Does firing a gun substantially lessen it's value?

monkeyfist · September 2, 2012, 05:41 PM

I know, a newbie question, but I don't know jack about guns at the moment. Does firing a gun really make it lose its value that much?

hardworker · September 2, 2012, 06:00 PM

An unfired gun will lose value if fired. How much value depends on many things. Manufacturer, age, options, condition, etc.

YARDDOG(1) · September 2, 2012, 06:07 PM

Most New guns are fired at factory ; )
Y/D

bcrash15 · September 2, 2012, 06:36 PM

A mint, new in box gun that is either a limited/collectors edition, antique, or has some other unique reason to be worth a large amount of money then the value may be significantly affected if it is shot. As a general guideline, if it was just some production-model gun (maybe that somebody's Uncle Jim bought in the 70s and never shot), depending on the current market value and demand it might bring around $100 to a few hundred extra in unfired condition (assuming it is currently worth a decent amount of money). It really kind of varies for each make and model of gun though.

If you are talking about buying a modern gun that is still in production, then IMO it doesn't matter that much to most people. If it is not from the dealer in a manufacturer's box than it is "used" and the price drops whether it has been fired or not. You might still get a little extra for unfired condition, but probably not much. If you bought a car then tried to trade it back in to the dealer without ever driving it, you wouldn't get what you paid. But if in the future that car happened to become a classic and go up in value, you'd get more for it if it had low miles.

wayneinFL · September 2, 2012, 06:53 PM

Firing a gun increases its value to me. If it's a defensive piece, the more I fire it, the more familiar I am with it, the greater its utility. The same holds true with a gun for hunting or target shooting.

James K · September 2, 2012, 06:55 PM

Some folks buy a new gun and leave it in the box, never firing it and thinking that it will, in the future, be worth big bucks. Generally, they are disappointed. That is almost certainly true of guns made as "collectible" and advertised as such. A decent period (say 20 years) later they rarely bring as much money as they cost, allowing for inflation.

Guns become especially valuable for many reasons, includng limited production, special enhancements (e.g., engraving), association with a past owner or event, or simply age. The association claim is meaningless without solid documentary proof. Anyone can claim to own Billy the Kid's gun, and unless the gun was not in existence in the Kid's lifetime, it is hard to prove or disprove the claim. But no experienced collector will pay a dime more for "a story" unless there is near absolute proof to back it up.

Jim

Kreyzhorse · September 2, 2012, 07:51 PM

Yes, firing it will cause the gun to lose some value. With that said, unless the gun is very rare or has historical value attached to it there really isn't much reason to keep unfired. Most modern production guns just aren't something that are going to greatly increase in value.

Fire your gun, take care of it and most importantly enjoy it.

ltc444 · September 3, 2012, 08:32 AM

It depends on what is Value.

Dollar wise a top quality commemorative will loose value.

Shooting a top quality weapon is worth the monetary lose.

I once saw a beautiful Win 94 commemorative in a pawn shop. It had been drilled and tapped for a scope. I thought what a waste.

The shop owner allowed me to test fire the rifle. I then understood why the previous owner had used it to hunt. The action, trigger and balance were superb. In fact the shop owner removed it from the shop and hunted with it for the next 20 years.

this brings me back to my original point. Value is what you place on your weapon.

Nathan · September 3, 2012, 09:48 AM

Let me throw this out there.

I bought a blued S&W 19-3. It was in very good condition, possibly unfired or fired very little condition. It had a few. . .very few. . . handling scars, but had lmost no cylinder turn mark. I paid like $500 when all was said and done.

I think unfired, I would have paid like another $50. Flawless another $100.

That said, firing 100 rounds through it was wonderful! I would hate to let price deprive me of that!

22-rimfire · September 3, 2012, 01:14 PM

Any gun that has been shot (other than at the factory) is now "used" with a condition qualification. There is value in shooting a gun.

It all depends on what you paid for it, the gun, and luck of the draw in many cases.

