Talk me down, man.....

[JDeere]

I keep hearing keep the Garand. I got into those from CMP and DCM back in the 90s and early 2000s. I pick up some really nice ones for good prices. Ammo was cheap to and I bought a bunch of that. I was shooting all of them and getting quite good with them. Well that changed with my eyesight. I sold all but 2 of the Garands, Springfield's HRA's and IHC's.
MIlsurps are bringing good money right now as the younger crowd is getting into them. This is a good thing to see. I have a Springfield and Winchester left that are both 6 digits. I'm fixing to turn them loose...

 

[LiveLife]

After selling off of all my weird European milsurps a few years ago (and their unobtainium cartridges), Im considering another round of consolidation ... I'm fond of all these, but just can't afford to feed them very often and they dont get shot ... dont have the space or free time for reloading

... sale of these older guns would fund a significant quantity of ammunition for the remaining chamberings

I went through two full liquidation of my guns when our daughter was born over 20 years ago (Wife said guns I haven't shot in 6 months gotta go as gun safe was getting crowded) and recently for my aging parents (Wife and I essentially sold off everything we owned to move in with my parents in another state to care for them ... Thankfully, things worked out but we did sell off quite a bit) only to keep guns I shot regularly.

But my goodness ... I regretted each time. After our daughter started school, I resumed my gun purchases again but wished I didn't sell some of them in hindsight. And after recent gun liquidation, I am back to purchasing guns again but only in calibers I shoot/reload regularly.

My head says this is The Way, but my heart says NO NO NO!

I'm on a ledge, talk me down, man......

May be this will help.

I used to think "One who dies with the most toys wins". But now it's more like "One who got to play with most toys, actually wins".

While it may be hard to let guns you don't shoot or reload for go to replace with ammunition for guns you do shoot regularly, ask yourself this question ... "What do you truly desire?"

• If you enjoy having a "collection" that you cannot shoot, then keep the guns
• If you enjoy shooting the guns you have, then sell the guns to buy ammunition

And ignore what most of us post as we are just a bunch of enablers and our opinions don't matter. I mean AR guys will ALWAYS tell you to buy more ARs and AK guys will ALWAYS tell you to buy more AKs, etc. What truly matters is WHAT YOU WANT and WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

And you know, life is short and we all die.

So, "Live Life".

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Any historic or hard-to-find interesting guns I've sold, I've regretted. Plastic guns, mass-market guns? Nah. But I'd regret selling any of my growing collection of WW2 guns. I regret selling my H&K P7.

I'd be interested in your old stuff if you do make a bad decision.

Don't use them? Sell IMO.
I'm looking for an M1 Garand to display to honor my Korean War Vet Grandfather

CMP still has service grades for $900. I have two coming today, actually.

EDIT: FedEx showed up literally as I was typing this.

 

[MacAR]

I don't think I'd sell them off all at once. Maybe, as others said, ease into thinning the herd. I had the same thoughts about a year ago; if I don't shoot it it's leaving. That worked alright until it got down to deciding which of the Winchesters stayed and which left. In the end, they all remained safe and sound in the cabinet. And, I know ammo isn't as easy to come by as it once was, but occasional deals can be had at your LGS. Just the other day, I ran onto a screaming deal on some vintage orange box CCI 22 mag ammo and bought all he had for a little under half the cost of new production. Not saying that will happen all the time, but the deals are still out there and things are looking up.

my last .243 Savage M99

If and when you decide to let this one go, please let me know!

Mac

 

[lightman]

I'm sorry to say that I can't talk you out of it. I did the same thing back in 2007-2008 and again in 2020 when the Covid first hit and prices got crazy high.

My guns are in my will to go to go to my boys. So I made sure that I wasn't selling something that they might want. Both picked 1 or 2. I even ran it by the oldest Grandson.

I think your idea of a table at a local gun show is a good idea. I sold most of mine on Gunbroker. I have a buddy with a FFL and a shop at his house that listed them, packaged them up and shipped them for a very modest cost.

Both times I got a table at a local show to sell the ammo, dies, and assorted gear that went with them. It was a little work but was also kind of fun.

 

[defjon]

If you change your mind or the domestic ammo scene changes...can you replace what you're selling for what you'll get?

Like many of you, I've done this consolidation thing before and it doesn't last. Usually an expensive mistake.

I say shoot what you must enjoy, remember the reasons you first got them. You may find yourself wanting the same thing in 10 years!

 

[Chief TC]

It has interesting reading all these posts. They are all true but varied. Probably just adds more questions and confusion for the OP! Lots of pros and cons and reasons to sell this but don't sell that. I am glad I don't have this problem at the moment and I know I will leave most of my collection to my son. I may sell some handguns between now and then but that is probably it.

