Clearing out room in the safe....

[edapp]

I have a rather large gun safe that is nearly full. I, like most gun owners, have gone through several different stages of ownership (interests, financial changes, etc) which resulted in a diverse collection which varies in quality, caliber, , value, intended use, and usefulness.

Lately I have been using fewer and fewer of the guns I own, and am drawn more towards guns of higher quality than many of the guns I purchased in the past. I am getting tempted to "clear out space" in the safe by selling many of the guns I do not use, and have no intention of using, to consolidate my collection.

For those of you that have done this, did you regret it? Advice on what you would do differently (how to sell, sell more/less than you did, etc) would be appreciated.

I.E instead of having 4 bolt action "hunting" rifles, selling them and buying one nicer one. Similar situation with shotguns, rimfire rifles, handguns etc. Another benefit could be consolidating calibers in the process.

I have a handful of "never sell" guns, but the multitude of budget buys over the years are just taking up a lot of real estate. I know I wont get much for selling them, but the space and justification of getting into something new are tempting.

 

[badkarmamib]

Over the 25 years I have been shooting, I have sold 4X the number of guns currently in my cabinet. I tried some, enjoyed some, and moved on when something looked better. I only have attachment to one gun, my first, a Marlin 336 .30-30 that my Dad bought new when we moved to VA, and he handed me when I was 12 to deer hunt with. I already consider that to belong to my 6-year-old, who will (hopefully) get his first deer with it, same as I did.

My way of saying, if you are certain you will no longer use it, it has no sentimental value to you, you could use the space and funds for something you want more, and there is a high likelihood of being able to replace it if you change your mind later, I believe in moving on. Others feel differently, and I understand, I personally see guns as tools, and treat and trade them accordingly.

 

[George P]

I have a rather large gun safe that is nearly full. I, like most gun owners, have gone through several different stages of ownership (interests, financial changes, etc) which resulted in a diverse collection which varies in quality, caliber, , value, intended use, and usefulness.

Lately I have been using fewer and fewer of the guns I own, and am drawn more towards guns of higher quality than many of the guns I purchased in the past. I am getting tempted to "clear out space" in the safe by selling many of the guns I do not use, and have no intention of using, to consolidate my collection.

For those of you that have done this, did you regret it? Advice on what you would do differently (how to sell, sell more/less than you did, etc) would be appreciated.

I.E instead of having 4 bolt action "hunting" rifles, selling them and buying one nicer one. Similar situation with shotguns, rimfire rifles, handguns etc. Another benefit could be consolidating calibers in the process.

I have a handful of "never sell" guns, but the multitude of budget buys over the years are just taking up a lot of real estate. I know I wont get much for selling them, but the space and justification of getting into something new are tempting.

I only regretted getting rid of one - a Ruger No.1 RSI in .243. Getting ready to do it again, and like you, want to have fewer, but better quality, guns. Maybe 1 rifle, 2-3 higher end shotguns, and few handguns (depending on what the wife likes) for SDHD/plinking. Unless something has family sentimental value, best to get rid of all the rest you never shoot and get a few you'll shoot and enjoy a lot.

 

[ontarget]

I wish I could say I could let some go. Every time I start to think about it I get all shaky and feel like I might vomit.
I recently gave a couple to my son, so its not like I really got rid of them. His house is only a mile away.

 

[edapp]

I only regretted getting rid of one - a Ruger No.1 RSI in .243. Getting ready to do it again, and like you, want to have fewer, but better quality, guns. Maybe 1 rifle, 2-3 higher end shotguns, and few handguns (depending on what the wife likes) for SDHD/plinking. Unless something has family sentimental value, best to get rid of all the rest you never shoot and get a few you'll shoot and enjoy a lot.

Yea I don't have any desire to rid my collection of anything unique, or hard to find. I did aquire and sell a Ruger No. 1 in .270 without ever shooting it. Wish i kept it, and if it had been a RSI model I hope i would have....

But I just look in my safe sometimes and see a bunch of cheap black plastic...Would rather have something like that No. 1 back.

 

[.308 Norma]

For those of you that have done this, did you regret it?