I will use the Colt Diamondback as an example. They were made for about 20 years. Colt made a lot of them and they were very popular. Even after they stopped production in 1986, you could easily buy one for $400-$450 in as new condition until the mid-1990's (or about retail price at the close of production). Starting around 2000-2005 (or 10 years later), collector interest in that particular gun started and now that $450 gun may be worth $1200 in 2012. You might have made money if you sold that $450 gun for $1200 (after 20 years of ownership). If you bought one early in the production period at $125 > $200, you probably made some money relatively speaking after owning it for as much as 50 years. There are some particular variations that are of more interest to collectors, but overall, you had to wait a long time "to make money" and the nicely maintained and shot ones sell for a very good price today.

I say shoot them if they are currently manufactured!

If you really like a particular gun, I would suggest that you buy one to shoot and buy a spare to tuck away if that is the kind of thing you might do.

Rifleman1776 · September 3, 2012, 01:38 PM

You question has been well answered.
Basically, is yours a shooter or a collectors piece?
In my opinion, many good guns are still good guns after being used. Even extensively. My Ruger Redhawk, after about 30 years and tens of thousands of rounds is still as good a gun as the day it was new.
Guns do hold value but do not always become collectors pieces.

steveno · September 3, 2012, 02:50 PM

the value of the gun went down some the minute you walked out the door with it whether you fired it or not just like leaving the dealer with your new car. it just varies a little bit on the gun

22-rimfire · September 3, 2012, 04:17 PM

That generally is true. Try buying a new Glock 17 today at market price and sell it tomorrow for the same price you paid?

Boatme98 · September 3, 2012, 06:14 PM

I think most new guns are probably test fired, so there's a slim chance of having a "unfired" gun these days. If I'm wrong, I'll be quickly corrected.

Unless it's a historically significant or a commerative, I don't see a problem shooting it.

FrosSsT · September 3, 2012, 07:16 PM

Rounds through your barrel are like miles on a car - the more you have = the more wear and tare.

357autoloader · September 3, 2012, 07:27 PM

Only if you intend to sell it.

Used is not worth as much as new in the sense of dollars. Value can be in other terms than dollars.

Tickling · September 4, 2012, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Try buying a new Glock 17 today at market price and sell it tomorrow for the same price you paid?

Actually, at least in my area, that wouldn't be hard to do..

Chuckusaret · September 4, 2012, 06:11 PM

Why have a gun, not a collectible, if you don't fire it. I fire all my guns with the exception of one, a Colt Model 1901 .38LC.

American Eagle · September 4, 2012, 06:22 PM

There is nothing wrong with a used gun. I've bought half my guns pre-used. They have been some of the most fun and reliable guns I have ever bought. As long as you don't smash it around, or beat the hell out of it, it will still have value to someone else down the line.

Personally, I would never buy a gun that I would never fire, so that rules out priceless antiques for me. I'm not much of a collector. I prefer to use my guns, practice with them often, and get proficient with them.

Hansam · September 4, 2012, 08:25 PM

To a collector, yes.

To someone like me (who actually uses firearms he has) no.

Master Blaster 2 · September 5, 2012, 08:48 AM

Not unless it is gold plated...as a collector I'd rather have it in good shape with box and all the paperwork. I don't collect comemorative firearms.

Wyoredman · September 5, 2012, 09:36 AM

A gun that can't be shot is worthless. A gun that shoots very well is priceless!

22-rimfire · September 5, 2012, 10:58 AM

Quote:

A gun that can't be shot is worthless.

Can't and won't are different issues. Won't involves a choice.

Wyoredman · September 5, 2012, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Can't and won't are different issues. Won't involves a choice.

Exactly! Note the reason I said can't!

Also, a new gun that is NOT shot is just a piece of metal and/or plastic! Kind of like a new hammer that never pounds a nail.

Collector guns can be considdered art, not tools. Art is for admireing.

45_auto · September 5, 2012, 01:03 PM

Quote:

A gun that can't be shot is worthless.

Depends on the gun.

We sold a couple of '08 Maxim DEWATs (DEactivated WAr Trophy, breech is welded closed, barrel plug welded in, etc) for almost $10,000 each and an MP40 DEWAT for about $6000 within the last few months.