 

[wayneinFL]

After selling off of all my weird European milsurps a few years ago (and their unobtainium cartridges), Im considering another round of consolidation by divesting my arms chambered for domestic cartridges which have become untenably expensive, are STILL hard to find post-Covid, or don't offer significant performance advantages.

On the chopping block are all my .30-06 rifles, including a Garand, M1917 Eddystone, Weatherby Vanguard, several M1903s, my last .243 Savage M99, a pair of .30 M1 Carbines, and all my .45 pistols; several 1911s, SIG P220, S&W M645, etc.

I'm fond of all these, but just can't afford to feed them very often and they dont get shot much as a result. I dont have the space or free time for reloading in any useful quantities either.

That would get me down to just 8 cartridges: .22, .38/.357, .380, 9mm, .223, 7.62X39, .308, and 12GA.

The sale of these older guns would fund a significant quantity of ammunition for the remaining chamberings- hopefully enough to weather shortages Im expecting from the next manufactured crisis.

This would require surrendering the majority of my beautiful vintage centerfires, though of course I still have many fine old .22 rifles and revolvers if I need a Blue Steel and Walnut fix.

My head says this is The Way, but my heart says NO NO NO!

I'm on a ledge, talk me down, man......

Smart.

After selling off of all my weird European milsurps a few years ago (and their unobtainium cartridges), Im considering another round of consolidation by divesting my arms chambered for domestic cartridges which have become untenably expensive, are STILL hard to find post-Covid, or don't offer significant performance advantages.

On the chopping block are all my .30-06 rifles, including a Garand, M1917 Eddystone, Weatherby Vanguard, several M1903s, my last .243 Savage M99, a pair of .30 M1 Carbines, and all my .45 pistols; several 1911s, SIG P220, S&W M645, etc.

I'm fond of all these, but just can't afford to feed them very often and they dont get shot much as a result. I dont have the space or free time for reloading in any useful quantities either.

That would get me down to just 8 cartridges: .22, .38/.357, .380, 9mm, .223, 7.62X39, .308, and 12GA.

The sale of these older guns would fund a significant quantity of ammunition for the remaining chamberings- hopefully enough to weather shortages Im expecting from the next manufactured crisis.

This would require surrendering the majority of my beautiful vintage centerfires, though of course I still have many fine old .22 rifles and revolvers if I need a Blue Steel and Walnut fix.

My head says this is The Way, but my heart says NO NO NO!

I'm on a ledge, talk me down, man......

The last two years we've spent shutting down my dad's auto repair shop and figuring out what to do with his stuff, and cleaning out his house to sell more stuff. Then moved all his stuff into a smaller place. Then he passed and doesn't have any stuff.

Then I moved all my stuff to a smaller place.

I'm starting to understand why a lot of old people don't care about stuff.

Very soon, I'm going to start selling shotguns and rifles. I have 30 or 40 that just aren't anything fancy- if I got $100 a piece, it would buy a new motor for a jon boat.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I started gathering milsurps and classic hunting rifles when they were bottoming out in value when compared to the dollar.
Hey, I was bored with collecting stamps and my family members kept making my gold and coins disappear.
And the classic cars just turned out to be money pits.

I don't think that those old guns have topped out in value yet.

Anyway, I don't particularly need the money at this time - and I have family members that would be seriously tempted to do something heinous to separate me from my money if they knew how much was involved.

They've done that to some of their other relatives, after all.

So, no, I'm not tempted to sell off my collections.

You do what works for you.

 

[d31tc]

I'm going the other direction, trying to add cartridges and platforms I don't have and the corresponding reloading requirements. In one of my first posts, responses were demonstrated showing very modest reloading requirements in space and equipment.

If said you didn't shoot the guns, I would say, by all means sell them if there is no joy in keeping them. But if you enjoy shooting them and owning them, and the issue is ammo, I'd keep some (maybe not all of them) and find a way to make it work. Below is a picture posted by South Prairie Jim stating in one of the first threads I posted where he stated, "you will be surprised at just how little you Really need to make excellent ammunition." Maybe it's in the photo but add in a loading block, a powder scoop, a trickler and a hand primer, a pound of powder, primers, cases, and bullets, it doesn't have to take up much space (I'm a hypocrite here, because I went the other way with more equipment than I need or use ). Then it comes down to time. Unless you get really wound up on clean, shiny brass, batch loading for one cartridge with everything already set, would be about 3 to 4 hours. That's probably the crux of your issue.

How much space do you use in the reloading room? | Page 2 | The High Road

 

[Mosin77]

I occasionally start thinking along the same lines you are. It’s just that principle of wanting to be ammo independent.

But then I remember… I don’t have time to shoot much anyway, so what does it really matter if my ammo costs $1/round instead of $0.50? Or $0.35 instead of $0.25? I mean sure it’s frustrating but if the 1911 only goes out once a year it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Do I need as many guns as I have? Definitely not. Do I get a chance to shoot them as often as I wish? Definitely not. Do I nevertheless enjoy them greatly? Yes, I very much do.