Hardly ever. Generally speaking, over the years I've experienced "buyer remorse" a lot more often than I've experienced "seller regret" - for lack of a better term.
Sometimes though, I've even sold guns just because I no longer had a use for them. It wasn't because I had any remorse about buying them in the first place. As a matter of fact, just yesterday I sold two .22 rifles at a gun show because I wasn't using them anymore. I'd bought them (a bolt action single shot and a little pump action) years ago for the sole purpose of teaching our grandsons (we don't have any granddaughters) about guns when they came out to the house for a visit. But our grandsons are grown now, and they have their own guns that they use when they come out for a visit. I take pride in the fact that my wife and I taught them well about guns, gun safety and hunting. The guns that we used for teaching them were just the tools we used. And one more thing - the guy I sold that .22 single shot to said, "I'm going to clean this thing up and use it to teach my grandson to shoot." That made me feel pretty darned good!

Advice on what you would do differently (how to sell, sell more/less than you did, etc) would be appreciated.

I don't even much like to talk about this, but there is one time I sold a gun that if I had it to do again, I would have done it differently. I won't go into the whole story as I've told it here before, but I once sold a .44 Special to a perfect stranger at a gun show, and according to the FBI, that .44 Special ended up in the hands of a gang member in Los Angeles. I didn't get in any trouble - it was a face-to-face legal sale, but I didn't like having morning coffee with an FBI Special Agent while being questioned about the circumstances of the sale.
Don't get me wrong though. I not saying I feel bad because some creep gang member in L.A. got that gun. It's not that. And I flat out will not argue with anyone who feels differently about who, or who not they will sell guns to. But since the time I sold that .44 Special, both my wife and I pay close attention to our "gut instincts" when we sell a gun. If we don't feel right about a person, we won't sell it to them. It happened yesterday in fact. When I walked into the gunshow with those two .22 rifles, some jerk quickly walked up to me and asked me what I wanted for them without even know for sure what they were. I just told him I didn't know yet, that I was planning on trading them in on a different gun. We keep careful records too - name of the person we sold the gun to, serial number and make/model of the gun, and date of the sale.

 

[FL-NC]

I have gone through almost complete liquidations, selling one or 2 to finance another, etc. more times than I can count. As hunting rifles/shotguns go- I recommend having at least 2 of each- when I go hunting, there is always a "back-up" in the truck, zero'd and ready to go in the event something happens to the "primary"- like it gets dropped and lands on the scope coming out of the deer stand, etc. Last year dove hunting, I realized that I had left my Mossberg 930 piston in my turkey barrel after I shot at a bird and the gun didn't cycle, so I just went back to the jeep and grabbed my Ithaca 37. Then I ordered a 2nd piston from Mossberg so I wouldn't do that again. Regrets? Sure. I regret that I sold my Colt SP-1, my 4" python for $400 (in about 1994, when no one cared about wheel guns), my P7 M-8, my series 70 LW commander, my model 29 S&W for $350, M1 carbines for less than $200, and others. But at the time, these were guns that weren't popular, and what I sold them for were typical buying prices at the time, and i just didn't have the $ to keep growing my collection. Most of the ones I have gotten rid of, no regrets.

 

[rust collector]

Guns are tools, and I enjoy them primarily by using them. If they are not used much anymore, they find a new home, often in exchange for something a little better. I am culling the herd, but that doesn't mean I don't bring things home once in awhile.

 

[.308 Norma]

Guns are tools, and I enjoy them primarily by using them. If they are not used much anymore, they find a new home, often in exchange for something a little better. I am culling the herd, but that doesn't mean I don't bring things home once in awhile.

Yeah, that's me too. I have a few guns that have sentimental value, but most of my guns are tools that my primary "joy" comes from their use.
But speaking of "sentimental value," my dad left me a pair of Colt Frontier Scouts in a beautiful, hand carved holster set and gun belt. I, in turn gave them to my nephew, my dad's oldest grandson because I knew he'd appreciate them. I'm getting on in years, and though I have grandchildren of my own that like and use guns, they're a lot like me - they don't place much sentimental value on tools just because they enjoy using them.
On the other hand, I gave those Frontier Scouts of my dad's to my nephew over ten years ago, and last summer when I saw him again, he told me he'd never even shot them yet. He just keeps them in his safe and takes them out to wipe them down and admire once in a while.

 

[Legionnaire]

Put me in the "guns are tools" camp. I'm comfortable rather than wealthy, and I can afford the occasional purchase because it interests me at the moment. If I later decide to sell it off, no harm done. I have a couple I won't sell because of family history, but the rest could go at a moment's notice. I do tend to sell things I don't use after I purchase something new, rather than for the express purpose of funding the new purchase--a benefit of being a bit older with a few more resources. But I don't think twice about selling tools that are not being used.

