How do you save for or finance new gun purchases? I finance new guns from poker winnings, no-limit Texas Hold'em. My latest purchase after a good night of poker was a M&P 9 Shield EZ.

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DRB #2276

Geez, after '...a good night of poker...', you'd think you'd be able to afford like a Wilson Combat Hackathorn Special or something! LOL :-)

That night I won $800 on poker and $100 on the Independence Bowl so the S&W M&P EZ was only a piece of that. On one other occasion I bought nice Ruger No.1 rifle with poker money.

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DRB #2276

Do you sell any of those win you lose, or do you always win?

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That's just somebody talkin.

My poker losses have included a pre-29, a Python, a Browning Medalist, and a Colt Match Target. They comes and they goes. -S2

And what do your opponents buy when you lose?

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'Merica!

I just pay cash, out if the savings account if it's big money. Out of the checking account if it's not.

Over many years, guns were bought out of saved money.

Since I made some good buys that way in the 70-80's, maybe a few into the early 90's, I can now "thin the herd" with good buys I don't shoot anymore and buy what I want. Like a Firearm 401k.

Example, Win 1897 12ga Riot Gun in 1983 for $324, sold in 2019 for $1,800+. Lots of margin for new buys.

Saving; I generally put away $60 per pay-day into my "Cunning Kit". Sometimes, if I haven't got the money saved up and the purchase is something I really want or the deal is too good, I raid the joint savings account and put the money back there later.

My young nephew plays professionally. When he wins, it’s Ferrari money.

Mostly savings, occasional lotto winnings, and the gun 401k of course... not often on the last one though.

I'm pretty sure I'd have to sell some guns to finance my poker winnings.

I hate owing money. Get debt free and it's: I see, I want, I buy.
Of course there is limits on the count and amount.

Anything over a thousand warrants a ponder.

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triggers dog-pile egomaniacs

If I cannot pay cash for a gun I cannot afford it.

I always pay as I go!
At one time I had a revolving line of credit at a gun shop I frequented!
But I always paid cash!

My little collection is much simpler and more basic than many here; so I dont have a lot of toys in the safe lol. If I find something I dont shoot much and want to replace it then that’s one method. And if i see something I want I just buy it. Nothing on my wishlist is high dollar, so as this is a hobby for me I have a little coin that I can use for just such a purchase.

I save by not blowing money on unnecessary "stuff" .
Whenever I get a few dollars it goes in the gun fund .
Before I spend it I ask myself... do I really want/need this item or should the money go in the "gun fund" .
Saving every extra dollar that comes your way and going on couch mining expeditions will soon have you enough money .
My Daddy advised me , long ago , not to sell a gun just to buy another that you might not like , He said to save up and buy the new one...then you have two paid for guns .
That advice has served me well over the past 50 years.
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I've thought about stuffing a $10 or a $20/week in a jar on my bench but haven't started yet. Then I tell myself I don't shoot all the guns I have now.....But dang it, I want one of them new Rossi 357 lever guns.....

I rob fast food outlets. I live in CA so it's not even really illegal. (Just joking, about the first part. The second part is more or less true.)

One of my favorite savings plans was to roll through the drive thru and order off the dollar menu. I kept a roll of 50 cent pieces in the car door to pay with. Without fail the young person taking the money would get all excited about me paying with a real silver dollar. I would smile and drive off wondering how long it would take them to figure out just how stupid they really are. All they needed to do was actually take 2 seconds to read the coin that says 50 cents on it.

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"Tastes just like chicken"

Being debt free helps, but I just set a little aside and it adds up pretty quickly. As a matter of fact, I'm picking up a 3rd gen 4566TSW at lunch today. Good to be 03Hemi today!

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Now, that's funny!

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

I don't gamble.....I can lose my $$ in more tangible ways.....I tuck some back along and along for gun purchases.....I NEVER sell one gun to buy another.

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S&W Accumulator

I’m debt free and want to stay that way. My “gun fund” also includes ammo & holsters. I usually money earned from teaching CPL, CPR or OSHA classes. Lately I’ve been buying ammo & shooting the guns I have.

These days, With 2 kids in college, another getting there soon, covering their Tuition, room and board, car insurance, cell phones, etc. etc. etc....
If I buy any new firearms soon I’ll have to sacrifice part of my existing collection, and that’s ok, I’ve got plenty of capital in that regard and some things are more important in life. A man can only shoot one gun at a time...or maybe two.

Good news is I’m not hard up enough to sell the collection I’ve accumulated since my early 20’s. I may not be able to buy but I can sure trade.

I usually save up a little cash each paycheck. I also like to trade off the guns that collect dust. And I like to buy Randall knives and will sometimes use them as barter for guns or sell them for a profit and put that money towards a gun purchase. Never bought a gun with credit card and probably never will. Back when I was broke and in college I wanted to upgrade my deer hunting rifle. I had a cheap Savage 30-06 with Bushnell scope. It shot deer just fine, but I wanted something prettier. I wanted a Browning BLR 30-06 with Leupold scope, so I donated plasma. I don't recall the exact numbers, but I think I donated about 25-30 liters of plasma over a 4 month period of time to make about $1000-1200. It probably pays more now. I haven't been in several years. Not worth my time now, but it was easy extra cash at the time.

I never spend my change. It always goes in a coffee can. A one pound coffee can holds about $80 to $100 dollars. I still have full cans from the early 2000's in the garage. Being debt free is the key.

