My First Ever 3rd Gen

[dondavis3]

Congratulations on your new Gen 3.

I own 2 now and carried one as a cop.

But I also like Sig's and plastic guns

Plastic is so much easier to carry

 

[Shorty 45 MK2]

Congratulations on your new Gen 3.

I own 2 now and carried one as a cop.

But I also like Sig's and plastic guns

Plastic is so much easier to carry

They sure are easier to carry on the mind since all that needs to be done to replace one is go to the LGS.

I have a plastic pistol and do carry it a good deal, but like it in the same way I like my hammers of screwdrivers.

 

[TTSH]

Too late, I'm on to you guys! I'm waking up with cold sweats thinking about a 4506

Yup, Financially speaking, it'll be a bit before I can swing a 4506. A guy can dream though.

Oh, I know all about budgets. Even practiced relatively on the cheap as I do it, gun collecting is an expensive hobby. And I am retired which has two important effects: 1) More time to shop around for desired collectible firearms... but, 2) A whole lot less money to pay for them.

As mentioned earlier, there is a 4506 sitting right now in a local shop, but it is out of my reach financially at this time. Just got to wait for the price to drop and pray that it doesn't sell in the meantime.

 

[TTSH]

Congratulations on your new Gen 3.

I own 2 now and carried one as a cop.

But I also like Sig's and plastic guns

Plastic is so much easier to carry

Yep. I acknowledge that if I were a cop and needed to carry a full-size gun all day, I'd likely prefer plastic. And I do own a pretty good selection of plastic guns. But to an old club shooter and collector like myself, it's just not the same animal.

Perhaps my attitude toward plastic will change in time. I do get the advantages. I like the lower costs. They do work.

But would I have ever gotten into modern handgun collecting all those many years ago if all S&W made at the time were plastic guns? I must say... probably not.

My aging, curmudgeonly old mind just can't accept plastic guns as worthy collectibles. Efficient, effective, interesting tools, yes. But not collectibles. Not in my mind anyway.

 

[loeman]

How Much for a 4506 in MA

Hey Macski222 and TTSH and all our other MASS friends,

You guys have mentioned several times in this thread that prices for guns in MA are pretty high or maybe even exorbitant! Can you share with the rest of us what you are dealing with there?

Lets just take one gun as an example that's not rare or unique (but certainly desirable). Let's use a perfectly functioning 4506 (any dash) in better than average condition with no significant cosmetic issues. Let's also say that it is gun and one magazine only, no box etc. etc. What would you have to pay?

Around here that gun could probably be had for around $450-$550 on average. I bought one in superb condition from a LGS nine months ago for $530 OTD. Also, I didn't consider it a great deal, but the condition made me feel ok about it.

 

[TTSH]

Hey Macski222 and TTSH and all our other MASS friends,

You guys have mentioned several times in this thread that prices for guns in MA are pretty high or maybe even exorbitant! Can you share with the rest of us what you are dealing with there?

Lets just take one gun as an example that's not rare or unique (but certainly desirable). Let's use a perfectly functioning 4506 (any dash) in better than average condition with no significant cosmetic issues. Let's also say that it is gun and one magazine only, no box etc. etc. What would you have to pay?

Around here that gun could probably be had for around $450-$550 on average. I bought one in superb condition from a LGS nine months ago for $530 OTD. Also, I didn't consider it a great deal, but the condition made me feel ok about it.

There is no simple way to answer that question because prices vary wildly from shop to shop, as does gun condition plus accessories. The same 2nd Gen or 3rd Gen gun can cost double at one shop vs. another. Condition, number of magazines and original box vs. no box can affect asking prices a lot. Many of these are consignment guns where the owner sets the price. The shop owner has little or no control over it. Some are crazy high and occasionally one will be reasonable or even below market just to move it out fast.

But looking at averages (a very dangerous thing, actually!), here is what I would tell you: On any given 2nd Gen or 3rd Gen, go to Gunbroker's completed sales search function. Enter the model in question. Throw out any high or low flyers in the results and take the average of the selling prices of the rest. Add $100.00 (+/-) to that selling price and that's probably close to the initial asking price you might find at a semi-reasonable shop on a shop-owned gun or on a reasonably-priced (not overpriced) consignment gun. When a used gun doesn't move for a long period of time, some shops/owners will drop the price. Sometimes a little at a time. Sometimes a lot all at once. It can happen anywhere.

The pricing trend right now is currently downward. That's a good thing for me. But these are scarce guns. Averages and trends don't necessarily mean a whole lot. And the variation from shop to shop sometimes just makes you shake your head in wonderment.

 

[loeman]

TTSH,
Thanks for your kind response. Regarding Gunbroker, I never look there anymore. I did for awhile, but I quit because I knew that I would probably never buy a gun that I couldn't see in person, so why bother? Actually, that's not quite true as I do look at the for sale forum on this website, but that's the only online place I look. Our LGSs, pawn shops and shows have WAAAAY more fine and interesting guns than I can ever possibly consider purchasing.

I feel a much better barometer for prices (for NM) is in our LGSs, pawn shops and maybe shows. If a LGS has a very nice and desirable gun in stock but it remains unsold for a month or even more you can pretty much be assured that it is overpriced. The retail gun sales business is pretty competitive around here and pricing guns to a Gunbroker average would probably be counter productive for a good business model.

