that not all guns are worth the hassle of keeping for a long period of time. If you don't like a couple you have, bunch them up and sell so you can buy something you want or that will go up in value. If you do go with auctions, split the guns up to different auctions and stagger them over the years so you don't flood the market with similar guns. One old guys opinion.

 

[Slamfire]

My question is why not? It's not a person, a pet, a friend, etc. Granted some of my rifles are like old friends and won't be owned by anyone but my son when I'm too old to enjoy them anymore. If a gun doesn't fall into that category then why not get rid of it?

This sounds like Crazy Talk to me!

Unless I am too crazy to understand it is actually sane.

Nah,

 

[Skans]

If you really don't care for a particular gun, then by all means sell or trade it. I are very reluctant to sell any of my guns; and there are some that I know I'll never shoot that I won't sell. That having been said, here's a list of guns I've sold or traded:

H&R .32 self-loader
Chinese SKS from the 1950's
Ingram M-10 (closed bolt)
M-10 Open bolt carbine
Taurus PT-99
Remington 700 22-250
S&W .38 police special

Probably some others. I do miss the M-10 Open bolt carbine some, but got enough money for it to where I'm quite happy with selling it. All of the rest, I don't miss for a second. Got fair value for them and probably used the money to finance other gun purchases I'm happier with.

 

[Picher]

I've sold or traded many guns over the years and rarely wanted them back. In my early years, it was a process of getting to know various types and enjoying them for a time, then moving on.

Today, most of my guns were bought "pre-retirement" and I splurged the last couple of years. I'm told that people my age have already started to sell off their collections. I hope that doesn't happen to me. It's kind of a one-to-one situation in trading for me now.

 

[rickyrick]

I'd say check it out and make sure it is safe and functional.

If so then use it to get some one else into shooting, maybe even sell it at a small loss, It would be worth it to gain a new person in the sport.

 

[Big Pard]

You must not be all that set on selling it if you are asking opinions on whether you should or not... Its your gun, If you don't like it then sell it.

 

[mdd]

All of my rifles are in excellent working condition & all but about three are in excellent aesthetic condition as well. Two of the ones on the "sell" list were purchased new by me & both have well under a hundred rounds through them. Even the 270 is in excellent shape as far as the metal workings. Somehow the stupid sob I bought it from managed to post half a dozen photos of it on the auction but completely missed the fact that two obscene holes had been drilled into the front of the stock in a failed attempt to mount a sling stud. Just left a blah taste in my mouth over the whole thing.
The only thing I know for sure is that I have a self-imposed 30 day moratorium on taking any action on stuff like this. I am a bit impulsive & I've found that if I still want to do something after a month of consideration then I am ultimately much happier with the decision.

 

[BIG P]

IF you dont care for them, Nothing wrong with selling them.
You'll just be like alot of us down the road saying I wish I would've kept that thing happens all the time.Does that suck YES!!!

 

[ShawnC]

I have sold a Mossberg 500 and a Chinese SKS and have regretted both immensely. However, I would trade my 10 gauge for almost anything right now. If you don't like it now, you won't regret selling it.

I miss my SKS...

 

[jborushko]

sounds like your already not thrilled with owning it. i used to follow the "never sell a gun" but then i watched dust pile up on old rilfes and a the few hand guns i was less than in love with. why own something you dont enjoy? sell the guns you dont want and buy new guns you will enjoy... i do have guns that i would NEVER concider selling, but others *shrugs* if i dont shoot them and am less than thrilled about owning them, id rather buy new wisbang parts for what i got or just new guns in general.


so it lies with you... are you getting any enjoyment at all out of owning all your guns? or is there a few you could go with out?


but to be fair, to date i have only sold the guns i grew to hate or really really had no love for. in all i sold a Beowulf .50 AR15, 7.62x39 AR, taurus guacho, smith and wesson 5906, para warthog... those are the ones i remember... each of which i didn't like for its various reasons.

on the other hand there are people that hot swap guns faster than they use the change in their pockets...

 

[jgcoastie]

I've sold almost everything I have with the exception of a couple sentimental pieces. I'm standardizing my gun safe residents, M1A's, 1911's, 10/22's, and Mossberg 500's. Different configurations for different purposes, but easier to buy ammo for, reload for, get spare parts for, etc...

Some may say that's a rather bland way of doing things, but I'm a boring type of person.

So to end my rambling, I understand the difficulty in selling/trading away guns, but at the end of the day; it's your collection and only you know what direction you want to take it. Use whatever ethical means to reach your goal.

Edit: Everyone else is listing them, so here's my "sold" list from recent years

Remington 7615 Police .223
Remington 597 .22lr
Remington 700's (3) .270, .30/06, .300 Win Mag
Browning A-Bolt .22-250
Browning BAR MkII Safari .338 Win Mag
Taurus PT140Pro .40
Glock 20SF 10mm
Glock 22 .40
Browning Buckmark Camper .22lr
Browning Buckmark Target Rifle
Kimber 84M .260 rem
Benelli Supernova (2) 12ga
Mossberg 930 12ga
Stoger Cougar 12ga
FNH FN9 9mm
FNH FNAR .308
Marlin 1895STP .45/70
Ruger 10/22 (wish i still had it, but it was a long time ago)
Browning X-Bolt Varmint .308
Savage 10FCP .308
Del-Ton AR15 (3) .223
Benelli SBE II 12ga

 

[trg42wraglefragle]

I brought a Norinco 22lr because it was cheap and came with a lot of ammo, I was hoping it'd be a really accurate one.
It wasn't it was crap, so I kept the ammo and sold the gun for more than I paid.
Have never regretted it, not even close.

If its a 270 and a common brand (Remington etc) and you don't like it, why keep it? If you ever want it back, buy another one.

Now if it were a mint condition WW1 rifle or something, that you loved to shoot it'd be stupid to sell.

I wouldn't have a problem selling anything really, not unless I'd brought it new and was only going to get half my money back.
My brother brought a bike that was just perfect just what he wanted for $1600, then a year and a half later sold it for $200.
Now that's something I'd have a hard time doing.