 

[citizenconn]

It sounds like many of the guns you are considering selling were picked with care and meaning to you over the years. Since you don't need the money, I would start slow and list some of them on here or at a LGS you respect perhaps on consignment and do not sell them cheap just to get rid of them. I run a cat rescue on the side, and I have to be convinced that any cats/kittens I rehome are going somewhere they will be loved and treated with care before I let them go. You should do the same for your guns if you can.

Doesn't sound like your collection is chock full of soulless black and plastic semi and bolt action rifles and pistols. Try to find someone who will cherish them as much as you probably have over the years. Good luck and don't do anything you will regret.

 

[I6turbo]

Really? You may sell those nice guns??




I understand where you're coming from. As far as cartridge consolidation, I've stuck with that philosophy most of my gun life, and in the past 10+ years took the view that I hope to pass most of my guns on to my sons and possibly nephews, and that the mainstream rounds would be better choices in the long run. I've kept them to the .22 LR, .22 WMR, .223, .308, .38/.357, 9-mm, .45 ACP, and 12 gauge.

I do have a .243 and .270 because I like the quality and feel of the individual guns that I own in those chamberings, but I don't need them. I have a 7.92x57 Mauser and a 91/30, lots of ammo for each, but again, I don't need them, and they'd probably be the first to go. I also have a 20 gauge SxS because I've had it since I was about 20 years old, like it and have shot it a lot.

I also believe that it is VERY rare for there to be an application where a few mainstream cartridges can't do whatever needs to be done, including whatever the boutique cartridges can do in the hands of 99.5% of shooters (most likely including myself, frankly). I acknowledge that there are those few cases where the rare or expensive cartridge provides an advantage, but realistically, I believe it's very rare for the vast, huge majority of shooters.

If I weren't hanging on to some guns for my sons, I'd cut my holdings in half or so right now. Even so, I really should sell some of them. If I also didn't consider the nostalgic aspect of some guns that I've had for a long time, I might cull a few more.

If I were you (OP), I would make a list of my guns ranked from most to least favorite, and start at the bottom of the list and work up. You'll likely get a feel for whether you're doing the right thing before you get around to selling anything that you'll regret.

 

[TomJ]

I suppose I could use this as an excuse/ opportunity to pick up a Bula M14. Between that, my (hypothetically) rebarrelled Springfield, and a couple new higher-end 9mms (SIG P210 here I come!) and/or old revolvers, I think I might be able to live with myself. Maybe.

If you’re selling them to buy another gun, that’s something I’ve done with no regrets. A few years back I had been wanting an EDC X9 when I came across one at a LGS. I quickly thought of 4 guns I could sell to pay for it and did so. Other than the Glock 21, which is a great gun but has a grip that’s a little too big for me, I can’t tell you what I sold to pick the EDC X9. I’d do it again in a second as IMO I was simply trading up.

 

[MikeInOr]

My cartridge list seems to be forever expanding. I just buy the dies and components.

Since the OP isn't able to enjoy the guns he has due to lack of ammunition I think it is logical to sell some to buy ammunition for others. Sitting around looking at all the guns in your safe isn't nearly as satisfying as shooting some of them and selling others.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

It has interesting reading all these posts. They are all true but varied. Probably just adds more questions and confusion for the OP! Lots of pros and cons and reasons to sell this but don't sell that. I am glad I don't have this problem at the moment and I know I will leave most of my collection to my son. I may sell some handguns between now and then but that is probably it.

I'm glad I threw it out there. This is a great bunch and I got quite a few useful ideas and perspectives.
Im leaning towards getting one Springfield rebarrelled, selling off the rest of the Ought-sixes, .45s, and the .243 but keeping the Carbines. .30 isn't cheap, exactly, but its still less than .30-06 and I really do enjoy shooting them. They get used more than all the rest of these combined.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

My cartridge list seems to be forever expanding. I just buy the dies and components.

Since the OP isn't able to enjoy the guns he has due to lack of ammunition I think it is logical to sell some to buy ammunition for others. Sitting around looking at all the guns in your safe isn't nearly as satisfying as shooting some of them and selling others.

Its true, several of these, I haven't even SEEN in years, let alone shot. They are like Schrodinger's Guns- the cases may or may not actually have anything in them.....

 

[Hokkmike]

I would be inclined to do it. Disclaimer: I do stupid things sometimes.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I can't find a decent, unsporterized 1903 to buy. OP has several that he just doesn't shoot. Sigh. Life is not fair.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I can't find a decent, unsporterized 1903 to buy. OP has several that he just doesn't shoot. Sigh. Life is not fair.

