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Oh boy! A topic I can finally talk intelligently about!

Yes, I advocate used guns for me. I love used guns. And SIA you are probably right. The used guns you see priced, ARE at 95% retail. I'd NEVER pay that much for a used gun, because don't you see, the people selling those used guns know the retail price of a NIB one, and overprice the used one, hoping to find someone who isn't knowledgeable enough to know the true value of the used one. And it works most of the time.

BUT....used guns(unlike new guns) are a negotiable commodity. THAT'S where the good deals are...in negotiating. Now a retail gun store(not a ligit gun dealer at a gun show), that buys a used gun pays lowest bottom dollar for that used gun, and marks it up considerably. So there's plenty of negotiating room. Good deals CAN be had on used guns, IF you have the desire to negotiate, AND the strength to walk away from a deal if it's not a price you are willing to accept. It's based on the real estate principle of "Fair Market Value" What is Fair Market Value?

Fair Market Value is defined as "that price which is the highest price a buyer is willing to pay, and the lowest price a seller is willing to sell."

Knowing what a dealer pays for a used gun, and the MSRP for that gun, puts you in a great negotiating position. And how do you know? Trial & error, and years of experience in buying and selling. My philosophy is that a retail gun dealer who buys a gun from a walk in, will offer anywhere between 25%-35% of a guns retail value(I call that the wholesale value). If he buys the gun for that price, that's a pretty good mark up for him. And that's about the same percentage the gun dealer allows on a trade in. A savvy buyer will know those 2 values...wholesale and retail. Somewhere in between those 2 numbers, a deal can be struck.

Gun shows? A totally different animal. The person sitting behind the table holds all the advantages, and the person walking the isles with a gun to sell or trade is at a distinct disadvantage. Most people behind the table will offer bottom dollar for the gun, and in the vast majority of cases, the guy/gal selling the gun won't like the offer, but will accept it. It STILL comes back to the Fair Market Value principle.

I am a firm believer in watching the gun auction sites. The 3 I watch are: AuctionArms.com; GunBroker.com and Texasguntrader.com. My fav is AuctionArms.com because they not only have penny auctions but also more realistically reflect true value in selling guns at wholesale. GunBroker.com seems to me to be a retail auction site, where TGT are individuals selling their guns at full retail value.

I've only purchased 4 guns NIB in my entire life. That's only because I couldn't find them used at reasonable prices. By the same token, I've only been "had" 2 or 3 times in my life because I bought a broken or damaged gun. There's been MANY times I've been had because I paid to way much. Those were lessons learned the hard way, and I remembered not to make those same mistakes again9or tried not to).

In closing.....Note: the above works for me only because I love to negotiate and haggle. And I know how. It's not for everyone, and I don't recommend it for everyone. I've just found a style that works for me. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Also, what I've stated above are my opinions based on trial & error and experience. There are no hard and fast rules to go by. The key to negotiating the best price for you in purchasing a used gun, is to know BOTH the wholesale and retail value of a particular make and model of gun BEFORE you start looking for it.

My $.02 worth. Hope that helps a little bit.

It's all about becoming a more knowledgeable buyer. You have to be confident in determining quality and also know the going prices.

I don't use the sites that Joe mentioned because I dislike auctions. I buy many guns through GunsAmerica. While they have a few auctions, they are mostly classified ads. They have a wishlist function that lets you select the firearm brands and types you want to know about. Then, once a day, you get an email containing all the new ads from things on your wishlist.

If you do this, after a few days, you're impression will be that the prices are as high as everywhere else, because in most cases they are. But I find enough bargains mixed in to spend way more than I have to spend. Again, it's knowing a deal when you see one.

One other thing, new guns are frequently discounted heavily, especially through mass merchandisers like Academy and Bass Pro when they run a sale.

Used Smith six shot 357 MAGS are obsolete. For a few bucks more than a good used one, you can buy a new Smith seven-shot L-frame 357 MAG which will produce significantly higher velocities due to barrel improvements. Just how bad to you want to avoid The Lock?

The beauty of a free market economy.

casingpoint wrote:Used Smith six shot 357 MAGS are obsolete. For a few bucks more than a good used one, you can buy a new Smith seven-shot L-frame 357 MAG which will produce significantly higher velocities due to barrel improvements. Just how bad to you want to avoid The Lock?

Aside from being a skeptic in the matter of higher velocities, avoiding The Lock means you avoid another potential failure mode, but by buying an older but slightly used revolver you can also avoid MIM parts, maybe a sleeved barrel, and the floating firing pin . . . and in some models, you'll get a pinned barrel and counterbored cylinders. Not to mention a revolver that may not be made any more with the mix of features you happen to want.

Newer isn't always better, especially when it comes to S&W revolvers.

I saw a used 5" Kimber in good condition at the Ft. Worth gun show last weekend for something in the $600 range - about 55%-60% of the MSRP price for a new one. That's not too bad.

aardwolf wrote:The beauty of a free market economy.

Yep.

A used firearm might still be 90% of new value, but I don't have to pay tax on it either. That's another 8.25% I saved.

flb_78 wrote:A used firearm might still be 90% of new value, but I don't have to pay tax on it either. That's another 8.25% I saved.

I think technically you're supposed to pay the tax if the seller doesn't collect it, even for second hand goods.

snorri wrote:

flb_78 wrote:A used firearm might still be 90% of new value, but I don't have to pay tax on it either. That's another 8.25% I saved.

I think technically you're supposed to pay the tax if the seller doesn't collect it, even for second hand goods.

would you care to elaborate????

Related to the tax question: http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 94&t=24541" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the article mentioned there http://lubbockonline.com/stories/043009 ... 5629.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

R.J. DeSilva with the comptroller's office said individuals or businesses are required to get a sales tax permit if they sell any "tangible personal property" - specifically more than two items a year regardless of value. There are more than 642,000 active sales tax permits in the state.

I don't like buying used guns. I read to often about people who have problems with their guns and sell them to someone else. People tend to keep thje good ones and sell the lemons.

Liberty wrote:People tend to keep thje good ones and sell the lemons.

That can happen, but some people just need the money, and some have no more use for a particular piece because they replaced with something that they like better for some ergonomic or functional reason.

- Jim

The Annoyed Man wrote:I saw a used 5" Kimber in good condition at the Ft. Worth gun show last weekend for something in the $600 range - about 55%-60% of the MSRP price for a new one. That's not too bad.

And that was the "sticker" price? That's what I'm talking about! And an EXCELLENT deal...unless that's a more or less common price for that class of a used Kimber, which I doubt...just because of their reputation of high end 1911's.

I've noticed that used prices were somewhat higher...I just figured it was a sign of the Obama times. I've bought a couple of used guns and had very good luck. A bit cheaper, no sales tax and almost no paperwork hassle. Don't even get me started on Pawn shops. I've seen some beat up abused guns in those places selling for ridiculous prices.