First time selling a gun, advice?

[Evan]

Hi everyone. I've got a couple rifles that I think I want to send down the road to raise funds for another full custom. I've never sold a rifle before and was hoping to get some advice. Dos, don'ts, upsides and downsides.

I'm looking to move my RPR and my fixed up Rem700. I've got load data, targets, components, everything for them that I could include with the sale, but I have reservations about that from a legal/liability standpoint.

I see a couple options for sale:

1. Consign at my LGS.
2. Post it online, here and elsewhere.


Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Richard Coody]

I have sold several guns on this site

Simple only ship the gun to an FFL not an individual

For absolute safety have your FFL holder ship to the purchaser's FFL and get copies.of the paperwork

Don't ship the gun till the payment is in your bank

 

[jepp2]

1. Consign at my LGS.

What % fee does your FFL charge? If it doesn't sell, you will need to complete a 4473 to get your gun back. Cabela's in Denver doesn't do consignment, but they may buy your firearm (I see you are in Golden). When I asked them, they give 60% of the expected sale price when they buy.

Gunbroker is another option. The fee they charge is probably much less than your FFL charges. I use the advanced search - completed items to see what things are selling for. Kind of like doing the search on eBay for completed auctions - sold.

If you list them on this site, your lack of trader feedback is going to make the sale more difficult, not impossible. If you have trading history on other sites, list that. Take good pictures from many angles. Not out of focus pictures with poor contrast. Describe any deterioration/rust/loss of bluing, etc in your listing. To me, items priced correctly sell better than over-priced items that you drop the price on (to get them properly priced).

I think you are better off selling the rifles and extras separately. If you have them listed and priced, the buyer of the rifle might be a good candidate to purchase them.

Good luck!

 

[ben lurkin]

Sell it yourself if you want. Cabelas, et al will only give you about 60% of the value. Consignment is usually better but it really depends on the local market. I would list it here or on Gunbroker, Gunauction, etc.

You can ship directly to a buyer's FFL if you so desire. Make sure, however, to verify the buyer's FFL is legit before you ship the firearm.

https://fflezcheck.atf.gov/fflezcheck/

The buyer's FFL simply sends you a partial part of his number. Verify per the above link and only ship to the noted address if eveything matches.

I had someone try to buy an action from me once who tried to pull a fast one and changed the address to his own. After I caught that and called him out on it I discovered he was prohibited from possessing firearms. I've sold probably a dozen firearms through the years online though, and never had an issue outside this one instance.

And per Richard's advice, don't ship until the payment not only is deposited; but clears the bank. I will, however, make an exception here and ship immediately if the buyer has been here a while, has several positive transactions and no negative feedback & is a gold/silver contributor. YMMV

 

[ebb]

Yea don't sell your rifles! You will wish you hadn't soon enough. Money is just green paper.

 

[joshb]

Hi everyone. I've got a couple rifles that I think I want to send down the road to raise funds for another full custom. I've never sold a rifle before and was hoping to get some advice. Dos, don'ts, upsides and downsides.

I'm looking to move my RPR and my fixed up Rem700. I've got load data, targets, components, everything for them that I could include with the sale, but I have reservations about that from a legal/liability standpoint.

I see a couple options for sale:

1. Consign at my LGS.
2. Post it online, here and elsewhere.


Thanks in advance for any help.

Post it here. It’ll sell if you price it fairly. Describe everything as best as you can, especially any dings or dents. Include the round count. A realistic target is good, not the best one you ever shot with it. Including components affords you no liability. Load recipes is a gray area unless it’s under most published data.
Wait until payment clears. Pack it well and only ship to an FFL. You’ll be OK!
Good luck!
PS: I’ve only ever sold 3 guns and I still regret it!

 

[snert]

sell it to josh...worked for me!

 

[joshb]

sell it to josh...worked for me!

That was my first impulse but I’m not buying anymore guns until I shoot all the guns I already bought, yours included!

 

[hoz53]

That was my first impulse but I’m not buying anymore guns until I shoot all the guns I already bought, yours included!

How many years will that take

 

[rebel]

Sell it yourself if you want. Cabelas, et al will only give you about 60% of the value. Consignment is usually better but it really depends on the local market. I would list it here or on Gunbroker, Gunauction, etc.

You can ship directly to a buyer's FFL if you so desire. Make sure, however, to verify the buyer's FFL is legit before you ship the firearm.

https://fflezcheck.atf.gov/fflezcheck/

The buyer's FFL simply sends you a partial part of his number. Verify per the above link and only ship to the noted address if eveything matches.

