What guns have become desirable/popular/expensive for no good reason?

[AMT]

Saiga 12 ga.

Why the double in price* ?

* I just ran across the receipt for mine. I paid $465. Given when and where it bought it, I probably paid too much, but I "had to have it" right then.

 

[SavageGerbil]

A lot of things that are considered overpriced now, due to their previous low price point, are that way BECAUSE of their previous status. Things like Mosins, Makarovs, SKS, and all the other surplus weapons developed a huge following because they were cheap, widely available, and they're very serviceable options. Years of being extremely accessible to just about any budget builds a massive audience.

That audience doesn't evaporate with the good prices, just look how many forums are dedicated to the SKS. Whole communities spring up around these models, as supply dwindles it goes from "I want a pistol, so I bought a Makarov" to "I want a damn Makarov!" That carries further to "I want an example from every country that made one, and in every pattern they were offered in." Hard to argue that folks in our hobby aren't a bit obses...erm, passionate.

I think this is the case with the majority of things that have had a legitimate price spike. Things like the price jumps on the Keltec new-and-nifties are temporary spikes purely due to the demand/desire ratio. I wouldn't count those in a discussion like this. Look at the PMR30, it went from jacked to the stratosphere to $299-350 as soon as they were able to keep up with a diminishing market share.

I know, this post wasn't offering up a model, just throwing in my 2 cents on the potential "good reason"

*** Edit to agree completely with AMT on the Saigas, in every caliber

 

[DuneHopper]

CZ makes a nice bolt action in 7.62x39, improves performance greatly.

7.62x39 makes a good NC gun... So any rifle in 7.62x39 opens ya up to hunting anything here. Even .223 tbh, one of the instructors I had while getting my CDL hunts with an AR.

 

[Boboclown]

CZ makes a nice bolt action in 7.62x39, improves performance greatly.

I has wasr, no need.

 

[P7M13]

HK P7, in any variant.
TNW Aero Survival Rifle, ridiculous at any price.

 

[MrRob96]

Preban rifles are "what?" levels of expensive. Can still get all the features/functions of preban rifles today but for some reason these are collectibly expensive? It's almost as if the folks that panic bought before the ban did so as an investment. When the ban sunset, they then decided they weren't going to lose the speculative value increase on the rifles. And buyers didn't challenge it. Maybe prebans just float around in collector hands as some cool relic of old timey fun.

Like if someone bought a can of beer before prohibition then demanded his can of beer was still worth $150 after prohibition was repealed. Huh?

 

[Boboclown]

Preban rifles are "what?" levels of expensive. Can still get all the features/functions of preban rifles today but for some reason these are collectibly expensive? It's almost as if the folks that panic bought before the ban did so as an investment. When the ban sunset, they then decided they weren't going to lose the speculative value increase on the rifles. And buyers didn't challenge it. Maybe prebans just float around in collector hands as some cool relic of old timey fun.

Like if someone bought a can of beer before prohibition then demanded his can of beer was still worth $150 after prohibition was repealed. Huh?

Don't forget some people can only have some features if the rifle is a preban.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I bought two Pythons for under $500 just about the time the prices started sneaking up. 1903 springers in Issue grade for $300 and Garands for $450. issue 1911's were practically junk at junk prices until folks figured it out and you could make a purty gun outta one, and many smiths made a lot of chedder fixin them up! Pre 64 Winnies, Pre 1980's Remmies, and really nice euro guns have always held the high mark, and now those are worth small fortunes! ( maybe not the Remmies)
Even transferables Per-Ban were some what reasonable, an M-16 for $3000 wasn't all that bad, look at one now! I got my H-K 53 for the obscene price of $1800 in 1989, look at it now! M-2 BAR, $10k plus just for side plates!

 

[leadcounsel]

For no good reason....? Not many.

I'd say a lot of NON-gun stuff got popular and collectible and expensive for no good reason. Look at the stuff the average American, and especially women, buy. Total landfill garbage lines the homes and walls of nearly every American's house. Clutter, junk, and knick-knacks they paid top dollar for but cannot give away at yard sales a few years later when the style changes.

Most guns have value directly tied to either function, uniqueness, rarity, supply/demand, quality, time-period, history, practicality, or a combination of these.

Rarely do I see a gun and think that it's overpriced. Even the Colt snake guns, which are out of my pricerange, are justified in commanding their prices. They were a high quality hand fitted gun from a different era, from the most important gun maker of the time. The legacy of that Colt on the frame is darn cool. Colt supplied some of the earliest revolvers, rifles, and military rifles for our troops in Vietnam, etc.

