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Old February 15, 2006, 07:13 AM   #1
180
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Join Date: February 6, 2006
Location: Ogden, Utah, USA
Posts: 19
Investment Value

Hey,

I just turned 21 today and am starting my transfer on my first MG, an American 180, and its a SWEET little gun, but ive been considering purchasing another, in a larger calibur..

but we gotta talk investment.. im not the kind of guy that can "spend" 5K+ on a gun.. however i got a little money open up for "investment"..

Ive noticed there are alot of sweet accessories coming out for the M-16's and MAC's.. and im wondering if this would drive the price up..

The AC556, seems to be a good rifle, and considerably cheaper than its comparables...

This is what ive noticed simply by watching subguns and sturmghewr (SP?)

Id like to know what y'all think would be the best investment, of any gun, not just the ones listed above, for a man that loves MG's but is mainly looking to increase his bank account over the next few..
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Old February 15, 2006, 09:45 AM   #2
GeorgeF
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Join Date: August 23, 2004
Posts: 572
I know I'm not going to be the only one to say it, but I may be the first. Do NOT think of the gun as an investment. Thats a trap. At any time a restrictive gun law could make your 'investment' drop like a brick.

Prime example, back in 1986 when the gun law was going to go into effect prohibiting new registrations to Joe Schmoe's - my dad and I went down to Interarms. People were panicking like the sky was falling in. A lot fo guys were SURE that this was th ebeginnign of the end and started selling off their collections left and right. Even Interarms was selling off their MG's cheap. We picked up a Madsen LMG in 30-06 (South America import) for $125 and the tripod for $150. Of course the worst didnt happen and no more legislation came down the pike (barring 1994).

BUT, it shows you what could happen. If the Internet/tech boom hadnt occurred in the 90's prices wouldnt be like they are today. Supply and demand would still have pushed them up, but not to the OUTRAGEOUS prices we see now. If someone decides to put another law into effect limiting ownership further, prices could plummet and your 'investment' might be very bad indeed. And there is a very small chance (miniscule really) that a amnesty could result in prices dropping like rocks.

In short, buy what you want to play with and what interests you most. M-16 has the most options (especially with that SWEET Lakeside .22 kit - you could take both guns out and feed the same ammo) but is costly. Parts are readily available though.

In short, if you look at the MG as a way of making money, you may wind up with egg on your face. And what would you intend to do with that money? Buy another MG? It will also have gone up in price in that time period. Play with what you like and invest your money wisely.
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Old February 15, 2006, 12:04 PM   #3
shaggy
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Join Date: October 9, 2004
Posts: 1,519
I've got to agree with George on this one.

NFA weapons, namely transferable MGs, used to be a good investment as through the 1990's they averaged 10-20% increases/year. Those days are gone, and while I doubt you'll lose on a transferable MG, the price levels have risen and the rate of appreciation has slowed to the point where the ROI isn't worth it. I'm not as concerned with the risk of new legislation as George is, but its certainly a factor to be at least considered. M16's and low end guns like MAC types probably have the best outlook for appreciation, but still the market has already accounted for a lot of the new goodies coming out for the M16 like the Shrike, LM-7 etc. and the prices of M16s has still been stable for the last few years. As George said, buy what you want and what you'll enjoy, but if you're looking for a good investment, I'd say look elsewhere.
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