Collecting Firearms

Lately, I’ve had several friends ask me about firearms collecting and what I thought might be a good place to start. Well, I don’t own a functioning crystal ball but after a lot more years in the game (more than I would like to admit) I’ll tell you what I think. As a gunsmith, numerous guns will pass through your shop and the desire to own and collect them is almost unavoidable. The answer to the question of where to start is dependent on what your goals and interests are.

If you are interested in a type of firearm, like single-action revolvers, lever action rifles, or 1911 pistols, that is where you will want to put your money. An interest in a particular kind of firearm will encourage learning more about it, which leads to better recognizing rare and valuable examples. On the other hand, if you are looking at it strictly as an investment, your choices might be governed by what you think will evaluate the fastest and the most.

For example, Winchester and Colt firearms have been the target of collectors for so long that their prices are high. Although they will surely continue to increase in value, I do not expect them to outpace the rate of inflation by very much, if at all. The reason is simple: supply and demand. Every major gun show I attend has more Winchesters and Colts for sale than the dealers can hope to sell.

The prices are out of the reach of most beginning collectors and the serious money folks already have most of the models they are interested in and are looking for examples in better condition than those they have or for rare variants. Over the years I have found military firearms in as-issued condition to be a solid investment. In the past 20 years or so prices on military Mausers have gone wild. Mausers that I bought for $250 back in 2000 are now selling for $1,200 and up.

Russian Mosin Nagants that were selling for $125 are bringing $700 today. The same kind of increase is true of SKS and AK-47 rifles as well as many military handguns. In the 1990s, large numbers of M1 Carbines came home from Korea and for a short time they flooded the market. I bought an IBM and an Underwood M1 Carbine for $125 each and a Rock-Ola for $200. Today they seem to be bringing over $1,000. So, okay, you missed the boat on those deals.

The lesson to be taken from these missed opportunities is to be alert to the market. American military firearms like the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine will always be in demand in this country. Although the days of spectacular price increases are probably over, they should remain a safe, solid investment. The market for the 1903 Springfields and Krag–Jørgensen rifles has matured, however, the 1917 Enfield has always been underpriced and these are just now starting to increase in value.

These Enfields might prove to be the one U. S. military rifle worth collecting with the hope of making a good return on your investment. If the military-owned Beretta 92 pistols (M9) are ever released from government stockpiles and made available for purchase, I guarantee I will jump all over one. Not because I am a fan of the Beretta 92 but because I feel so strongly that whatever initial price I pay for one will be the cheapest it is ever offered at.

I bought my M1 Garand from the old DCM (Department of Civilian Marksmanship, now the Civilian Marksmanship Program) in the 1980s for $150. Take a look at what M1 rifles sell for today and you’ll see what I mean. Last I checked, the least expensive CMP Rack Grade (Fair) M1 Garands start at $700. I have been repeatedly asked about AR-15s. In my opinion, they are great rifles. Accurate, adaptable to any type of shooting you enjoy, from plinking to hunting to formal target shooting.

They are extremely versatile but as an investment? At one time I counted over 120 different manufacturers of lower receivers listed for sale on Gunbroker. Those lowers have been offered in alloys, synthetics and steel so what are the chances any of them are going to become collectible? To my way of thinking, if I were hoping to see an increase in value on an AR platform I would confine my collecting to those marked Colt.

American Revolutionary War and Civil War firearms, like Colts and Winchesters, have become very expensive as have Pennsylvania/ Kentucky Rifles but still remain a solid choice if you can afford them. They are all an important part of American history and should represent a good investment. I have never really been interested in collecting shotguns so I don’t have much to say about them. Naturally, any U. S. military shotgun will be collectible as are

Firearms of this period are still relatively affordable. Top, 1812 Contract Musket. Bottom, Eli Whitney-made contract musket. some of the classic makes of sporting shotguns. I have owned several Parker shotguns and have never lost money on any of them but I can only afford to play in the shallow end of the pool and confine my collecting to Trojan, VH and G Models. There are also avid collectors of A. H. Fox and L. C.

Smith guns, but again, once you get past the field grades the prices get out of my ballpark pretty fast. Now, we have covered a lot of ground and beaten the subject to death without ever hitting it in the head. The real question is, where should you or your customer start? In other words, what do I think I can afford to start collecting and hope to make money on? My guess and the place I am putting my money right now is in guns produced between the wars.

Flintlock and percussion muskets and rifles from the first half of the 1800s, after the Revolution and before the Civil War. They are more affordable than those before and after that time period and I find it interesting to own a musket made by Eli Whitney or Harpers Ferry. This includes guns used in the War of 1812, a war that hasn’t attracted as much collector interest yet.

I’m hoping that as the prices go up and up on Revolution- Two collectible guns of that era are the Trapdoor Springfield (top) and the Remington Rolling Block (bottom). Great Britain developed first in the Snider (top) and Martini (bottom). ary and Civil War pieces, interest will start to focus on these guns that have been largely ignored. Skipping the Civil War years we come to the early cartridge era when every country was developing breechloaders. Remington Rolling Block rifles have caught my interest lately.

They were sold to military forces around the world and are an interesting gun to collect. I have an 1870 Navy model chambered in 50-70 as well as a carbine

Full stocked with no fancy nose cap, inlays, or carving, this would have been a farmer’s friend and companion. chambered in 50-45 and these were sold to each country chambered for their own proprietary caliber. The 43 Spanish is very common, 43 Egyptian is reasonably easy to find, and 8mm Lebel as sold to the French is a much harder chambering to come across. In addition to the rolling blocks, there are numerous interesting foreign guns of that era.

The Snider and Martini from Great Britain, 1871/74 Mauser from Germany, Werndel from Austria, Berdan from Russia as well as the Tabatière, Chassepot, and Gras from France, just to name a few. As with any investment strategy, don’t go out and sell the farm on my ideas of what I think will be good investments. Do your own research and spend no more than you can afford. The goal was to give you some idea of where you might start collecting with the goal of actually making money over time.

Even if you make decisions that don’t pan On top is a Mauser 71/84 hinting at what was to come. On bottom, a Polish 1930s version of the 98 Mauser. On top, an old Parker Hammer gun. In the middle is the opening price point in the Parker line, the Trojan. On bottom, a VH grade Parker. out, you will learn a lot about the development of firearms. After all, how many things can you buy where you get to use the item for years and then sell it for as much or more than you paid for it? AG