Safe clean outs - what when why?

[BAMAboy18]

We've spotted the Armslister with the $900 Anderson

I don't sell mine, unless it becomes necessary. Not really an AR guy (just started, thank God), mostly HKs and C&R collectables. I do like to barter!

 

[CaptArab]

I don't sell mine, unless it becomes necessary. Not really an AR guy (just started, thank God), mostly HKs and C&R collectables. I do like to barter!

That's wise.

I worked in firearms during the sandy hook era when even crap tier ARs were bringing outlandish prices. I don't think we'll see that again as the markets become quite saturated since the trump administration.

But there's always a rich market for the good stuff.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Investing in firearms and keeping them as a convertible cash cow can have a couple of drawbacks, two in particular; rust and politicians.

I stayed away from AR's for quite some time, because I figured I was 'Old School'. Well that was just damned foolishness on my part. Shooting AR's is at least as satisfying as building one's own. Some of mine are worth describing as precision, but all shoot well enough to make a good defensive implement or I wouldn't hang on to them.

Most of mine have been passed down by now, anyway. A few, I like to shoot, so I keep them nearby. What I enjoy most about mine is the ability to incorporate the features I actually want, no more, and of a quality that I find economical. Each and every one of them has the very same control enhancements, and picking one up and operating one is identical to picking up any one of the others.

None of my guns cost me more to have than $1K individually, and some, about half that. I have managed to stay off the high roller handcart for optics, and can both resolve and hit what I need to. Most of my personal motivation is about achieving realistic goals, which have become somewhat less demanding and more within my physical requirements and capabilities. Hint: one need not wait until they are ancient to put this one into practice.

The concept of perfection has only one insurmountable flaw; none of its adherents is perfect themselves, and that's the important point. I consider investments that seek to change that to be poorly conceived. If one wants to have the best stuff in the room, go for it. But if you want to be the best shooter in the room, invest that in good ammo.

For instance, I won't even consider a shot if it's so long I'd have to exhaust myself getting out there, doing what needs being done, and getting back; all on my own power. That's for the younger crowd; who have the needed reserve horsepower.

Basic preferences. Whatever I build starts out as PSA or Savage. Nobody is obliged to read further if they disagree strongly. I think the key feature is a good barrel, and that one can't shoot to their best ability without a good trigger. Sights are a matter of preference; but a true marksman can pick up any rifle and employ it to its full potential, or if not, at least be able to identify the flaw which prevents this; even if it includes themselves.

Greg

 

[Yondering]

I say it depends on what you enjoy. Some guys enjoy just having a few (not only one..) guns and focus on being good with them - that's admirable. Others are collectors, and fill safe after safe with things they've never shot, multiples of the same thing with different serial number ranges, etc - I don't get it, but if it makes you happy, go for it. Others like me like to experiment and try different things. The only thing I really turn my nose up at is that guy buying stuff just because it's cheap, whether it's any good or not - at that point you might as well collect beanie babies or something.

Personally, while I do have quite a few guns that don't get used much, I enjoy working up loads and experimenting with different guns to see what they can do, what they're useful for, etc. I guess it's really about pursuing knowledge more than the gun itself. That's why I have something like 13-14 different cartridges in ARs, and multiples of many of them in different configurations, just as one example. (I'm sure the guys who only do ARs in 5.56 are shaking their heads at that, lol.)

But it's also about building skills to use a particular gun better, so I've got a few I shoot a lot, like 9mm Glocks, long range ARs and bolt guns, etc, while most of the others sit in the safe without much use once I've finished development to my satisfaction. Part of my rationale their is that the stuff that doesn't get used much, or isn't special in some way to me, is fair game to sell or trade towards the next interesting thing. I don't really have much interest in owning several hundred guns at once, as some collectors do, but doing this has allowed me to own hundreds over the past 30+ years or so. (Obviously I'm not one of those who'll never sell a gun - I've sold a lot of them and only regret a few; pretty good odds IMO.)

As for selling - with a few exceptions, most guns are NOT investments. Unfortunately, too many people think they are, and some of the guys talking about investments are usually the same guys bumping an overpriced ad fifteen times and grumping about lowballers. Someone above mentioned they'd rather lose a few hundred bucks and have the money to put towards something else - that's my approach as well.

An interesting (to me anyway) thing I've noticed about selling guns though - cheap guns usually get a lot of interest, but also a higher percentage of flaky people who won't bother to show up to a meet, offer half the asking price, etc. While more expensive guns, on the other hand, get a much smaller group of interested buyers but usually easier sales overall. And the line between those is lower than I'd have expected - a $300 Ruger pistol is squarely in that first category, but even as low as ~$750 for a squared away CZ or something has always fit that second category, in my experience. I've pretty much gotten rid of all my cheaper stuff though and don't have to deal with that anymore, fortunately.

 

[Yondering]

A comment on the "Beware the man with only one gun" anecdote. It sounds nice, because this ideal person might really focus on being good with just that one gun, but isn't reality, IME.

I've yet to ever meet a man with only one gun who was actually a good shot and had the skill & knowledge to put a bullet where it needed to go at extended distance. The people I've met with only one gun almost all fit one of two categories: 1) they weren't interested in guns or shooting, and owned one because they thought they should for home protection or for their job (LEO, etc), or 2) they were too poor to own more, and couldn't afford ammo to practice with it much either.

I have met (& know) a few people who only have one gun and are great hunters in the thick woods. But those guys rarely practice other than a few sighters before hunting season, and aren't really great shots, just good hunters.

I do know a couple guys who've owned a lot of guns and pared down their collection to just a few that they focus on, and those are the people I think that anecdote is really about. But "beware the man with only a few guns left" just doesn't have the same ring to it...