So we all know some types of rifles are more sought after than others. Just for instance off the top of my head, Savage 99s, Ruger #1s, Winchester and Marlin lever guns, and more recently Remington pumps. In your opinion, which MODERN rifles (as in currently made) will become the collectibles when we're all dead or too old to care?
Bonus points for pictures to support your thesis.
Pretty much any problems associated with dogs stems from the fact that they're not a Labrador.
Will any rifle with a plastic stock ever be considered collectable ? Well, maybe Ruger American Predators. I agree on the Remington pumps.
kwg
Last edited by kwg020; 02/10/23.
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR American conservative. Iowa chapter. Stolen elections have consequences.
Will any rifle with a plastic stock ever be considered collectable ? Well, maybe Ruger American Predators. I agree on the Remington pumps.
kwg
Having bought and tried the American, and quickly having sold it off... I'd say it will never make classic status, predator or otherwise. They are accurate, but thats about the only thing good about them. All the rest is cheaply made and shoddily manufactured! Now the ruger M77 will probably hold collectible status one day!
Will any rifle with a plastic stock ever be considered collectable ? Well, maybe Ruger American Predators. I agree on the Remington pumps.
kwg
Having bought and tried the American, and quickly having sold it off... I'd say it will never make classic status, predator or otherwise. They are accurate, but thats about the only thing good about them. All the rest is cheaply made and shoddily manufactured! Now the ruger M77 will probably hold collectible status one day!
A lot of the Ruger m77's are at a collectible status right now. The boat paddles are highly collectible/desirable. Prices have gone through the roof. More so than any of the other m77's. Also Ruger m77's that are rare, are increasing in value as we speak. The stainless 300 RSAUM they only made in 2004 is one of them.. Sorry to say, the tangers are not nearly as collectible. One day they will be though..
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
I have a cz550 in 30-06, a magnum in 375, a 527 in 223 and a 452 in 22lr. I'm almost hesitant to use them due to the value. I'd never be able to replace them if stolen or lost. I have other guns that if lost, I'd be pissed. But I would get over it. My cz rifles are a treasure.
They will vote our way into socialism, We will have to shoot our way out.
Every major horror in the world was perpetrated in the name of altruism.
High dollar firearms will always be a decent investment (mostly) but for low cost now, high cost later, look to whatever the younger guys are buying and using these days. Nostalgia will kick in as they get older and want those good old guns they foolishly sold off long ago, just like the older guys now who pay $450 or more for a Nylon 66 or $700 for an H&R 999 .22 revolver.
It might take 30-40 years but a NIB Ruger American will someday be scarce even if they are the top selling rifles today, same with a T3x. Beretta 92's or M9's like the one grandpa trained with and maybe carried in the sandbox will be fondly remembered. "Precision rifles" of any stripe might be worth a bundle someday.
I'm not into shotguns so much but Benelli semi-autos seem to be popular, so do those short barreled pistol gripped models. Even Glock 19's might become "collectible".
But like Yogi Berra said, "it's hard to predict stuff, especially about the future."
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
Something that was mass produced in the latter part of the 20th Century, early years of the 21st century a true collectible? Not in my lifetime.
^^^^^This^^^^^
Having played a bit in the collectible shotgun world how "collectible" something is relies on: 1) rarity, and then, 2) condition
A beat-up entry-grade Parker 28-gauge or 410-gauge shotgun is considered collectible (and is therefore valuable) because so few of them were made. A beat-up entry-grade 12-gauge Parker is not very valuable because you can basically find one on every street corner. A pristine Parker 28 or 410 is extraordinarily rare and extremely valuable.
Rarity can also be a function of extraordinary art work/craftsmanship or rare provenance. So I'd think that in the modern world of rifles "rare and collectible" would be more like high-end custom rifle builders, or the actual rifles owned and used by O'Connor or the like.