 

[Rio Laxas]

For the most part, I have not regretted downsizing in order to acquire fewer nicer firearms. At one time, I had a pretty good size collection of pre-war and pre-model number S&W N frames in .44 Special, .357 Magnum, and .38 Special. I decided that I could do without the .38s and most of the .357s in order to invest in a couple of Swiss Sig P210-6s, I shoot at least one of them 1-2 times a week and get far more shooting enjoyment from them than firearms that I parted with. I still like some of the ones that I got rid of, but I would have had an almost impossible time affording the P210s otherwise.

 

[AZAndy]

Yes, I've done it. One day last year, I walked into a gun store with 7 pistols and two rifles to do some trading. Walked out with two revolvers. I don't regret it. I cut my reloading requirements from 8 chamberings to 3 in one swoop, which sure makes keeping track of things a lot easier. Also gave away four guns last year. My new rule is that every firearm has to have an actual purpose-- it either gets carried sometimes, or is suitable for precision target work, or both, or is handy for home defense. No more of this "hey, this is cool, I'll buy it" stuff. Until the next time I see something cool, of course.

 

[edapp]

Yes, I've done it. One day last year, I walked into a gun store with 7 pistols and two rifles to do some trading. Walked out with two revolvers. I don't regret it. I cut my reloading requirements from 8 chamberings to 3 in one swoop, which sure makes keeping track of things a lot easier. Also gave away four guns last year. My new rule is that every firearm has to have an actual purpose-- it either gets carried sometimes, or is suitable for precision target work, or both, or is handy for home defense. No more of this "hey, this is cool, I'll buy it" stuff. Until the next time I see something cool, of course.

That is my plan at the moment.... Sell/trade about 6-7 and come home with 1-2. I don't reload but it would be nice to consolidate my ammo inventory.

 

[Alte Schule]

I've carried a revolver since I was a young pup. Mostly Colt, S&W, or Ruger in .38 Sp. or .357 andin the last couple of years the occasional .327 Federal Magnum. I've tried to "up my game" several times by going to a small (PPKS .380, Glock 33 .357 Sig,) or medium (EMP 9mm, S&W 4583 .45 ACP ) frame autoloader. There were a few others but it didn't matter I always returned to my Colt Detective Special or one of my J frames. I did keep he Glock but sold the others.The only autoloader I regret selling was a Ruger P89 DC 9 mm. Heavy but built like a tank she was a true shooter and ran without a hitch. The automatics I have now are all range guns.

 

[bikerdoc]

I'm doing that also. Stuff I have not used in years is going on the block here and a local gun shop.
EDC's, Sentimental and heirlooms are not going anywhere soon.

 

[SharpDog]

I have a rather large gun safe that is nearly full. I, like most gun owners, have gone through several different stages of ownership (interests, financial changes, etc) which resulted in a diverse collection which varies in quality, caliber, , value, intended use, and usefulness.

Lately I have been using fewer and fewer of the guns I own, and am drawn more towards guns of higher quality than many of the guns I purchased in the past. I am getting tempted to "clear out space" in the safe by selling many of the guns I do not use, and have no intention of using, to consolidate my collection.

For those of you that have done this, did you regret it? Advice on what you would do differently (how to sell, sell more/less than you did, etc) would be appreciated.

I.E instead of having 4 bolt action "hunting" rifles, selling them and buying one nicer one. Similar situation with shotguns, rimfire rifles, handguns etc. Another benefit could be consolidating calibers in the process.

I have a handful of "never sell" guns, but the multitude of budget buys over the years are just taking up a lot of real estate. I know I wont get much for selling them, but the space and justification of getting into something new are tempting.

I have regretted selling every gun I've ever sold, maybe a dozen or so including trades.

 

[WestKentucky]

I used to trade around a lot. There were a few times I regretted the trades or sales. The only one that haunts me is the Taurus 66 that I sold to fund a "better" gun in the Ruger gp100. The GP was a huge letdown for me as I got a lemon, then another lemon, both with bad barrels, so those went away and I soon ended up with a 686-6 and it was ok, but not what the Taurus was on accuracy. I'm still chasing that replacement gun. Moral of the story, if ya like it enough that you want to replace it with "better" then front sell it til you have acquired it's replacement. Sell off other stuff you don't have interest in at all to fund these replacements.

 

[FROGO207]

I got a few years to retirement (I hope). I am not going to even think about downsizing until I have shot them for 10 years after that time. Then I might thin the heard just to recoup my money spent. If I am solvent I'll probably wait a good while longer. I have sold or traded a few over the last 40 years, can count em on one hand though and have no regrets.

