The gun (parts) business

[Johnny P]

retro AR parts continue to rise,
some have hit damn near stupid prices


Vintage Snake guns also still bring good cash, the modern stuff, not so much

You can count on one hand the guns made in the last 50 years that are now collectible. I have a 1964 three digit serial number AR that has certainly gone up in price, and for a while there was Python fever, but except for the early Pythons from 1955/60, have cooled off somewhat when there seemed to be an endless supply of Pythons still in the original box.

High condition pre-WWII Colt Government Models, especially the National Match and Super Match continue to bring crazy prices.

[togor]

There are niches. Pre-64 model 70's. Belgian Auto-5's. S&W .357s.

I suppose those fall outside of your 50-year window, but then again it sometimes takes time for a gun to become collectable. Not every gun becomes an instant classic.

- - - Updated - - -

Sometimes there are surprises too in the collectible world. It turns out that vintage cast iron cookware is kind of a big deal now. That was definitely not true in the non-stick era.

[lyman]

You can count on one hand the guns made in the last 50 years that are now collectible. I have a 1964 three digit serial number AR that has certainly gone up in price, and for a while there was Python fever, but except for the early Pythons from 1955/60, have cooled off somewhat when there seemed to be an endless supply of Pythons still in the original box.

High condition pre-WWII Colt Government Models, especially the National Match and Super Match continue to bring crazy prices.

I agree

esp on the Colt Gov't models,


I have also noticed,,beyond the pre ban sales to ban states, that some of the late 70's, early 80's ""assault"" or pre tacticool stuff is appreciating a bit,

and of course, the pre 89 ban stuff , esp the euro stuff, had not really flattened out yet,

but as togor said, that is a small niche market

[Johnny P]

And then there are guns that are 100 years old that still haven't become really collectible. Also, in the collectibles condition drives the price. Guns that aren't particularly collectible in near new condition bring good prices.

Model 12 Winchesters were in high demand for several years after the were discontinued, but collector interest fell off for most models. A Belgian Browning A5 has to be in high condition to bring collector money now, where at one time any condition did't set on a store shelf for very long.

Lugers and P.38's have also cooled off somewhat. High condition Colt New Service revolvers as well as most of the pre WW2 Colt DA revolvers in high condition are hot.

[lyman]

the Mod 12 market died with all the old guys that owned them 10 yrs ago, ,


Smallbore is in a rut now too, those old collectible Winchesters and High Standards and Colts have leveled out and even dropped a bit,

[togor]

Lugers are a snake pit. The time to start collecting those is 50 years ago (as they start leaving GI closets). P-38s are slow but steady.

Take this auction for example. I picked up a clean AC43 "a" block about 5 years ago, IIRC for $800, definitely a retail price then. This "l" block, decent but not as clean, just went for $1300 with no magazine.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/943135764

[Johnny P]

The P.38 has always been the ugly stepchild to the Luger. Unlike the Luger, not enough variations to keep your interest for very long.

[lyman]

Lugers are a snake pit. The time to start collecting those is 50 years ago (as they start leaving GI closets). P-38s are slow but steady.

Take this auction for example. I picked up a clean AC43 "a" block about 5 years ago, IIRC for $800, definitely a retail price then. This "l" block, decent but not as clean, just went for $1300 with no magazine.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/943135764

funny comment about Lugers


I knew a guy, I say knew, cause I just found out he passed last week, that had one of the primo Luger collections on the East Coast,
he told my brother and I last year that when he passed, RIA was supposed to back up to the front door and load everything up and cut a check to the widow,

and not just Luger's
he had a very nice collection of about everything German for WW2, including very nice and rare P 38's and some nice 1911's

he was still buying up till the end,
always on the hunt for a nicer piece that what he had or a spare, and we bought what he did not want,

[dryheat]

Lugars. They were the coolest pistol ever. All the really bad guys in old time movies had them. So I finally bought one from a buddy for $700. Bubba had done some sanding on it but it still worked. I took it out to the range and immediately hated it. I sold it right back to my buddy (we did this). Then I picked up a P-38. Not one of the rare ones. $300. I sold it for six but to this day I miss that pistol.

I just sold a Lugar for a neighbor. It was a real bringback by her dad. Of course no paperwork, but no import marks either. It went for $1800. It wasn't the nicest one on GB.

twelve smelve. The model 97 gave you a tingle racking the action.

[lyman]

Lugars. They were the coolest pistol ever. All the really bad guys in old time movies had them. So I finally bought one from a buddy for $700. Bubba had done some sanding on it but it still worked. I took it out to the range and immediately hated it. I sold it right back to my buddy (we did this). Then I picked up a P-38. Not one of the rare ones. $300. I sold it for six but to this day I miss that pistol.

I just sold a Lugar for a neighbor. It was a real bringback by her dad. Of course no paperwork, but no import marks either. It went for $1800. It wasn't the nicest one on GB.

twelve smelve. The model 97 gave you a tingle racking the action.

never cared for the Luger or P38 either,


do like a Colt,,,

[togor]

Never got burned on Lugers because I knew I came along too late to gain knowledge of them in a cost-affordable way.

P.38s are much more plentiful, and easier to sort out. To get burned on a P.38 deal, a person has to almost work at it. But it's true that one doesn't need to collect many to pretty much see it all.

[Johnny P]

Four or five P.38's and you have a complete collection. Luger variations are virtually endless.

Not counting commercial production, just military production of Lugers is almost 1 million more than P.38 production.

[togor]

Oh I would have enjoyed a Luger or two, but as I said, late to the party. Not the money per se of current prices, but if one doesn't know a market, including the fakes, one should NOT throw big money at it!

[togor]

Years ago Dan's Ammo got in a shipment of Walther P-1s--Bundeswehr Aluminum frame P.38s. I picked up a 1980 built, zero miles on it, to be my "P.38 shooter". No need to test the bakelite grips on the wartime models.

Some might have considered the P.1 collectable, and it's hardly worthless, but yes just another postwar milsurp like the many Tokarevs out there. Shoot & enjoy.

I think of RC K98ks in the same way. To be shot and enjoyed so the true bringbacks have the easy life.

[Hal O'Peridol]

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a nice matching late 1944 byf K98k. Not cheap, but a decent price and not messed with. I have a couple other K98ks that were bringbacks, but their owners turned them into deer riffles.