I think the Ruger 77 Hawkeye Africans will be collectables. They're already limited production in classic calibers and an all around great rifle. I've got two. I don't shoot the 275 Rigby all that often but I might wear out the 223. As a wildcard I'm thinking the Marlin lever guns with the Remington proof marks. From their later production run, you know the ones that actually worked. They were produced in very limited numbers and will be needed to fill spaces in collections. This is a fun topic. 🤔
I don’t think the classics will be collectible. Im in my late 40s and talk to every gun person I can. The older people like me will always be interested in a model 52 Winchester or nice lever or revolver, but the younger people like the millennials or Gen Z will not. They will be interested in AR rifles or some striker fire pistols and not the 1911, Luger, or K frames. I still come across a few people that are into high quality or heirloom type firearms but, it seems like most will choose a Ruger American or Savage Axis instead of a Sauer, Blaser, Mauser or pre 64 rifles. Most I talk to haven’t even heard of Anschutz or Cooper but they can talk about Glock or Smith and Wesson M&P. Some can talk about the rifle scope combo they picked up at Sportsman’s, but can’t talk about the optic or ammo too much. I hope I’m wrong and the younger people fall in love with the classics.
[quote=meat sticks][quote=kwg020]Will any rifle with a plastic stock ever be considered collectable ? Well, maybe Ruger American Predators. I agree on the Remington pumps. A lot of the Ruger m77's are at a collectible status right now. The boat paddles are highly collectible/desirable. Prices have gone through the roof. More so than any of the other m77's. Also Ruger m77's that are rare, are increasing in value as we speak. The stainless 300 RSAUM they only made in 2004 is one of them.. Sorry to say, the tangers are not nearly as collectible. One day they will be though..
After seeing some of the prices Boat Paddles are bringing these days, sometimes I think I should unload my 260 and 280, and even maybe the .22/250. Can't even remember the last game I took with any of them....
I don’t think the classics will be collectible. Im in my late 40s and talk to every gun person I can. The older people like me will always be interested in a model 52 Winchester or nice lever or revolver, but the younger people like the millennials or Gen Z will not. They will be interested in AR rifles or some striker fire pistols and not the 1911, Luger, or K frames. I still come across a few people that are into high quality or heirloom type firearms but, it seems like most will choose a Ruger American or Savage Axis instead of a Sauer, Blaser, Mauser or pre 64 rifles. Most I talk to haven’t even heard of Anschutz or Cooper but they can talk about Glock or Smith and Wesson M&P. Some can talk about the rifle scope combo they picked up at Sportsman’s, but can’t talk about the optic or ammo too much. I hope I’m wrong and the younger people fall in love with the classics.
Problem is the $$ some of these "classics" are bringing.
These young guys can buy a newer cheap rifle, decent to pretty good glass and ammo for less than just the cost of a classic rifle.
Last edited by 10gaugemag; 02/11/23.
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
I don’t think the classics will be collectible. Im in my late 40s and talk to every gun person I can. The older people like me will always be interested in a model 52 Winchester or nice lever or revolver, but the younger people like the millennials or Gen Z will not. They will be interested in AR rifles or some striker fire pistols and not the 1911, Luger, or K frames. I still come across a few people that are into high quality or heirloom type firearms but, it seems like most will choose a Ruger American or Savage Axis instead of a Sauer, Blaser, Mauser or pre 64 rifles. Most I talk to haven’t even heard of Anschutz or Cooper but they can talk about Glock or Smith and Wesson M&P. Some can talk about the rifle scope combo they picked up at Sportsman’s, but can’t talk about the optic or ammo too much. I hope I’m wrong and the younger people fall in love with the classics.
It's funny, gen z if they are a gun person. They will mature and their taste in firearms will mature with time. Some stuff cannot be truly be appreciated until we're older.
Last edited by Gojoe; 02/11/23.
They will vote our way into socialism, We will have to shoot our way out.
Every major horror in the world was perpetrated in the name of altruism.
Problem is the $$ some of these "classics" are bringing.
These young guys can buy a newer cheap rifle, decent to pretty good glass and ammo for less than just the cost of a classic rifle.