No way they could be shot, but they sure weren't "worthless".

Good description of DEWATs here:

http://www.rmgo.org/bardwell-faq-on-nfa-weapons/dewats

September 2, 2012, 05:41 PM	#1
monkeyfist Member Join Date: August 25, 2012 Posts: 62	Does firing a gun substantially lessen it's value? I know, a newbie question, but I don't know jack about guns at the moment. Does firing a gun really make it lose its value that much?

September 2, 2012, 06:07 PM	#3
YARDDOG(1) Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: GATOR COUNTRY HA HA HA! Posts: 721	Most New guns are fired at factory ; ) Y/D __________________ There's a GATOR in the bushes & She's Callin my name >Molly Hatchett<

September 2, 2012, 07:51 PM	#7
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Yes, firing it will cause the gun to lose some value. With that said, unless the gun is very rare or has historical value attached to it there really isn't much reason to keep unfired. Most modern production guns just aren't something that are going to greatly increase in value. Fire your gun, take care of it and most importantly enjoy it. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

September 3, 2012, 06:14 PM	#14
Boatme98 Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2008 Location: Mid Tennessee Posts: 357	I think most new guns are probably test fired, so there's a slim chance of having a "unfired" gun these days. If I'm wrong, I'll be quickly corrected. Unless it's a historically significant or a commerative, I don't see a problem shooting it. __________________ It's good to be the king.

September 4, 2012, 06:22 PM	#19
American Eagle Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2009 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 265	There is nothing wrong with a used gun. I've bought half my guns pre-used. They have been some of the most fun and reliable guns I have ever bought. As long as you don't smash it around, or beat the hell out of it, it will still have value to someone else down the line. Personally, I would never buy a gun that I would never fire, so that rules out priceless antiques for me. I'm not much of a collector. I prefer to use my guns, practice with them often, and get proficient with them. __________________ I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. ----THOMAS JEFFERSON

September 2, 2012, 06:00 PM	#2
hardworker Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 820	An unfired gun will lose value if fired. How much value depends on many things. Manufacturer, age, options, condition, etc.

September 2, 2012, 06:36 PM	#4
bcrash15 Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2007 Posts: 455	A mint, new in box gun that is either a limited/collectors edition, antique, or has some other unique reason to be worth a large amount of money then the value may be significantly affected if it is shot. As a general guideline, if it was just some production-model gun (maybe that somebody's Uncle Jim bought in the 70s and never shot), depending on the current market value and demand it might bring around $100 to a few hundred extra in unfired condition (assuming it is currently worth a decent amount of money). It really kind of varies for each make and model of gun though. If you are talking about buying a modern gun that is still in production, then IMO it doesn't matter that much to most people. If it is not from the dealer in a manufacturer's box than it is "used" and the price drops whether it has been fired or not. You might still get a little extra for unfired condition, but probably not much. If you bought a car then tried to trade it back in to the dealer without ever driving it, you wouldn't get what you paid. But if in the future that car happened to become a classic and go up in value, you'd get more for it if it had low miles.

September 2, 2012, 06:53 PM	#5
wayneinFL Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2004 Posts: 1,944	Firing a gun increases its value to me. If it's a defensive piece, the more I fire it, the more familiar I am with it, the greater its utility. The same holds true with a gun for hunting or target shooting.

September 2, 2012, 06:55 PM	#6
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Some folks buy a new gun and leave it in the box, never firing it and thinking that it will, in the future, be worth big bucks. Generally, they are disappointed. That is almost certainly true of guns made as "collectible" and advertised as such. A decent period (say 20 years) later they rarely bring as much money as they cost, allowing for inflation. Guns become especially valuable for many reasons, includng limited production, special enhancements (e.g., engraving), association with a past owner or event, or simply age. The association claim is meaningless without solid documentary proof. Anyone can claim to own Billy the Kid's gun, and unless the gun was not in existence in the Kid's lifetime, it is hard to prove or disprove the claim. But no experienced collector will pay a dime more for "a story" unless there is near absolute proof to back it up. Jim

September 3, 2012, 08:32 AM	#8
ltc444 Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2011 Location: Vernon AZ Posts: 1,195	It depends on what is Value. Dollar wise a top quality commemorative will loose value. Shooting a top quality weapon is worth the monetary lose. I once saw a beautiful Win 94 commemorative in a pawn shop. It had been drilled and tapped for a scope. I thought what a waste. The shop owner allowed me to test fire the rifle. I then understood why the previous owner had used it to hunt. The action, trigger and balance were superb. In fact the shop owner removed it from the shop and hunted with it for the next 20 years. this brings me back to my original point. Value is what you place on your weapon.