I had someone try to buy an action from me once who tried to pull a fast one and changed the address to his own. After I caught that and called him out on it I discovered he was prohibited from possessing firearms. I've sold probably a dozen firearms through the years online though, and never had an issue outside this one instance.

And per Richard's advice, don't ship until the payment not only is deposited; but clears the bank. I will, however, make an exception here and ship immediately if the buyer has been here a while, has several positive transactions and no negative feedback & is a gold/silver contributor. YMMV

Cabela's hmmmmmm.... as an FFL that sells quite a few consignment items I will state my general policy. I assess the firearm with the customer using Blue Book, Gun Broker and the like, and local interest. I come up with a fair price and make sure that is OK with the prospective customer. If the customer is unrealistic about the value, i.e. "I've got $3000 in this rifle and have shot it 150 times and can only get &2000 out of it?" I tell him/her to put it on the internet. 9 times out of 10 I see them again in 3 months.
I get 12% of the sale. That keeps me fighting for the customer's $$ as well as mine for " is this the least you'll take fer it" crowd.
If you want your full price for it, list it here, use the advice given and internet savvy so you don't get s@$t out of your rifle, and if you sell it - take 50 bucks from that sale and upgrade to a gold membership.
I'm an honest businessman, which is why my wife has a decent earning job. Being dishonest and crapping a customer means those customers don't come back. Can't have that in my business.
Sometimes they don't come back anyway because you are toilet paper to them.
But some appreciate my candor.

 

[joshb]

How many years will that take

Hey! There you are. How’re you doin?
My mission is to shoot them all before next Christmas.

 

[Evan]

I'm actually in Longmont. I had my custom shipped to Grandpas Pawn, and was quite happy with them. I need to go over and chat with them about what their process looks like, but they were very reasonable on the transfer of the custom.

I'm on the fence about selling them. The Rem 700 is all trued, and up until my Borden built 20VT, was the most accurate gun I'd ever shot. 22-250 and it would put up 5 shot groups in the 1s with reasonable regularity. The barrel is shot out now and I'm discouraged by the responses I've had from gunsmiths to re-barrel it. If I'm going to wait months for a new barrel, I start to think that a full custom is a better use of time and money (Thanks, Jim. You've ruined other rifles for me with your Rimrock BR!) I started looking at Remage conversions tonight, but I don't know how I feel about fitting a generically threaded barrel into a trued (read larger threads) receiver.

The RPR isn't shot out. It's got a lot of life in front of it still and it was a bit of a surprise on the accuracy side: http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/how-to-train-advise-me-on-how-to-get-better-faster It shoots 0.5" groups in calm conditions...at 300 yards! My problem with it is that I don't like the chassis. It feels like it vibrates and buzzes and conducts noise down the chassis and up my jaw. The thing feels very loud. What makes me think I should keep it is that of all my rifles, it's the one I wouldn't hesitate to carry off into the woods, bang it around, etc. All the others I want to baby, cause they're nice rifles.

 

[hoz53]

C

Hey! There you are. How’re you doin?
My mission is to shoot them all before next Christmas.

Xmas 2020 you mean? Sorry OP for hijacking ur thread a bit

 

[mousegunner]

Yea don't sell your rifles! You will wish you hadn't soon enough. Money is just green paper.

DON'T! I sold a Winchester 9422 that I bought for $200.00 new and now those are going for high money. One of my biggest regrets next to a certain girl. Don't know if I'd rather have the rifle again or the girl...no the rifle, guns don't age as bad as people.

 

[300_whisper]

Do I want do. Post it for here or long range hunting for three months at a fair price. Have 1000 views, no takers, and then read threads about how guys are getting similar custom rifles built at double the price of what you’re selling yours. Watch as the rifles around yours sell. My personal favorite is when someone is being a real pal and PMs you to tell you you’re overpriced. They are doing a real service to the forum when they post for sale ads on your thread of some no name gunshop with stupid cheap prices informing you you’re overpriced. I said all that to say don’t sell your guns. You’ll regret it. You think I would learn but I’m bitter, stupid, and always want the next best thing.

 

[dolek]

If you are attached keep,if not like has been said...post it here or try it local.

I have fallen in love with roughly 20 rifles in the past year,brought them all home . I have one remaining out of all of them . The ones I get rid of are traded ,I either bundle or do partial trades while always trading up . I have a good network of shop owners I have dealt with for years,we look out for each other . I know what sells in their shops,and they know what my interests are .

All that rambling to say ,just go with your heart...I find I really miss about 10%, and 90% were forgotten in a day or two.Good luck with whatever you choose.