I'm not a young guy but I don't really pay attention to collectable stuff for that reason. I like older stuff, a lot of it just isn't worth the price to me anymore. For what it costs for some old whatever that's rarely ever going to come out of the safe, I can buy a new custom action, modern optics, etc.. It's not that one's better than another, just that there's a lot of really good equipment these days that that money can go to besides classics.
I'm 34, and was only interested in "classics" in my teens and 20s. Was mainly into milsurps, mainly because that's what I could afford, and because I'm a history nerd. Somewhere along the line, probably when I got a NM A2, I realized I simply like stuff that works, and works well. All of the milsurps are gone, and everything wood and blue, including classic 700s, 110s, 99s, and Mauser sporters, except for a few shotguns. Give me SS and fiberglass everytime. Nothing against the classics, I just can't afford to keep em and not really use em. Fwiw, my brother is a few years younger, and mainly shoots BPCR and lever guns, though he has a few nice ARs.
To me they are just tools. I have a few that are heirlooms to me that belonged to my father and grandfathers but even if those might be classics I would never consider selling them. Probably go to my sil or nephews. The ones that are mine I keep because they work for me. I guess if you are a trader or collector, the possibility of having classics would be more important.
I am continually astounded at how quickly people make up their minds on little evidence or none at all. Jack O'Connor
Buying firearms as collectibles is like buying art - buy what you like because the only way that you are likely to make money on it is to find someone with the same tastes as you may have. Doing it that way allows you to enjoy it while you own it but don't count on it making you money. Take a look at what some of the "collectible" firearms from a few years ago are selling for today - a pittance of what they were at that time.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
I guess, we would have to know what “collectible” is defined as. I am aware of a person here in town that buys “proofed” firearms. These are firearms that belonged to royalty and such and there is a written record of when and where the firearm harvested an animal. At least that is how I appreciated his explanation of proofing. Much of what he has are 416 Rigby’s, Wesley Richard’s, Holland and Holland etc.
I’ve been in the gun room and deeper in the vault. With a smidgeon of research when I came home, I guess the collection value is in the millions.
Gulf Breeze Firearms, out of Gulf Breeze, Florida handles the proofing from what I understand. Cool place for sure.
So there is collectible than there is collectible.
I guess, we would have to know what “collectible” is defined as.
I have a personal “collection” of firearms but I’m not a “collector”. I don’t care about resale value, rarity or how much they’re desired by others. I buy guns that for various reasons make me happy and I shoot them all. But I would never try to convince anyone that the reasons & the way I collect guns has any superior merits to their methods & goals. I know quite a few people on these forums would be unimpressed with the wood, blued steel, nostalgic calibers & average accuracy my rifles have but that’s okay. There’s no stainless, synthetic or safe queens to be seen anywhere but that’s not a criticism of any of those.
When I was younger, it was possible to get common mass-produced rifles in various grade levels to accommodate basic functionality & buyers who wanted something fancier. That doesn’t seem as common now. Instead you get special collections like Ruger’s African series or special runs distributed by Lipsey’s. I have one of the 100 Ruger #1 RSI rifles in .275 Rigby that Lipsey’s had made for the Dallas Arms Collectors Association which someone in the future might think of as collectible. But there’s a lot of RSI’s out there just not in that particular caliber (except as 7x57).
I think the popularity of the various AR platforms has moved some of the focus away from old-school custom gun craftsmanship and shifted it more to DIY types starting with a base rifle & accessorizing & upgrading it to make it uniquely their own. I think more gun owners are incrementally building & swapping out parts instead of dropping a single large sum to get a traditional custom rifle built.
For me, collecting has more to do with emotion & nostalgic connections than money or value. In my opinion, any rifle that has strong design connections to a Mauser M98 has good collectible genes. During my lifetime, guns with a unique or innovative designs (e.g. an H&K P7 Squeeze Cocker) become collectible if it didn’t last long & they’re not common. Hollywood can make a gun become iconic (Walther PPK = James Bond). Civilian versions of unique military weapons are a good bet & often what I think of when guessing a future collectible. If it looks like it’s going away (e.g. Colt Python, Bowning Hi-Power), it’ll become collectible then get reincarnated. Personally I think a lot of the common modern rifles fall more into the category of functional than collectible. But that may simply reflect my bias towards Ruger #1’s & older Winchesters.
