New member, first time gun owner, gun builder and attempting to sell for the first time (help/advice needed)

[ATCclears]

Welcome aboard, @Nate_88

As others have said, you probably won't get your money out of it. It's like customizing a vehicle, house, or boat. The buyer simply may not care what you have done to it.

 

[Mikej]

Pretty much. Home brew AR15s do not hold value. They are not unique, nor desirable to be honest. Something you put together may be worth $1000 to you. To others it's just a bunch of parts some dude put together on the Internet. You can list it at whatever price you want. I'm saying this from experience, you likely won't get what you paid. Then there is the competence factor. Did this person assemble it correctly? How would I know, it's never even been fired? I can be spending thousands of dollars on a gun that doesn't even work. That's why I said to part it out and take the smaller loss. It is more work to take it apart. But brand new parts will yield a smaller loss overall. If you think I'm making it up, check out my feedback numbers. I've been renting gun stuff for years.

@Nate88 A lot of very smart people here Nate. RENO, IMO, is one of the top AR platform guys. Knows them in and out. And like he said, he's done some serious buying and selling here. Something else I'll mention, I can't find it now, but I believe you have to spend a little time here to be able to use the Classifieds. Helps keep the riff-raff out you know. So if you're looking at getting a handgun, come up with some ideas and get some input from the membership as far as what might be the best fit for you in the way of a good hand gun.

 

[oremike]

A couple more things, if I buy a gun from a name brand I get the value of customer service what would I get from you? Also if you won't shoot your own build then that sends up big red flags to me how do I know it will even work Mr. first time gun builder. Lastly if you built the gun just to sell then I beleve you need an FFL to do so.

 

[Yarome]

I would say you're really down to 3 options.

1. Getting anywhere near what you have put into it, parting it out is the only viable option.
2. Sell it complete, but if you want it to sell, be prepared to accept "garage sale" type money for it.
3. Sell it complete, add up what you have into it, readjust for a fair market reduction for a "used" firearm.

One is a major pain, but if money is at all important, that's the only way to recover anything even close to what you've spent on it.

Two, if it's not an exceptional deal and contain enough parts someone is interested in, most won't touch a new builder assembled. Right or wrong, there are too many instances of inexperienced builders bungling something up that they themselves aren't even aware they did something wrong. The buyer is taking a great risk and will only be willing to pay accordingly. $600 for a $1200 parts list is likely right in the ballpark.

You have to consider that for an experienced buyer, we're going to assume you didn't spec out all the parts, it hasn't been test fired, and will be assuming any mfg defect or faulty "component interplay" issues yet to be discovered. As much as many think that AR platforms are like lego sets... they quite simply are not. From my experience, it's exceedingly rare for a rifle build not to require some amount of tweeking and fine tuning to perform as expected. It's also not all that rare to have components that simply will not play well with others... no matter how much you want it to or how much you tweek it.

Three, there's a sucker born every minute, but be prepared for the listing to sit for an extended period of time until the "right" sucker comes along. They might never, but then again... you never know, right!?

Personally, I don't believe "panic buying" will play much on a "user build". Even if WA get's an AWB, it's still completely sellable to just about every other state in the Union that doesn't have one... and isn't under the same pressure to buy before the deadline that Washingtonians might be under. IOW, the "panic buying" pressure is highly localized in a rather small customer pool.

Along with that, WA buyers still have access to a national market that "isn't" jacked up at panic buying prices. Scalper pricing only works when lower cost options do not exist. After a string of panic buy cycles you also have to consider buyer saturation. IOW, those that would have panic bought have likely already done so in the "first" round of scares. Demand is not what it once was a year or two ago.

As we see one infringment after another falling, I also believe the panic pressure is subsiding. Even if WA's AWB passes most reasonable people now realize... its not going to survive... and waiting it out is a practical option to panic buying.

 

[Knobgoblin]

As far as parting out for resale, it is a lot of work. And you will be stuck with some of the leftover parts. The way I was trained in retail is " your first loss is your best loss ". What that means here is just get what you can for it and move on. I would offer it for Trade. May get something fun you didnt know about.

 

[JRuby]

Knowing it's your first AR build and has never been tested functionally it represents a conglomeration of second hand parts. The price I would be willing to pay would reflect this.

 

[red442joe]

oops

Aw, c'mon, give the guy a little more than that...

I have worked up a similar set-up....
I buddy said "I want an AR". Okay, I thought about everything to put together 2 complete setups. This was figured to put together a low cost, good quality AR with everything. Essentially a grab and go bag.
More or less, what you have plus 150 rounds of target ammo.
I would have $1740 in the whole thing, $870 each.
Nothing special, starter AR's, tested, zeroed, ready to go for getting into the AR game.

To the OP, I think you will have a hard time getting out what you have into it.
I would list it for what you paid, offer people to p.m. you comments/offers, and adjust accordingly from there.

Joe

 

[DLS]

Many years ago I was a professor of computer science and many of my students were into modding computers, which shares a lot of similarities with building ARs.