On the flip side, some guns that are extremely useful and valuable to me, are extremely affordable in price. ARs, Glocks, Sigs, HKs, CZs, etc. I giggle at how cheap these have gotten for the amount of liberty and firepower they possess...

 

[oa98pistol512]

I am old school all steel guns.. So when those S&W 4006 chps hit the market for $375 to $400. I had to get one .Still a bunch for sale I find kinda weired

 

[Certaindeaf]

Any Franken/"build" gun with some $2 gewgaw bolted on it

 

[shibbershabber]

M1 Garand. Salty old junk going for $1000+.
Couldn't GIVE me one, unless you accept that I'll sell it right away and buy a good shooter.

View attachment 536234

YOU BLASPHEMOUS HEATHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[surevaliance]

AUG

 

[shibbershabber]

Ill go for the AK.

Not all that long ago you could get on for under $300, shipped incl transfer fee.... all the while at the same time a BASIC AR was $1000
Now, that same AK is $600 ..

OR the one that really pisses me off is the Romanian PSL... They came in and were fairly popular, and even a bit pricey for the time at $6-700 but came with the scope and 4 mags and the kit, etc.

Suddenly they went away and now I see Classic Arms is selling them for $2000 and I dont think it even comes with the accessories anymore.... which the factory probably ships with and Classic separates and then sells at an ungodly profit.

In their original configuration, they arent subject to import bans/restrictions, 922r or whatever... we have no sanctions on Romania... WHY dont we get more?

 

[Boboclown]

AUG

Aside from the MSAR those were never cheap.

Ill go for the AK.

Not all that long ago you could get on for under $300, shipped incl transfer fee.... all the while at the same time a BASIC AR was $1000
Now, that same AK is $600 ..

OR the one that really pisses me off is the Romanian PSL... They came in and were fairly popular, and even a bit pricey for the time at $6-700 but came with the scope and 4 mags and the kit, etc.

Suddenly they went away and now I see Classic Arms is selling them for $2000 and I dont think it even comes with the accessories anymore.... which the factory probably ships with and Classic separates and then sells at an ungodly profit.

In their original configuration, they arent subject to import bans/restrictions, 922r or whatever... we have no sanctions on Romania... WHY dont we get more?

Because the originals were kits built then imported vs the new ones are factory new. Why don't we get more? CAI tells Cugir to make what they want to import, in combination with not a lot of people actually wanting one given what they cost now.

Tbh its disappointing that the new PSLs don't have the bayonet lug.

 

[blaster1145]

M1 Carbine. Mucho respect, but wow are they expensive!

As said before, HK P7. Good call. And the preban Norc AKs. Obscene.

Not that they're no good, just over priced. Maybe I'm just getting old and grouchy, but I don't see it.

 

[shibbershabber]

Aside from the MSAR those were never cheap.

Because the originals were kits built then imported vs the new ones are factory new. Why don't we get more? CAI tells Cugir to make what they want to import, in combination with not a lot of people actually wanting one given what they cost now.

Tbh its disappointing that the new PSLs don't have the bayonet lug.

I wonder if Century has an exclusive contract or something.... If these things hit the market for $800 or less, they would be pretty popular... if it came with at lease two mags and a scope...


If you cant tell... I regret selling mine......

 

[Boboclown]

I wonder if Century has an exclusive contract or something.... If these things hit the market for $800 or less, they would be pretty popular... if it came with at lease two mags and a scope...


If you cant tell... I regret selling mine......

They do. They even sued M+M Industries when they were importing the M10 from Romania.

As for cost, I wouldn't think they could get it lower than $1,200. Its not like a wasr where they can just churn out an extra thousand, or RPK. But I still wouldn't want it at that price unless it had the bayo lug.

 

[Geardo]

Sure, capitalists are commies. At least they aren't the ones facing an issue of commies like AOC trying to turn the U.S into the Socialist States of Amerika.

Commies everywhere man! Lock and load.

 

[shibbershabber]

I get it.

However, I don't think I'd ever feel inadequate with my Garand and a 1911

Although...

The AR is essentially 55yrs old
The AK is 70
The M9 is 34
Glock is 37
Sig da/sa pistols are over 40
And well, the 1911 speaks for itself...

Modern... Ha!