JM 336s in good condition are only going to get harder and harder to find. And they sure as hell aren't getting any cheaper.
I've never owned one, but the CZ550s don't seem to come up for sale often. If they aren't already collectibles, after being discontinued, they're getting there quickly,
More generally, as more new cartridges gain traction, I think any walnut/blued bolt gun -- in good condition -- chambered in 7x57, 6.5x55, or 257 Bob are going to be collectible. (Based on Gunbroker trends, they might be there already.)
Collectable. Who ever thought old surplus mausers, Enfield, Mosin, and SKS and all the old WWI and WWII and onto 1970's handguns would sell and demand the current prices and demand.
You're welcome! Anything for a fellow "South Louisiana" person (I'm originally from Houma).
Originally Posted by clockwork_7mm
JM 336s in good condition are only going to get harder and harder to find. And they sure as hell aren't getting any cheaper.
One other thing that always makes a good collectible is having a classic popular design & then having lawyers or the government "improve" it for liability or safety reasons. There will always be a demand for the original version.
Originally Posted by clockwork_7mm
I've never owned one, but the CZ550s don't seem to come up for sale often. If they aren't already collectibles, after being discontinued, they're getting there quickly,
There's a CZ550 on GB right now for $7,500 if you're left-handed & want to Buy It Now. Get it before it's gone! If you're rich enough & crazy enough to buy it then the cost of .505 Gibb ammo ($18.80 per round @ MidwayUSA right now) shouldn't deter you.
Originally Posted by clockwork_7mm
More generally, as more new cartridges gain traction, I think any walnut/blued bolt gun -- in good condition -- chambered in 7x57, 6.5x55, or 257 Bob are going to be collectible. (Based on Gunbroker trends, they might be there already.)
I have my 7x57 as a .275 Rigby. I have my 6.5 Swede. But trying to find a .257 Bob in a left-handed rifle that I like has turned into a bit of a scavenger hunt.
Ruger will build some Hawkeye configuration that is totally absurd.
No one will want it, it will be blown out by CDNN.
Then, Wannabe Collectors will realize "They only made so many" and everyone will want them.
Instant collectable.
Not a rifle, but I really should have bought some of the Super Redhawks. The Wheeled Cannons chambered for rounds much more sensible in much smaller guns. Those will be sought after.
I think the OP was thinking of guns so good, so popular, they are in demand.
It's a bit laughable to me what becomes collectable. A company stops making a gun because it's a mediocre POS that nobody wants to buy, and 2 years later everybody wants one at 3 times the original price. I have a few quality firearms that were top quality when I purchased them. Most have more than doubled in price. Maybe because money is only worth half as much, but at least they are still top quality pieces.
Whats the last watch, gun, vehicle, etc.. you bought to pass down?
I chuckled a bit at this because it probably means I'm weird... but one of the things I consider when buying a rifle or watch is who will get it down the road. If the kids want beater rifles for the truck when they're older, I'll leave that to them to buy. I'll happily supply the nice walnut heirloom rifles (or the mechanical Swiss movements) though.
I have a few quality firearms that were top quality when I purchased them. Most have more than doubled in price. Maybe because money is only worth half as much, but at least they are still top quality pieces.
Bingo! Some stuff will actually go up in value and there's temporary fluctuations but I use an inflation calculator all the time. Over time most guns just hold with inflation and that's about it.
An individuals age is very significant when determining what is a ‘future collectible’ In the antique world people tend to collect stuff their parents and grandparents had in the home
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Hunter S. Thompson
Whats the last watch, gun, vehicle, etc.. you bought to pass down?
Good point.