September 3, 2012, 09:48 AM	#9
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,328	Let me throw this out there. I bought a blued S&W 19-3. It was in very good condition, possibly unfired or fired very little condition. It had a few. . .very few. . . handling scars, but had lmost no cylinder turn mark. I paid like $500 when all was said and done. I think unfired, I would have paid like another $50. Flawless another $100. That said, firing 100 rounds through it was wonderful! I would hate to let price deprive me of that!

September 3, 2012, 01:14 PM	#10
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	Any gun that has been shot (other than at the factory) is now "used" with a condition qualification. There is value in shooting a gun. It all depends on what you paid for it, the gun, and luck of the draw in many cases. I will use the Colt Diamondback as an example. They were made for about 20 years. Colt made a lot of them and they were very popular. Even after they stopped production in 1986, you could easily buy one for $400-$450 in as new condition until the mid-1990's (or about retail price at the close of production). Starting around 2000-2005 (or 10 years later), collector interest in that particular gun started and now that $450 gun may be worth $1200 in 2012. You might have made money if you sold that $450 gun for $1200 (after 20 years of ownership). If you bought one early in the production period at $125 > $200, you probably made some money relatively speaking after owning it for as much as 50 years. There are some particular variations that are of more interest to collectors, but overall, you had to wait a long time "to make money" and the nicely maintained and shot ones sell for a very good price today. I say shoot them if they are currently manufactured! If you really like a particular gun, I would suggest that you buy one to shoot and buy a spare to tuck away if that is the kind of thing you might do.

September 3, 2012, 01:38 PM	#11
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	You question has been well answered. Basically, is yours a shooter or a collectors piece? In my opinion, many good guns are still good guns after being used. Even extensively. My Ruger Redhawk, after about 30 years and tens of thousands of rounds is still as good a gun as the day it was new. Guns do hold value but do not always become collectors pieces.

September 3, 2012, 02:50 PM	#12
steveno Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2004 Location: Minden , Nebraska Posts: 1,407	the value of the gun went down some the minute you walked out the door with it whether you fired it or not just like leaving the dealer with your new car. it just varies a little bit on the gun

September 3, 2012, 04:17 PM	#13
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	That generally is true. Try buying a new Glock 17 today at market price and sell it tomorrow for the same price you paid?

September 3, 2012, 07:16 PM	#15
FrosSsT Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 595	Rounds through your barrel are like miles on a car - the more you have = the more wear and tare.

September 3, 2012, 07:27 PM	#16
357autoloader Member Join Date: August 19, 2012 Posts: 25	Only if you intend to sell it. Used is not worth as much as new in the sense of dollars. Value can be in other terms than dollars.

September 4, 2012, 06:11 PM	#18
Chuckusaret Junior member Join Date: December 5, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 708	Why have a gun, not a collectible, if you don't fire it. I fire all my guns with the exception of one, a Colt Model 1901 .38LC.

September 4, 2012, 08:25 PM	#20
Hansam Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 763	To a collector, yes. To someone like me (who actually uses firearms he has) no. __________________ This is who we are, what we do.

September 5, 2012, 08:48 AM	#21
Master Blaster 2 Junior member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Posts: 895	Not unless it is gold plated...as a collector I'd rather have it in good shape with box and all the paperwork. I don't collect comemorative firearms.

September 5, 2012, 09:36 AM	#22
Wyoredman Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,350	A gun that can't be shot is worthless. A gun that shoots very well is priceless! __________________ Go Pokes! Go Rams!