That being said, I do know of one pawn shop that does their pricing based on what they see on Gunbroker, I've actually seen them do it. Their monitor was turned away from me, but I could see Gunbroker reflected in a window behind the clerk as he was pricing new inventory. But whenever I visit this shop, I see pretty much the same inventory each time with the same astronomical price tags. They had a Md 686 no dash with 4 inch barrel in basically new condition for nearly $1K. I haven't been back for awhile, but I bet they still have it. I don't mean to disparage pawn shops, I love them! Some of my very best guns have been purchased in them at very fair prices. I recently bought a Md 39-2 in about 95% condition for $350 in a pawn shop. I thought I was going to get it for $300 from the clerk, but the manager just smiled and shook his head no.

 

[TTSH]

TTSH,
Thanks for your kind response. Regarding Gunbroker, I never look there anymore. I did for awhile, but I quit because I knew that I would probably never buy a gun that I couldn't see in person, so why bother? Actually, that's not quite true as I do look at the for sale forum on this website, but that's the only online place I look. Our LGSs, pawn shops and shows have WAAAAY more fine and interesting guns than I can ever possibly consider purchasing.

I feel a much better barometer for prices (for NM) is in our LGSs, pawn shops and maybe shows. If a LGS has a very nice and desirable gun in stock but it remains unsold for a month or even more you can pretty much be assured that it is overpriced. The retail gun sales business is pretty competitive around here and pricing guns to a Gunbroker average would probably be counter productive for a good business model.

That being said, I do know of one pawn shop that does their pricing based on what they see on Gunbroker, I've actually seen them do it. Their monitor was turned away from me, but I could see Gunbroker reflected in a window behind the clerk as he was pricing new inventory. But whenever I visit this shop, I see pretty much the same inventory each time with the same astronomical price tags. They had a Md 686 no dash with 4 inch barrel in basically new condition for nearly $1K. I haven't been back for awhile, but I bet they still have it. I don't mean to disparage pawn shops, I love them! Some of my very best guns have purchased in them at very fair prices. I recently bought a Md 39-2 in about 95% condition for $350 in a pawn shop. I thought I was going to get it for $300 from the clerk, but the manager just smiled and shook his head no.

First off, for whatever reason, our few pawn shops up here in MA do not generally sell guns. Not 100% clear why but I assume our nanny laws somehow discourage it. So that source of bargain collectible finds is not available to us. Secondly, our few MA gun shows generally exhibit higher prices for current and collectible guns, not lower prices.

But our biggest current obstacle to gun collecting in MA is the EOPS Approved Firearms Roster (List #1) in combination with the Attorney General's top secret/unpublished allowed firearms list (List#2). In general, handguns sold by dealers must be on both lists, the published one and the secret one. No, I am not joking. In practice, the EOPS list is close to sacred and is religiously obeyed by 99.99% of the state's dealers. The AG's secret list is based on consumer protection law and is a little more "gray"... not surprising at all given its weird unpublished secret nature. Sometimes a gun will slip by the AG's criteria, but it doesn't happen too often.

The S&W 4506 is neither on the EOPS list or the AG's secret list. Could just be that it predated both or that S&W failed to submit it for testing or that it didn't meet some feature criteria. In that case, it can only be sold by a dealer if it has a confirmed MA pedigree. It cannot be brought into the state by a dealer for resale... so Gunbroker (or similar) is out.

Ignoring the exception for people moving into MA from other states, it really means you can only buy a 4506 if it is already here in MA... from a dealer if it has that MA pedigree or from an individual MA license holder face-to-face with or without a MA pedigree. The latter face-to-face option is likely to go away soon with currently pending anti-2A legislation.

So you see that we have a very limited pool of 4506's to choose from. We are not backstopped by the national marketplace. We are at the mercy of the dealers and individual owners here in MA who might be interested in selling. That's why initial asking prices are often well above what they are out in "free" America.

And if you think it is hard finding a Model 4506 at a reasonable price within MA, think about a Model 1006. Three words: Close to impossible!!!

 

[loeman]

Well, given that we aren't supposed to get into politics here I won't. But I do want to tell you and our other friends in MA and other similar places that we all empathize with you and wish you the best in creating a better political climate for you and your families.

 

[Oldbuck30]

I have a good idea, move to Texas, good economy, jobs and a ton of guns. 750.000 CHL.s including Rick Perry's and growing daily. But don't bring the MA. mind set with you. If your still voting democratic your stuck on STUPID.

 

[TTSH]

I have a good idea, move to Texas, good economy, jobs and a ton of guns. 750.000 CHL.s including Rick Perry's and growing daily. But don't bring the MA. mind set with you. If you're still voting democratic you're stuck on STUPID.

I love Texas. Did a ton of work down there during my career. Damn near became my second home. And just for the record, I've never voted for any Democrat except in Dem primary races to help eliminate the very worst Democrats.

But family is up here and family needs me. Best I can hope for is to escape up into NH someday... but the property taxes up there are insanely high for a poor old retired couple.

 

[gasaman]

TTSH you got it now......

 

[TTSH]

TTSH you gotta edit/correct your Gen 3 title please. ;-)

Opps! You are right! My bad!!!

DONE!!!