But having agreed with that statement, I do have some nice classic guns that I enjoy, rifles, shotguns and pistols.
But, I’m a seasoned citizen. Have AR’s, plastic guns, just not that many and no infatuation with them.
DF
Every rifle I buy, can be passed down. However, I do not buy them for that purpose. I buy them when, and only when, I get a good deal on them. The last 2 rifles I bought can be "passed down", if I so chose to do that, but they are like money in the bank. I don't have a picture of the rifle I bought yesterday, but it's rare and it's value will go up on it for sure. The one I bought 2 weeks ago, I can more than double my money on tomorrow if I wanted, and it is one that would last generations:
Sometimes I grow a little attached to some of these rifles because of the work I put into them.
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
Buying firearms as collectibles is like buying art - buy what you like because the only way that you are likely to make money on it is to find someone with the same tastes as you may have. Doing it that way allows you to enjoy it while you own it but don't count on it making you money. Take a look at what some of the "collectible" firearms from a few years ago are selling for today - a pittance of what they were at that time.
drover
The smart thing to do is sell them when they are still worth something. Kind of like stocks..
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
Only wood stocked guns will be collectable imo. Manufacturers can pump out plastic stocked/parts now as fast as they like. No reason for that to change.
Whats the last watch, gun, vehicle, etc.. you bought to pass down?
Good point.
But having agreed with that statement, I do have some nice classic guns that I enjoy, rifles, shotguns and pistols.
But, I’m a seasoned citizen. Have AR’s, plastic guns, just not that many and no infatuation with them.
DF
Every rifle I buy, can be passed down. However, I do not buy them for that purpose. I buy them when, and only when, I get a good deal on them. The last 2 rifles I bought can be "passed down", if I so chose to do that, but they are like money in the bank. I don't have a picture of the rifle I bought yesterday, but it's rare and it's value will go up on it for sure. The one I bought 2 weeks ago, I can more than double my money on tomorrow if I wanted, and it is one that would last generations:
Sometimes I grow a little attached to some of these rifles because of the work I put into them.
What about Henrys? American made lever guns and all.
Yes I think they will be
Disagree to a point.
I know a bunch of people that have them. None that use them. One that buys one of every model that is released. Keeps them in the box.
So, I guess they already are collectable.
But there are lots of pristine example out there. In the next few years they will be coming on the market as owners croak. No indication Henry will go away. But they are shifting, if models are discontinued.....
$500.00 - $600.00 Henry Rifles are going to significantly appreciate in value and become collectibles? How about Danbury Mint Collectables and Beanie Babies? Anyone who thinks so is dreaming
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Hunter S. Thompson
Collectible needs to be defined. Is collectible the one that gives the buyer the most satisfaction of ownership or is it the rarest? Perhaps it may mean to some the rifle investment that will return the most dollars in the future.
In my estimation if you are looking for the best return on the dollars spent then Cooper of Montana rifles with some nice wood, some options, in more rare caliber, and documentation including factory test target, box etc will likely bring the most dollars in the next few years. There will be the occassional exception to them but it will be just that - the exception. Take a look at the prices of Kimber of Oregon prices and you will have an idea of where the Coopers are headed.
There are still some to be had at reasonable prices but they are already increasing due to the sell and move to Arkansas.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
$500.00 - $600.00 Henry Rifles are going to significantly appreciate in value and become collectibles? How about Danbury Mint Collectables and Beanie Babies? Anyone who thinks so is dreaming
Ha! I used to HATE the Beanie Baby thing... but in hindsight, 99% of my baseball cards probably aren't worth anything, either.
I don't see the Henry levers becoming collectible because Henry seems to be a well-run company that will stay in business for a long time. (So that's not a knock against Henry.) Most of the stuff that folks are listing as collectible have become rare because the company that made them either no longer exists at all or in the form it was at the time of production. I.e., CZ is not the same company that mass produced 550s... they've gone in a very different direction. Remington is gone. The Winchester that produced original 92s and 94s is gone. Original Marlin is gone. And so on.
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