tony_k wrote:



Well, I have one, new in the box, unfired. I don't plan to sell it. Probably my wife will, once I have gone to my heavenly reward.

But I will tell you this -- I would be delighted if the value of that gun dropped to what I paid for it (about $1,000, as I recall) if it meant that the registry would be reopened for new MG's.

For me, it's all paper gains anyway.

Here are some things I've noticed about the MG price of MGs and their owners.

$1,000 - Most gun owners would buy a MG at this price with no hesitation. So demand would be roughly 100,000,000 chasing 175,000 MGs

$5,000 - Still easily afordable by most gun enthusiasts or arfcomers. Most have a couple ARs sitting around they could sell to fund a MG at this price. This seems to be the absoulete minimum price to enter the MG market.

$10,000 - This is more than most peoples gun collections. But the avg joe can still afford if determined to do so, he could sell a motocycle/boat/ATV, works some over time, etc...

$20,000+ - This is where Ive noticed a big dividing point. There are three types of people who own MGs of this value and larger:
1) Old folks who bought them decades ago before the prices spiked
2) Poeple with well paying professional careers (Doctors, lawyers, Engineers, etc...) that have a large disposable income.
3) Baby Boomers who are now empty nesters, retired and have large pensions or 401ks.

$100,000+ - Ive never actually met anyone who owns a MG in this price range, I can only assume they are millionaires if they can afford to drop six figs on a high risk investment like this.


Im not sure about MGs with actual 240 markings, but the Mag 58s has more than doubled in the past decade, at least thats what the machiengunpriceguide.com says. Common guns like the M16 or HK will only break into the six figure range if there are enough millionaires who desire to own a MG. Right now there are 11 million millionaires in the US and about 175,000 transferable MGs, and a lot of those are owned by gov agencies and museums who will likely never sell. So all you would need to happen is have about 1% of all of the millionaires out there to decide they want to buy ONE MG and the prices will hit $100k+, which effectively prices out the middle class.

For MGs to go higher, say $1 Million or more you would need demand from people worth probably 10 million or more, and there are only 145,000 in the US, at which point every household would have to buy at least 1 to create the demand.

Honestly I think around $100,000 (Present worth Value) is probably the max we will ever see for common MGs. Anything above that and you might as well setup a FFL/SOT and have dozens of post samples. Is that hassle? yes! But you dont become a millionaire by being lazy, these people would have no issue setting up a shell company in an effort to fufill their desire for MG is prices went into the seven figure range, as a result that would decrease demand and keep prices stable in the six figure range.

But I don't have a crystal ball so who knows. And I like most MG owners would give up our investments in a heart beat if it meant we could buy MG at or near retail value.

Same thing I do every year after the annual MG shoot.
Then think of the gun cost, ammo cost, then just give up
I think I'll be ok just shooting others full auto for a weekend each year, and just buy ammo for that.

While i can't dissagree with everything you said, there are other catigories of owners. Just of the top of my head the people that inherit them.your difinately correct that if average joe doesn't buy his MG soon, machine gun ownership will have slipped beyond his grasp, and is why i just bought 2 more


I would think i am an outlier in the community, but youtube show quite a few guys my age.
Im 32 no kids, no wife, high school education. Everthing i own is garbage besides my trucks and my guns
I just found if you stay away from the bar and dont take a loan out on anything other than buying a home and never refinance your primary residence, youll have alot less problems in life.


My first question would be what would these new $1000 MG owners do for ammo?
Feeding them is as much if not more than an issue than the current price of the guns..

The only way the registry is opening up is is the USA ceases to exist. Machine guns without a doubt will be worth more than 100,000. My guess is they will in 20 years. They way you would lose is if they outlawd further transfer/inheritence
That said i think most people look at it all wrong, your not really "spending" xx,xxx amout of money. Yes you have to write a check and wait for transfer, but after that you could sell you MG 100% upfront payment in under a week.compare that to interest rates in a savinging of checking account.
Your not going to lose money on  a MG... and if did i'd be keeping my MG regardless of what anyone has to say about

Edit

Also getting an ffl to just to get post samples or load up on pre may dealers samples and drop your ffl to keep the pre may samples isn't really legal... while im sure you could "try" to have a gun buisness and retire and keep what you can.
Transferable MG will always be the better investment.

My buddy just sold his m16 for 16k damn i missed out!

Amen.