 

[Waveski]

Once I got past my "I'll never sell a gun!" mindset , turning over some inventory became quite liberating. It got me past a period in which my acquisitions had ground to a halt because I did not want to shell out more $$$ and my safe was rather full. Now things are coming and going , and I am re-engaged.I have not yet made a mistake which resulted in deep seller's regret , only a brief pang of separation regret which was quickly remedied by the next pre-planned acquisition!

The key is being very careful in evaluating "what do I have and why". Someone up the board mentioned "sell 2 , buy 1". I done several of those with very satisfactory results. Also , I have sold a handgun I felt I could live without , after carefully earmarking the proceeds for the purpose of improving and upgrading other guns in order to get them just the way I want them. Any money left over gets converted to ammunition. So far , so good.

I am even planning to sell a certain handgun soon and giving the proceeds anonymously to my church. I've been feeling a bit greedy of late .....

 

[huntsman]

So OP why don’t you drop some names, brands you have to sell and what you want to end up with.

Back in 1999 I had some concerns about Y2k and off loaded my 16 gauges, I traded a couple of lowend shotguns to a dealer for a BSS in 12 gauge.

I’m not really a believer in upgrading because I try to buy more quality than I can afford at the beginning but yeah taste and need have evolved over time and I don’t like to hang onto something I won’t use.

 

[bassjam]

edapp, if you have family you should discuss this with them first. Being on the receiving end of being led to believe you'd end up with most of a collection, it really sucks when that collection is sold and you never even knew until it was too late. It wasn't just about free guns, there's several I'd have happily bought to keep them in the family.

Past that, make a physical list of everything you have. Then spend some time looking at the list and deciding if there's anything you no longer are attached to. I do this pretty frequently and about every couple years I find something I no longer care to keep around. It either gets sold for cash or traded for something else.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I like to buy fixer uppers cheap- problem with that is you've got time and sweat invested in 'em, and sometimes a bit of money in parts. The results are usually functional, sometimes pleasing to the eye, but rarely valuable. There's quite a few of those taking up space in the armory.

It does give each of those a story. Usually goes something like: "Oh, that old beater? I found that in pieces at a garage sale for $100 after it was run over by a tank and set on fire. So I fixed it up....."

Those tend to stick around longer than the ones with a story like: "Ah, my $1,000 Luger...yes found it at a gunshop and bought it."

I'll leave it to my family to decide which ones they keep and sell.

Kinda hope they keep the old beaters, though....

I

 

[BSA1]

For those of you that have done this, did you regret it? Advice on what you would do differently (how to sell, sell more/less than you did, etc) would be appreciated.

I have done a lot buying, selling and trading over the years. It always 6 months after I got rid of gun I found a need for it and wished I had it back.

I rarely sell a gun now. Last one was for financial reasons. I had two of them selling one was no consequence to me as they both were unfired. The one I kept is still unfired but I never know when I will discover I have a need for it.

I don't know what you mean when you say having 4 bolt action "hunting" rifles, selling them and buying one nicer one as I don't know how many guns you own. But consider this. When you go hunting or loan a gun to friend or relative do you really want to take the nicer one out and have it get dinged up and banged around?

In todays political climate guns are money in bank. When the Democrats get back in power in Washington, D.C. there is going to be harsh payback to gun owners and middle class Americans. Especially if they are successful in overthrowing the President and flipping Congress in November.

 

[BSA1]

edapp, if you have family you should discuss this with them first. Being on the receiving end of being led to believe you'd end up with most of a collection, it really sucks when that collection is sold and you never even knew until it was too late. It wasn't just about free guns, there's several I'd have happily bought to keep them in the family.

My kids are married starting families which means a lot of their disposable income is in diapers (or is that what is going into diapers. lol). They like guns but hungry kids take priority.

So one of things I am focusing one is refining my accumulation of guns (I will not insult collectors) into something that is desirable and valuable to them after I die.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I have bought and sold, and traded, guns in order to refine my collection. All but a few exceptions are shooters and I enjoy them all.

I have all the polymer guns I need, and common stuff with the exception of a 44 mag, and a long range rifle. I'm just more of a pistol shooter.

I've made a conscious decision to buy fewer guns, but higher quality ones from now on. I have guns that will get the job done, now I want ones I drool over, but still use. Going for quality, not quantity.