We used to have a LGS a block from my work that specialized in vintage stuff. The owner Roger actually refused to sell new guns, lol. It was a milsurp paradise! The vast majority of my collection was found there on my lunch breaks- I would bring Wendys and he would set back the good stuff for me.
Roger died of lung cancer just before the Chinese bioweapon attack. He was 82 and kept working up until the week before he passed. His shop is a gambling den now.

 

[captain awesome]

The 1911s, p220 and Garand would break my heart(were I to sell mine). And believe me, I get it. My very large main gun safe is completely full. I can't fit even one more in it properly, and my other smaller safe has no room either. Guns are now piling up in cases along my back wall in my bedroom. I quit acquiring more until I can come up with a better solution for storage. The 45s and 30/06s will never leave till I am dead though. If it pains you to do it then don't. I've sold a number of firearms that I still regret for various reasons. It sounds like you will end up feeling the same. Good luck on your decision though.

 

[Mark_Mark]

We used to have a LGS a block from my work that specialized in vintage stuff. The owner Roger actually refused to sell new guns, lol. It was a milsurp paradise! The vast majority of my collection was found there on my lunch breaks- I would bring Wendys and he would set back the good stuff for me.
Roger died of lung cancer just before the Chinese bioweapon attack. He was 82 and kept working up until the week before he passed. His shop is a gambling den now.

We have a Shop Like that here call DJ Gun & Pawn. the man had a stoke and still worked everyday from his wheel chair. Vintage Smith, Colt, European Collectables, fine shotguns & rifles. have not been there in a few… I should stop buy!

 

[Ignition Override]

NIGHtLORD40K: No Way—-

I won’t talk you down from any gun decision, but will help hold the large net in case you jump.

You might be one of my internet Gun “Influencers”!
“Oh—did he say the I Word!?”

 

[tubeshooter]

After selling off of all my weird European milsurps a few years ago (and their unobtainium cartridges), Im considering another round of consolidation by divesting my arms chambered for domestic cartridges which have become untenably expensive, are STILL hard to find post-Covid, or don't offer significant performance advantages.

On the chopping block are all my .30-06 rifles, including a Garand, M1917 Eddystone, Weatherby Vanguard, several M1903s, my last .243 Savage M99, a pair of .30 M1 Carbines, and all my .45 pistols; several 1911s, SIG P220, S&W M645, etc.

I'm fond of all these, but just can't afford to feed them very often and they dont get shot much as a result. I dont have the space or free time for reloading in any useful quantities either.

That would get me down to just 8 cartridges: .22, .38/.357, .380, 9mm, .223, 7.62X39, .308, and 12GA.

The sale of these older guns would fund a significant quantity of ammunition for the remaining chamberings- hopefully enough to weather shortages Im expecting from the next manufactured crisis.

This would require surrendering the majority of my beautiful vintage centerfires, though of course I still have many fine old .22 rifles and revolvers if I need a Blue Steel and Walnut fix.

My head says this is The Way, but my heart says NO NO NO!

I'm on a ledge, talk me down, man......

"Don't do it, man!" [/Shaggy from Scooby Doo voice]

No, seriously... I have a couple of .30-06 and I never thought they would become hard-ish/expensive to feed (relatively speaking) in my lifetime. I hardly ever get to shoot them and arguably didn't really need them in the first place. So I understand where you are coming from.


That being said - guess what's not going anywhere? Or what's not too much trouble to just keep around? Both answers are one and the same.

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

After selling off of all my weird European milsurps a few years ago (and their unobtainium cartridges), Im considering another round of consolidation by divesting my arms chambered for domestic cartridges which have become untenably expensive, are STILL hard to find post-Covid, or don't offer significant performance advantages.

On the chopping block are all my .30-06 rifles, including a Garand, M1917 Eddystone, Weatherby Vanguard, several M1903s, my last .243 Savage M99, a pair of .30 M1 Carbines, and all my .45 pistols; several 1911s, SIG P220, S&W M645, etc.

I'm fond of all these, but just can't afford to feed them very often and they dont get shot much as a result. I dont have the space or free time for reloading in any useful quantities either.

That would get me down to just 8 cartridges: .22, .38/.357, .380, 9mm, .223, 7.62X39, .308, and 12GA.

The sale of these older guns would fund a significant quantity of ammunition for the remaining chamberings- hopefully enough to weather shortages Im expecting from the next manufactured crisis.

This would require surrendering the majority of my beautiful vintage centerfires, though of course I still have many fine old .22 rifles and revolvers if I need a Blue Steel and Walnut fix.

My head says this is The Way, but my heart says NO NO NO!

I'm on a ledge, talk me down, man......

If you must, sell everything except your M1 Garand and a 1911 in 45 Auto. With those two guns you are more than prepared for almost anything you could come across. Also, it depends on if you can actually find buyers that are serious about paying fair market value for your stuff.