They would excitedly bring in their box to show off their work and wax eloquently about how rhey were going to build these and sell them for profit.

I would gently point out that those in the market for modded computers were the very same folks that had the ability to do the mods themselves and if they decided to commit resources toward such a computer were going to do it themselves to get exactly the bells and whistles they wanted.

Few of the students heeded the advice and jumped in and bought a lot of parts, only to sell their modded computers at a loss, whether as a whole unit or broken back down into parts.

You are now selling a used firearm in unfired condition. The fact you have owned it makes it used in a buyers mind, and rightly so.

So, whomever purchases your rifle will not receive any warranty support from the manufacturer, this represents a rather large reduction in value.

The fact that you purchased the completed upper is to your benefit but the fact it is untested and a couple years old hurts. Even the highest quality manufactured items fail, and if yours is in that category the buyer is on the hook for setting it right. This risk will reduce the value in a purchasers mind.

The Keymod will hurt resale too, unless you find a buyer already invested into that system. While you have a lot of accessories from that system they will be married to that rifle and not be swappable to other guns.

There are typically a lot of home build / assembled rifles on the market at any time which drives the price you can get as well.

The best advice I can give is to start scanning sales sites like here or Gunbroker to get a feel for your competition and the prices they are fetching. The better you understand your competition the better decision you can make going forward.

 

[red442joe]

That was weird...
When I first looked, the only reply was the "oops" from bk.....

Joe

 

[Yarome]

I would list it for what you paid, offer people to p.m. you comments/offers, and adjust accordingly from there.

I would be careful with that. There seems to be two kinds of buyers. Ones that don't want to insult a seller with deep haggling... so seeing a "that guys dreaming" price tag on an item... they will simply pass it over since it's not even in the realm of being in the ballpark of what they might be willing to pay.

The other is... they don't care what you "say" you want for it. They will offer a sub basement price, hope you don't get much action on it and decide to cut bait and take whatever you can get.

If most of the serious buyers are passing over your listing because your pricing is unrealistic... those bottom feeders are very likely the only action you "will" see (and probably what they are counting on).

Just sayin....

 

[wombatz]

Come on...

Buy 50 rounds and film yourself firing them. You seem to assume that it will "just work". Don't you want to find out?


P.S. My first/only (so far) AR is an M&P 15. It took some few hundred rounds before it was dependable; and that was factory with full warranty. I did not need to use the warranty, but it was there just in case. A parts gun comes with different makers that can each blame the other. You have that. Your buyer would only have that from companies that extend support to all future owners (rare).

 

[oremike]

Here is a different perspective. The value of owning any firearm is greater than the sum of it's parts. It gives you freedom from tyranny and the right and ability to defend and protect yourself. You can't sell that only give it away. Are you sure this is what you want to do? I know if I built my first gun I'd be proud as a peacock and want to show it off to my other gun buddies, and shoot it to compare to the others. I'm competitive by nature so I'd want my build to be better than stock and would keep tinkering until it was "just right". Of the guns I own my favorites are the ones I've made mine with different pieces and parts including figuring out the loads they like best.

 

[wombatz]

Oh yeah, there is no gun unless we see pictures.

Seriously, I think many here would love to see how that set of parts looks.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Put the upper that is factory built out for sale. You do not have to show how it shot. If unfired, a buyer can accept that. Get the best you can for it. You could put it in the classifieds (parts & accessories) here. Take good clear pictures of it.

Remove the dismantled items re: the upper and describe it as a COMPLETE upper (incl the BCG and CH)

Magazines-- sell to out-of-state only. Include the coupler(s).

BUIS, sling & mounts, Red Dot , and a complete lower in a separate ad. BTW selling the lower will require an FFL to transfer to a buyer.
You do not mention any trigger being installed

Not going to tell you how to figure a price for it all. That'll be between you and the buyer.

Sell it whole or break it down, don't think you'll get your $1300 back. Be realistic. Its only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

[Nate_88]

Pretty much. Home brew AR15s do not hold value. They are not unique, nor desirable to be honest. Something you put together may be worth $1000 to you. To others it's just a bunch of parts some dude put together on the Internet. You can list it at whatever price you want. I'm saying this from experience, you likely won't get what you paid. Then there is the competence factor. Did this person assemble it correctly? How would I know, it's never even been fired? I can be spending thousands of dollars on a gun that doesn't even work. That's why I said to part it out and take the smaller loss. It is more work to take it apart. But brand new parts will yield a smaller loss overall. If you think I'm making it up, check out my feedback numbers. I've been renting gun stuff for years.

Thanks for the good info. Just to be clear for everyone, if the never fired aspect is so important that it keeps getting mentioned, I can easily take it to a range and test fire it (put x amount of rounds through it), heck, I can do so and record video of it. In order to nullify this concern that because I put the LPK into the lower that somehow it might not work. Cause that's all I did to "build" this rifle.

