What do you think the average firearm is worth?

[Farmerjag]

I’d say 300, I’m thinking not a hipoint and might be well used with a few scuffs

 

[Jay Walk]

Well I guess I am ahead on a few

Model 71 <----- would not sell for $30,000 - worth maybe $500
Model 74
Model 12
and
Stevens model 325

All free through inheritance.

 

[nammac]

Did a rough calculation, based upon what I’ve seen as used prices, not those asking more than MSRP for a used gun, but reasonable used prices. Averaged out, I came to $653.12, on average…. At least for what my meager collection is…

 

[quneur]

I believe the average price is much lower than what we expect. The firearms used by inner-city youths are usually pot metal Saturday night specials. They're not as stupid as the rest of us who routinely take our entire collection with us every time we go on a boat trip.

 

[GWS]

Lots of cheap guns to drive the average down. I'll be generous and say $500 average price

 

[TDH]

You ever see any 50k machine guns in person?

Yes, but I live a couple of miles away from the J Curtis Earl collection. The Gatling and Maxim got to be worth way more than that. But of course, they don't let me touch them when I go. Worth the trip if you're in town.

 

[Mark W.]

You ever see any 50k machine guns in person?

No but I have held $20,000 machine guns and multiple Winchester rifles that 25 years ago were $50,000 plus. I would assume they have retained their value. I have also held A $130,000.00 Holland and Holland side by side rifle. I have seen some stupid expensive firearms in my travels including things like a 1928 Full auto Thompson with Drum magazine I can't even guess what it might have been worth. You might be amazed at what shows up at some of the big gun shows. Heck at the Southern California Knifeshow in 86 I saw Buster Warenski Reproduction of King Tut's Gold Dagger (current market value in excess of $500,000.00) With two guards standing beside it with matching Thompsons.

 

[gmerkt]

I voted $400 without much conviction, just to see what others thought.

One thing I think is that a government buy-back would be hugely expensive at any reasonable levels of individual worth. There are just so many guns out there. If the government offered anything like close to actual retail value (on the day before legislation passed), you'd find a lot of people turning them in.

When Australia had their buy-back circa 1996, they paid out 230 million USD equivalent for 643,726 firearms. That works out to be about $357 per gun. Assuming an 89% inflation rate since then, that equates to about $677. This isn't the final word, just an excercise and not valid as a direct comparison. But something to think about.

Canada is still trying to thrash out their buy-back program for "assault" weapons. The estimated amounts to be paid start at about CAD 1, 300. It potentially involves 150K registered guns that have been banned. BUT: There is a lot of discussion and resistance over how the buy-back would be administered. That appears to be a bigger obstacle than amounts paid. Canadian police don't want to do it; some have suggested having the guns shipped in by common carrier. Still, someone has to sort all that out when they arrive.

Re. estimates of how many guns there might be in the US. I've always thought that estimates are greatly under-calculated. Guns have been widely available in the US for over 200 years. In modern times, many millions have been manufacturered and sold every year for who knows how long. Not to mention imports, which we've had some strong surges of since WW2. And routine, lawful imports of newly made firearms. Guns are relatively durable and hang around for a long time. I submit that the wildest estimates that the government or anti-gun people might come up with would be woefully low.

 

[rick]

When I hear the phrase "average firearm", I'm picturing millions of rusty budget-grade .22 rifles sitting neglected in the back corners of garages and sheds everywhere. So my answer is going to be $50 or less.

 

[Flopsweat]

When I hear the phrase "average firearm", I'm picturing millions of rusty budget-grade .22 rifles sitting neglected in the back corners of garages and sheds everywhere. So my answer is going to be $50 or less.

It's the most popular caliber after all.

 

[albin25]

Depends…
- do you need one and don’t have one?
- do you have lots and want another one, “that would be “fun” to play with” ?

Etc…etc…

 

[Illuminaughty]

I voted $600. That said, can still hear my economics professor stating “Value is settled by 1 thing…. What someone is willing to pay for it”

 

[Howard1955]

I haven’t read all the responses to this thread, so I might be repeating someone. But with that said:

The worth or value of a firearm is completely dependent on the situation. To an avid collector of high-end guns, a rusty AK47 isn’t worth much - but to someone who is actively defending his family’s lives, that rusty AK and some ammunition for it would be worth everything he had, and more.

But I do understand the OP’s question. I think if we’re talking about a basic firearm with nothing extra, the average value is probably between $500 and $1000. Once we start adding optics, rails, lights, etc my guess is the average would be a bit higher.

But I don’t buy high-end guns, so I really don’t know how much the rich folks spend on them.

 

[wired]

I haven’t read all the responses to this thread, so I might be repeating someone. But with that said:

The worth or value of a firearm is completely dependent on the situation. To an avid collector of high-end guns, a rusty AK47 isn’t worth much - but to someone who is actively defending his family’s lives, that rusty AK and some ammunition for it would be worth everything he had, and more.

But I do understand the OP’s question. I think if we’re talking about a basic firearm with nothing extra, the average value is probably between $500 and $1000. Once we start adding optics, rails, lights, etc my guess is the average would be a bit higher.

But I don’t buy high-end guns, so I really don’t know how much the rich folks spend on them.

Rusty AK's go for more than you think these days.

 

[Howard1955]

Rusty AK's go for more than you think these days.

Yep. I wonder why...

 

[Knobgoblin]

Perche domandare perche

 

[Gunbuggy]

Man I am looking at these responses and missing the pre i594 days in washington lol. Can't tell you how many guns I've purchased at garage/estate sales for a couple hundred bucks. My first gp100 was purchased at an estate sale in orchards for 175 bucks. The lady was asking 250 for it. I would have taken it for that all day but I figured I'd shoot and offer and she took it.


The first beretta i purchased was at a garage sale.

My first lever gun was at a garage sale I was 16 and had cash in hand and bought an older marlin for 300 dollars.


It's hard to answer this poll based on many factors. I'd say most firearms these days aren't worth more than 500 bucks. But they sell for a lot more than that.

 

[Jay Walk]

Did a rough calculation, based upon what I’ve seen as used prices, not those asking more than MSRP for a used gun, but reasonable used prices. Averaged out, I came to $653.12, on average…. At least for what my meager collection is…

Asking prices or actual sale prices? I feel that with firearms there is a rather large difference, not $300 different but substantial.

 

[Jay Walk]

I don't sporterize but in the motorcycle world those trinkets and farkles don't up the value to a buyer.

 

[DunRanull]

Tell me more about the navel guns.

When navel guns are outlawed, only fembots will have navels...