Revolvers Soft?

[ralph7]

Was thinking about going to the gun show and selling a few revolvers, but after looking on Gunbroker, prices seem to have gone down from a couple of years ago.
What do y'all think, maybe wait for an upturn or will there be one?

 

[Mule Packer]

I really couldn't say. It seems like the up-and-coming generation is enthralled with firearms that are made from recycled milk jugs and are microwaveable and dishwasher safe. As one gun writer put it, the plastic guns "have no soul."

Personally, I think there will always be a market for blued steel and walnut...but that just might be my "old age" talking.

 

[Onomea]

Do you need the money or the space? If so, sell 'em. If not, keep 'em.

Not very helpful, I realize. I've been buying European revolvers recently so have not been following the overall revolver market. It does seem unlikely to me that as our generation passes there will be an upsurge in interest in revolvers.

During handgun self defense training in 2006, and in training last year for certification on my new club's action range, I was the only revolver shooter in the classes...

 

[rockquarry]

I don't think the market has changed for desirable S&W and Colt revolvers. I think "desirable" revolvers are the only ones worth considering but opinions will vary on this.

True, revolvers have never been popular with the majority of newschoolers and won't ever be. This isn't something that's come about recently; been this way for a long time. Go to a gun range these days and see how many are shooting revolvers, if you can find any such shooters at all.

 

[Doug627]

I was shooting at an indoor range several years ago. The lanes were full of young men shooting semi-auto 9mm handguns. They were shooting rapidly and having a great time. I was shooting test loads in my revolvers taking my time. I heard some of the young men scoffing at the revolvers. I was shooting 38 Specials. Not very loud. After a while I got to feeling mischievous. I loaded up my Model 29 with some real power loads and ripped off six shots. A flame came out of the muzzle with each shot. The range went quiet. Some of the young men came down to see what I had just shot. I showed them the Model 29 and few other blued revolvers. I overheard several say they were going to get a revolver after that. For the most part, the young people just haven't been exposed to revolvers. When they are, they like them. As they get older and have more disposable income, they will buy the classics and cherish them, too.

 

[rockquarry]

I was shooting at an indoor range several years ago. The lanes were full of young men shooting semi-auto 9mm handguns. They were shooting rapidly and having a great time. I was shooting test loads in my revolvers taking my time. I heard some of the young men scoffing at the revolvers. I was shooting 38 Specials. Not very loud. After a while I got to feeling mischievous. I loaded up my Model 29 with some real power loads and ripped off six shots. A flame came out of the muzzle with each shot. The range went quiet. Some of the young men came down to see what I had just shot. I showed them the Model 29 and few other blued revolvers. I overheard several say they were going to get a revolver after that. For the most part, the young people just haven't been exposed to revolvers. When they are, they like them. As they get older and have more disposable income, they will buy the classics and cherish them, too.

Maybe, but right now they live in a very small firearms world.

 

[Bald1]

I don't think they've changed enough to matter. If you sold a handful of guns and $300 less that you would've got last yr, does it really matter? We're not talking about life changing money.

 

[Xfuzz]

Come to the Conroe show and lay a few on my table.
I should have some room.
You're not gonna make much on the other side of the table.

And yes...everything is somewhat slow...prices down.

 

[31FordA]

Prices are down from the all time highs we saw from '20 to '22, but they seem to have stabilized based on the last few gun shows I've been to. Some of it is less demand, but I think less disposable income is a bigger part. I'm only buying about a third as many guns as I used to, mainly because the gas pump and the grocery store are taking a lot of my gun money.

 

[tripledipper]

Revolvers are like stick shift cars, you have to enjoy the experience of shooting/driving them and they both have become less popular and available.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I do not know the answer. I do know I shoot revolvers better and I have both.

 

[Greyman50]

No brag but I like it when some of the " blasters" actually look at their target then look at mine, nuf sed.

 

[mike4sigs]

If i was going to sell Any firearm I would do my research, then set my asking price and go do it.
People want what they want and i do believe it is mostly a Generation thing.

 

[pharmer]

I just got my "proposed tax bill" yesterday. The "market value" of my house went down $5K, The "taxable" almost $6K, the 2023 vs 2024 went down over $9K. Since we ain't talking guns or "real market forces," my proposed tax bill will rise only $100 because of "superior .gov accounting procedures." I guess another year will pass without my selling S&W revolvers. Joe

 

[ladder13]

I have no idea. From recent reports it appears some young folks don't even want to own cars, but I see no shortage of people getting tats.
Gunshows around here are a sea of black rifles and pistols.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Some dudes are impressed with lever rifles, too, when they see them up close for the 1st time. That one surprised me.

 

[biku324]

My last CCL class there were 3 of us of 18 or so with revolvers; I was the only one with a semi and a revolver. In NM you need to qualify with the largest caliber you want to be licensed for, so I used a 45 Shield and a 625-8. All bases covered, from 22 LR to 45, semi-auto or revolver.

 

[cololab]

Years ago a friend of mine who at the time had an FFL told me he just tried to keep abreast of what guns were being used on the most popular TV shows and stock those. He noted the slow transition in his sales from revolvers to semi-automatics. Maybe that trend continues?

 

[grover99]

Some 60 years ago revolvers were the thing and that was my carry for number of years before I got in pistols with several !911s and other autos. The last 5 years I carried a Glock 43 until about 4 months ago. I bought a 327 fed mag so I could control the recoil depending what round I put in it. Not ever going back.

 

[Wyo]

The overall market population for revolvers is smaller every year as the "revolver oriented" population continues to age and younger shooters entering the market continue to buy semi autos. There will always be a hard core base of shooters who prefer revolvers and will continue to pay for them. There may even be occasional market spikes. But the overall market size is falling and that is the inevitable trend. As that population falls so go the markets as well.