My brain just can't comprehend that a new (but tested to prove it all works) lower and upper have to be listed for half their CURRENT MSRP to sell. I completely understand what everyone is saying about the complete rifle. People either want a prebuilt for cheaper, prebuilt name brand or build their own according to their specific tastes. But people on the market for parts ignore 20% savings on brand new parts? I'd get it if the parts were too heavily used or out of trend or something... I'm shocked to come across a used parts market in which parts, brand new parts no less, lose their value by 50%. The used auto parts market isn't even THAT bad. Hell you get more than 50% bringing your entire car in to a dealership.

 

[Nate_88]

A couple more things, if I buy a gun from a name brand I get the value of customer service what would I get from you? Also if you won't shoot your own build then that sends up big red flags to me how do I know it will even work Mr. first time gun builder. Lastly if you built the gun just to sell then I beleve you need an FFL to do so.

Didn't build it just to sell it. I built it and ~5 years later I'm now selling it.

I can easily go to the range and put rounds through it to prove it works. I can even record video of doing so. That's no big deal.

I mean yeah, I'm not a company. There is no warranty.

 

[nwslopoke]

I would sell the upper as an unfired factory upper. The lower either part out or keep for the future. Maybe use in trade towards a pistol.

 

[awags_86]

Food for thought. I deeply regret selling/trading the few rifles I have over the years. The money was never ever worth it and the trades just made me wish I saved a few more months

 

[Nate_88]

Pretty much. Home brew AR15s do not hold value. They are not unique, nor desirable to be honest. Something you put together may be worth $1000 to you. To others it's just a bunch of parts some dude put together on the Internet. You can list it at whatever price you want. I'm saying this from experience, you likely won't get what you paid. Then there is the competence factor. Did this person assemble it correctly? How would I know, it's never even been fired? I can be spending thousands of dollars on a gun that doesn't even work. That's why I said to part it out and take the smaller loss. It is more work to take it apart. But brand new parts will yield a smaller loss overall. If you think I'm making it up, check out my feedback numbers. I've been renting gun stuff for years.

Not doubting your experience at all. I think getting a bit mixed up in the replies is selling whole vs parts and what type of "losses" I might expect. You made it clear parting out would likely be the way to go and that makes complete sense. I'm on board with that. As for the never fired, I can easily put 60 rounds through it, even record video of it, to prove everything functions and does so properly. I'm not sure if the never fired aspect matters less when selling brand new parts or not though compared to selling a whole rifle. If it matters just as much I could still test fire it to prove functionality then disassemble it for sale.

Considering some have the "pics or it doesn't exist" mentality I will upload pics of it later today.

 

[Yarome]

My brain just can't comprehend that a new (but tested to prove it all works) lower and upper have to be listed for half their CURRENT MSRP to sell. I completely understand what everyone is saying about the complete rifle. People either want a prebuilt for cheaper, prebuilt name brand or build their own according to their specific tastes. But people on the market for parts ignore 20% savings on brand new parts? I'd get it if the parts were too heavily used or out of trend or something... I'm shocked to come across a used parts market in which parts, brand new parts no less, lose their value by 50%. The used auto parts market isn't even THAT bad. Hell you get more than 50% bringing your entire car in to a dealership.

That's why parting it out is really the only way to salvage any single component value. 20% on one part that a person wants is a good deal. Saving 20% on one part you want, but have to buy all the other parts along with it... that you don't want and have no "value" to you is another thing. Basically, they have to be willing to resell those unwanted components "for" you to get their money back. It has to be worth their while to do so. Not many are willing to do that in the hopes they "might" only get what they had to pay you for them.

IE. End up paying $50 for a $65 part they don't want. They can only expect the market to pay $50 for that part... so... why would they do that when they have to go through the hassle of reselling it.... only to save 20% on one or two components they actually wanted? It's a net loss and if demand is low they are risking an even greater loss... negating any savings at all.

The only way it works... if everything is 50% of "value", the risk is minimal, and likely to resell for enough to cover the hassle of it and the possibility it might even lower the overall cost of the few items they actually wanted to keep.


To me? Test firing is a catch 22. The greatest value you have in that kit is the BCM upper. The most value retention is "new unfired"... without any embelishments. The other stuff... to me... with few exceptions is worthless.

Selling it whole.. then test firing is a plus, but as a whole... you're also devaluing all the components that make it up since many are not desireable for any build I would want... and now you're back to if I'm willing to resell components "for you" again.

If it were my rifle... I would do exactly as @nwslopoke suggested. Sell the upper unfired and either keep the rest or part it out... unfired.

Test firing only benefits the value if it's sold "complete". But... then again... I don't know you from "Adam" and you're asking me to trust that your evaluation of it's functional performace is comprehensive and not tainted by your desire to sell it for as much as you can get for it. Personally, I would take a pass on that.

**With the caveat that I don't exactly trust MFG's either. One of the first things I do with any new rifle is tear it apart, spec/guage it, and tune it during reassembly. And... there's almost always a little work that needs to be done no matter where it comes from.