I follow certain S&W models over on the auction sites to keep current on pricing and availability...mainly...
57
58
Heavy Duty
Outdoorsman
657
60-10
12
13
65
Mountain Guns

Up until a few months ago there would be anywhere for a half dozen to 15 of any of the models...lately there have been one to a half dozen...and asking prices are up as are selling prices..

Price doesn't bother me... These models are no longer available, were top quality and the prices are going to go up. But when you can't even find one to buy...

And the theory sometimes expressed here is that the prices of revolvers would go down because all us older guys are going to sell off our guns and flood the market because none of the younger shooters would want them...

If that "was" going to be the case...what happened?

Bob

Don’t know, but I hadn’t been on the common auction sights in a while. Wow, what an education. Looks like the prices on most older models is up 50% + from one year ago.

Fewer for sale would explain the price escalation. Fewer people selling in the last few months is easily understood, too.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

I've gone thru a lot of guns over the last two years. I'm about where I'm going to stay with what I have.

Several of my guns I'm keeping for sentimental reasons and a few just because I like them for one reason or another.

I'm keeping my 1964 6.5" M29-2. Its a beautiful example and my only .44 Magnum.

I'm keeping my M58. I love shooting it.

My 1968 6" nickel M27-2 because its my only nickel.

And I'm keeping my M520. There's not a lot of them. I like its history.
And, it wears the same grips as my M58. The only two S&Ws that have them and they are both 4" fixed sight N-frames.

Not sure what the M58 or the M520 are worth these days.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Just saw three LNIB Mountain Guns sell on GB...

657-4...$1550
629-4...$1500
625-6...$1350

Currently there are 16 for sale on GB in .44 Magnum, .45 Colt and .45 ACP...no .41s at this point...that is up from just a half dozen a few weeks ago...

Bob

Due to current events in our Country, there are MANY MANY first time gun owners buying up whatever they can get their hands on since gun stores have been wiped out. Not only that - but some who figured it was time to thin their herds decided otherwise, gave them to family members & friends, or just kept them as back up themselves.

It took one of my friends who never owned a gun in his life, 5 weeks of hard searching to find the Remington 870 he wanted. To add to the pain, he paid almost $250 above list! That said, he was happy to get one!

I'm still sitting here waiting for the Great S&W Collectibles Selloff to happen. Been waiting a very long time now and practically nothing has come to market in my area.

How the heck long can I wait? I'm as old as the hills now myself! Pretty soon it's going to be other collectors waiting for me to die or selloff. Damn.

Indeed, some strange things are happening in the gun market right now. Some (mostly larger) shops seem to be doing reasonably okay getting in replacement stock while others are absolutely sucking wind. My nearest full-time shop... a small but popular shop... has next to nothing in new guns to sell and just a small handful of overpriced consignments. Owner says he can't get anything in. He is thinking about closing shop for a month in the hope that things will eventually improve. Otherwise, he says he is out of business.

I have thought about adding some no-longer-loved guns (mostly plastic) to his consignment stock. I think they would sell quickly because I would price them right. But is this really the time to be selling anything one owns in the guns & ammo realm? With the country going nuts in all directions, probably not.

With the surge of buying guns, with the way of unrest in the country, new shooters are turning to revolvers since they are easier to use instead of a semi-auto. The manufacturers are, again, rethinking and producing more revolvers. The local pawn shops and out of revolvers and inventory, in general, are low in the local gun shops. Those that have an inventory, are holding on their guns or passing them to their relatives. The supply and demand is driving the purchases in the gun market. If you look at the statistics, this has been a banner year of gun purchases. The background checks are sometimes up to 24 hours to clear. The new gun buyers are registering for gun classes to obtain their CWP. We just have to wait it out and see what the market will tend to offer in the coming months.

Nick

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NRA Instructor\GCA Gunsmith

I too have been looking at the market, and I have a few that I am going to sell. I see the asking prices on the auction sites, and many are not selling. Asking and getting are 2 different things. We have 40 million people out of work, and an economy that is sputtering, an over sold stock market( IMO) that is due for correction, and continued pandemic areas starting up.

The full effects of the current economy has not been felt yet, and I hope I am wrong when I say this, but the average family is headed for a serious economic downturn. the first things to go , will be the toys like guns boats and muscle cars. I still predict a softening market.

Again, I hope I am wrong

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Been waiting myself. Also for the big custom rifle sell off of all those neat rifles I've been reading about in the gun rags for the last 50 years.

There are millions of guns out there, apparently just sitting in closets and dressers. I would have thought by now that there would be more floating around on the market, but not yet.

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Regards,

Tom

It is a good time to move stuff that you might otherwise have trouble selling and were on your "discard" list already. I managed to sell a Keltec sub2000 *** and a Kahr 9mm that I didn't need, for a decent price each, when this pandemic hit.

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Regards,

Tom

You mean these?

Attached Images

Westley Richards Rifles.jpg (113.1 KB, 86 views)

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

This really is an odd time. My gun shop has virtually no inventory and has taken to renting a variety of used auto's to shoot at their range. If you rent one of their guns, you are required to purchase their ammo as well.

Rent a lane, rent a gun, but their ammo .... I guess that's one way to some money.

Prices on everything are up on the auction sights right now and nearly everything is flying off the shelves. This is due entirely to the social and political climate. Current events are not an accurate barometer by which to measure trends.

Requiring the range's ammo be used in the range's rental firearms is the standard procedure at the three ranges around here with rentals.



Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

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Slava Ukraini!

That's the irony of these crazy times. Reminds me of the old saying: "If it's time to start burying your guns, it's time to start digging them up."

So yes, while I should be taking advantage of the situation by selling off my no-longer-wanted plastic wonder guns, I'm also feeling that maybe it's a better idea to just sit tight with what I've got and be thankful that I have no worries.

The thing is that what I would reap in terms of that extra cash in my pocket wouldn't really change a thing in the big picture... so why bother?

I should go through my accumulation and see what I won't shoot anymore and don't really want all that much. If I don't sell some in the midst of a seller's market, I probably never will.

Besides, I may just be able to accumulate some fun money that I can stash away for that time (six months, a year from now) when all the panic is over and there are a glut of used (but not really) guns on the market.

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You're shy a few manners.

I have several centerfire semi-autos that I hardly ever shoot any more. If things spike around or just after November I will be auctioning off a few of them. I may thin the handgun herd a bit as well. Not sure how the milsurp long guns will be affected by all this panic buying but depending on what kind of prices I see.....

Current market is similar to the stock market. Volatility- and the volatility of the current events in our country. I do not think you can determine a trend based on the past couple of months and think a long term trend will not be indicated until 2021 arrives. In my part of the world, many new first time gun owners or especially first time pistol and revolver owners who are flooding the doors to obtain CC permits. Heck, I miss the gun shows, that was where I kept up with the market, looking and talking to the old guys like me that make the shows.