I have a checking account for miscellaneous spending. Every week my paycheck goes between my main checking that’s used for paying monthly bills, a joint checking that’s for surprise expenses, a savings account, and finally my miscellaneous account. I don’t put much into that one, maybe $50 to $100 a week. The money in my misc. account goes toward guns if I desire. Lately though once I save up a nice chunk I’ve actually been moving it to our savings or other investments.

I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy a gun if they don’t have the cash. I fell into a credit card hole when I was younger and luckily caught myself before going too deep.

That being said, if someone had no guns and wanted to make a reasonable purchase with a credit card, that’s different. A mossberg pump could probably be easily paid off by most people in no time. But for someone’s 12th handgun or a super sparkly fun gun... no way.

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GOA, FPC, NRA

$60/day is $21,900/year

I wish I had this kind of annual budget. Instead, I have to barter with my wife, and she's a stickler. I recently sold a 629 to fund a new purchase and while I was counting bills, she had her hand out; "tax" she said.

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Ban this man,
'89

I receive a bonus at work twice a year and I siphon some funds there.
Otherwise I sell off something getting buried in the safe and use those funds.
I recently sold my Coonan, loved it, extremely accurate but I wasn't shooting it enough.
So far the Coonan has turned into a very nice 6906 and a CS45 that I brought home yesterday. AND there is still cash left from the Coonan.

I'm old and long retired. Ever since I lost 25% of my (already pitiful) rollover IRA in Jerome Powell's November-December 2018 massacre, my spending on firearms has had to be seriously curtailed. No longer can I hit my IRA for anything that is not essential to keeping me afloat. That means that financing new purchases either comes from the sale of existing assets or it comes from whatever I can save out of my small weekly allowance, half of which already goes to support my elderly mother. Not a great situation, but lowered expectations can still result in fair enjoyment of the hobby.

That's my thoughts. When I read or hear people saying "I just put a Remchester 800 on layaway" I always think they'd probably have better use for their money than a gun they can't really afford.

My problem is that great opportunities don't always come up when there is sufficient money available to buy them. Without layaway, I'd be out-of-luck even more than I already am. Layaway gives me time to sell something in order to pay for something new.

Hi, All;
This is "My Method". I worked every hour of overtime that I could, before I retired, and became debt free, as soon as possible. I worked every non trade related job that I could find, sold scrap metal, did every repair job that I was capable of doing, on our home, and vehicles. My wife helped, by sewing, gardening, and made some of our clothes, curtains, drapes etc. Together we maintained that large fruit, and vegetable garden, and some fruit trees. We enjoyed living the year around, from the produce from them, by canning, and freezing that produce. We Squandered very little money on extravagant meals, or partys, and didn't gamble. I kept a 'Kitty' cash fund, earned by the aforementioned methods to buy our non essential things with. I can truthfully say that I never bought a gun from our household operating funds. Those non essential items, were bought with cash from our 'kitty', or by swapping and trading. I won't say that "MyWay"
is the only way, but it's one that surely works. Sorry for the long winded story of "My Method".

Chubbo

That’s one of my favorite ways to acquire a new gun.

After my most recent small winning session, I ended up with enough for this 6” M66-5 + shipping/transfer & a 10 oz. silver bar.

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Me too.

Except, you misread it. It wasn’t $60/day - it was $60/pay day

Everybody is okay to finance a vehicle but raises an eyebrow when people finance a firearm. There's really no difference, but usually with layaway there's no interest fee. It's a win. I don't see an issue with it...

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Jorge

Find a gun shop that allows for layaways. That's how I purchase mine. I don't gamble or go into debt.

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

Credit card where the balance gets paid every month.

If I am sent to the grocery store, there is a fee, a gift certificate for $25 from my LGS. In no time, I have enough to make my next gun purchase, If something comes up that I have to have before then, time for American Express.

Most of the time I use plastic. I buy a lot of gun parts using the Internet so credit card gives me some protection from fraud and defective merchandise.

My last gun purchase was face-to-face which I used a lot of $20.00 bills to pay for. The guy must not have much experience with handling cash sales as he dropped $20 when he turned to put the money in a box.

So far, I've just saved up for it. Depending on how the rest of my finances are, I may use tax refund money or apply any monetary gifts towards a "gun fund." The problem is that many times I've saved up enough for a gun, only to have something unexpected come up and "POOF!", it's gone.

So do you sell a gun when you lose?

What is a tax refund?

My monthly budget directs a portion to savings. ( AKA Gun Fund )

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Birds like shiny new toys too.

Except a vehicle is pretty much a necessity for the vast majority of people. There's also just a "little bit" of difference in pricing as well

Inheritance is the easiest method I have found... but waiting for that long lost relative to pass and the lawyers to find me with that big check is beginning to cramp my collections growth... lol

Well, not really. This gun here cost more than my 2015 Dodge Dart for example.



Traditional RF Scroll Engraved with Turquoise Grips 9mm – Republic Forge

Plus, my duty gun is a necessity. Even if not for duty, a firearm is still a necessity to me.

I understand what you are saying, but it also depends on what you want. If you can pay cash for a Chevy Alero but you need to finance a Maserati you might be in the same boat as the guy who can pay cash for a M&P but needs to finance a custom gun. Same difference to me. Both items are made to use but the gun will probably last longer than the car...

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Jorge

I never was a gamblin man
Just marked their cards so they could win.
Took 10 percent of all they made
and bought a Side by Side... in Super Grade.

I just pull the money out of savings, the hard part is telling my accountant (wife).