Sold some "rare" guns...

[Teachu2]

I rarely sell a gun, but I had a couple of Glocks that I didn't care for. I live in California, and had legally purchased a G17L and a G41 back when they were available. The 17L is no longer on the CA Roster, and the SSE that covered the G41 has ended. I didn't like shooting either of them, and they held no sentimental value (they're Glocks!) so the only reason I valued them was their rarity in CA.
I was reviewing my collection a while back, and wishing I had more .22s for the grandkids to learn on - and more room in the safe. A little research on Calguns showed I could easily liquidate the longslide Glocks, and do so at a substantial profit, so I sent a couple PM's to members who had posted "wanted" ads for those models, and sold both for my asking price in less than an hour. Both buyers were happy to get them - they were hard to tell from new, and both indicated they intend to shoot them a bunch. Took that pile of cash and converted it into a new Buckmark, a new Savage bolt youth model, a used Ruger SP101, a used Marlin 81, and a used M&P15-22 with seven magazines. All the used ones are better than new, excellent condition but broken in. All are expressly for the grandkids, so I won't care about the inevitable scratches and scuffs. The buyers are happy, I'm happy, Grandma and the grandkids are happy, and the longslide Glocks will get shot.

 

[badkarmamib]

I have nothing against selling guns I no longer shoot for something I want more. Actually, it is the reason why I have gotten to own twice as many guns over my lifetime as I could if I had kept them all. I bought something I wanted, and when it didn't suit me any more, and I wanted something new, I traded and never looked back. The only one I actually regretted, believe it or not, was the cheapest and easiest to replace, a Maverick 88 12ga. I replaced it a year after I traded it. Still, I enjoy researching/trying/owning new guns, but I have no need to hang on to every gun I ever want to try. I know people have different philosophies, but this is mine.

 

[bannockburn]

Teachu2

Way to go! Super nice thing to do on your part for you grandkids!

 

[joem1945]

I may not shoot mine often but I don't sell either.

 

[Rock185]

Excellent! I have sold some guns I was no longer interested in. Most, I don't miss at all. Like badkarma, I've had the opportunity to own and enjoy a lot more guns that way than if I'd tried to keep them all......ymmv

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

That's great! I have nine grandkids and each Memorial weekend we take them to the Whittington Center in NM for a shooting weekend. Somehow over the years I have accumulated enough .22 rifles to put one in front of each of them and let them go at it. (All of them went through the grandma and grandpa safety training, and can be trusted.)

 

[Teachu2]

I had 13 Glocks, and those were the only two I did not like to shoot. It was strictly personal preference - I like the 26 and 30 the most, and like the others progressively less as the size increases, with the exception of the 34. I think it was because I view the 17L and 41 as range guns, in that I would never carry either, and I have range guns that I enjoy much more than the 17L and 41. They both had become residents of the safe, and were far too valuable to other people who wanted to shoot them. There was nothing bad about either gun, and I shot both well, but I didn't enjoy either one. In a 9mm, I enjoy the 26, 19, and 34, as well as the RIA 1911 9mm Tactical, the CZ 75 SA, and the Shield. In a .45, my Baer SRP, either of my Colt 1911s, the G30, and the G21 all are enjoyable. All of these spend time on the range and in my belt. I will enjoy the five guns I effectively got in trade for the two that I didn't enjoy.
I bought the 17L and the 41 without having had the opportunity to shoot either one. Many folks love them, but not me. I would never have known that had I not shot them, and the only way to find out was buy them and shoot them. Fortunately, the market value increased substantially on them in CA, and there were a number of people actively seeking them. Both buyers were pleased to get them, and both will probably enjoy them. If not, they can sell them - maybe for even more than they paid. I sold them at what I considered fair current market prices, which were substantially more than I paid for them and far more than I'd willingly pay for another. The buyers paid my asking prices rather than let someone else do so - my research was pretty good. Everyone walked away happy, which is the hallmark of a fair deal.
OTOH, I'm sure the market has not peaked in CA - they will probably be worth more down the road. Then again, CA could do away with the roster, and prices would fall. Or the Legislature could forbid private sales of off-roster guns in CA, and these would be worth far less in free states. I was hanging on to them because they were hard to get - not because I liked them. I like all five that I am getting now, and the grandkids and I will make a lot of memories with them.