Percentage of guns you bought 2nd-hand

Status
Not open for further replies.
Cump

Cump

Member
Joined
May 18, 2013
Messages
729
Location
Wasatch Front
Looking through my round tracker, I noticed how many of my guns were bought (or traded for) second-hand. About 75 percent.

Its probably because I do a lot of horse-trading, until I find the ones that go in the no-sell or -trade collection. I also inspect used guns well (often to the seller's irritation) and do my best to confirm a relatively low round-count.

So what percentage of yours approximately are pre-owned?

I'm going with percent so no one has to post the number in their "arsenal," also to avoid contradictions with the total lost in barn fires or boating accidents.
 
I have to break it down by firearm, as I have a bunch that were bought used and many others I was gifted by senior relatives,

Rifles:
All of my semi autos I bought new. Of my other types, only five were bought new; a Marlin 1895G .45/70, 2 Henry .22 LRs, a Ruger American .22 Mag and a Mauser 96 American straight-pull .270.

Shotguns:
I can only think of three shotguns that I bought new, a Baikal O/U 20, a Browning BPS 16 and I just got a budget Stoeger Condor 12. I bought a lot of them used but I was gifted most of them from my Dad and my Grandfather.

Revolvers:
All but seven were bought used, the seven are a 629 .44, Mag. a Ruger Bisley .32H&R, an old Vaquero .45 C and a GP 100 .44 Sp., a Smith & Wesson 642 .38 & a 686+ .357 and a new model Colt Cobra .38.

Semi autos:
I have far more new than used in this area, only five were used; a Ruger standard and a Mk II .22, a Helwan and my old duty Glock 19 9mm and a Beretta 96 Centurion .40.

After going through the list in my head, I’ll say used or inherited guns outnumber new about 5-1.

Stay safe.
 
I don't have any records to look back on. But I'd estimate around 70-75% where purchased pre-owned over the years.
 
Just a rough guess maybe 75% to 80% or more. Likely because most of what I like and enjoy has not been in production for decades. :) When I see an older well made revolver or semi auto I like I buy it. Well within reason anyway. Last was a S&W Model 17 and while I already had one the price was right and it was a really nice and clean revolver.

Ron
 
About 60% of my current collection was bought used. That percentage is higher for my more recent purchases as I find more and more of the guns I am interested in are only available on the used market.
 
I'd estimate 70-75% of my current collection was bought used. The Remages I've built had new barrels, but the actions and stocks were second hand. The new guns I've purchased were not available when I started wanting them, so I bought them when they first came out--things like the GP100 in .44 Spl, the Ruger PCC, and the Henry Single Shots. But not one of the current crop of Remington 700s and Model Sevens was purchased new.
 
Somewhere around 70 % seems to be the norm. That includes me.

I can sometimes feel that all that little nicks and dings of a used gun tells a story of something, so they often becomes more interesting.

But it sure is nice to make the first ones yourself too..
 
It’s funny, because I would have guessed about 60-70% pre-owned. At least, that’s been true for the past fifty or so years I’ve been buying/selling.

Right now, I don’t have a single firearm that was pre-owned
 
A quick look over my Firearms Index suggests to me that about 30% of the firearms that I have acquired in my life have been NIB so ~70% were acquired "used", most of those being milsurps.

EDIT: In the above I have counted firearms that I have assembled/built (AR, AK, FAL, HK) as NIB as the new receivers required Dealer FFL papering.
 
Last edited:
just my Ruger Blackhawk in 45LC, everything else was new or nos when I bought it
 
I’m guessing at about 80% being secondhand. That number is debatable though because I own a few that were new in box when I got them but I didn’t buy them new from a dealer. If you count those as being bought new then the number drops down to about 70%. Also if I exclude guns that are in my safe but aren’t “mine” as in they were bought for my wife or my kids then the numbers increase again because all of my wife’s were new and half of my kids guns were bought new.
 
I have acquired just 2 new firearms. Recently sold one of them... I am at approx 96% pre-owned.
I used the term pre-owned rather than 2nd hand because who knows how many hands a 120 year old revolver has passed through? Is umteenth-hand a word that would fly in Scrabble?
 
This thread made me look through my list and I was surprised that 30% were bought new. I'd of guessed closer to 20%. The reason is the Blue Label Glocks. They're like peanuts.
 
Only 25% are used. This used to be higher in the past when I had more disposable income and was able to grab something interesting at gun shows.

I've seen a few used guns I'd love to get over the last few years, but either the money isn't their or the asking price is too high. The used revolver market in my area is priced higher that what is reported in other areas
 
I would say 25% of long guns were acquired used while handguns were slightly less at 24% used.
 
mcb said:
About 60% of my current collection was bought used. That percentage is higher for my more recent purchases as I find more and more of the guns I am interested in are only available on the used market.
Click to expand...

Yeah, about the same %, for about the same reason. NOT impressed, by many of today's new pistols.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Study Shows 79% of Criminals Obtained Guns From Illegal Sources
Replies
14
Views
1K
Nightfall
N
T
  • Locked
Trading for guns..
Replies
2
Views
505
Tribal
T
H
  • Locked
Mexican crime guns
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
4v50 Gary
4v50 Gary
D
  • Locked
Silly question: would you trade a gun for exercise equipment?
2 3
Replies
61
Views
2K
swiftak
S
S
  • Locked
Gun (s) You Wish You Had Bought
2
Replies
44
Views
2K
Nitram68
N
Back
Top