Just wanted to know the advantages and possible monetary gains to keeping a weapon unfired. I recently purchased a preban Colt AR-15 NIB.

Keep it unfired until the decision in 04 about the AW ban is made

If the ban continues - you're in the money!

If the ban sunsets, you are out 1 year of shooting enjoyment with that one particular gun - but look at what you gained with your constitutional freedoms.

my .02

Dannyboy,
I noticed you are from California.  If you reside there, it is illegal for you to purchase an AW anytime after December 31, 2000.  That date is when all of the evil Assualt Weapons were suppose to be registered with the California Dept. of Justice.  Just for your information.  Hopefully, you no longer live there.

I too have an unfired bushmaster preban with new colt M4 upper.  Also, a nib colt 9mm Ar 15.  I too was wondering dollar value increase from an unfired weapon.

I was a collector for a good number of years until liquidating my collection last year.  [b]Finally, FINALLY I figured out that LNIB guns were worth almost as much as NIB guns.[/b] Yes there are some exceptions but they are rare.

[b]Just keep every scrap of paper that comes in the box with the gun.[/b]  If the gun is in a cellophane sleeve and the end is scotch taped, keep the sleeve AND the scotch tape.  You can't turn a collector gun into a shooter but you can damn sure shoot most collector guns - and do little harm, if any, to their value.

[b]Now there are some guns that just shouldn't be shot.[/b]  I had an AR-18 machine gun NIB and, excepting the dealer, I was the only owner   The AR-18 was made in 1966.  I even had a custom upper made so I could shoot it and still couldn't !!  Wound up using that upper with a preban AR-180.

Unfired guns are like undriven cars and unplayed musical instruments... useless.  If it was collectable when new, it still is.

But a Gremlin is still a Gremlin, even if the odometer says 0.  On the other hand, a 40,000 mile HemiCuda is still a real blast.

Guns were made to be shot it's not likely your going to get rich this way so enjoy them fire the hell out of them that's worth more than a small amount of money.

In my opinion, I will never get rid of my AR so the monitary value is not that important. What is important is knowing that your rifle is a tool. Getting to know your tool and being able to use that tool to its greatest potential, now thats whats important to me. So being able to break down, maintain,and being able to hit what your aiming at is KEY.

AAAH, the purchasing of firearms for investment purposes! I wish I had the discipline for that, I just don't. I have a lot friends who do that, though. They even get satisfaction from just keeping it NIB, even if the value is not extremely high. I call it "gun museum curators syndrome". But seriously, I have a good friend who bought a new HK MP5 full auto (yes he is licensed) in 1985 and has kept it NIB all these years, it has more than quadrupled in value. Better than most retirement accounts, really.

I wouldn't be able to stand it, I would have to have fired it by now. "Drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die". But that’s just me.

If you want an investment, go talk to a financial advisor. Keeping a gun for 20 years without firing it is fairly risky, it may appreciate---or it may rust, loose value, get stolen, become undesireable, etc. As someone else said---an MP5 quadrupled in value over 18 years, with compounding of interest a good investment with a patient investor will EASILY do that-remember market slumps are rare-

Anyway-having a gun and not shooting it is like buying a great book and not reading it-buying Playboy and not looking at it.

Just my .02

I call it the "collector's mentality."  Another small comment ........many if not most true collectors are not big shooters.  Doesn't mean they haven't shot or can't shoot but the shooting moves in behind the collecting in importance.  I believe it's the just the ability to prioritize as opposed to good discipline.  [b]Then there's the "I" word that must be considered.  Integrity.  Any gun that I ever sold and represented an "Unfired" had absolutely never been fired by me.(All collectors understand that all firearms have been factory test fired.)[/b]

Finally, as I've said above, I did understand that most NIB guns could be fired and the worth changed little if any.  Those guns I sold as LNIB and gave an accurate count of rounds fired.

I always kept a few shooters on hand.  I had an old AR-18 that ran like a sewing machine, always two or three preban AR-180's and although primarily an ArmaLite collector, I have an old preban Olympic - FF barrel, pod, old Leupold scope - bought the rig complete and just like shooting the thing the way I bought it.

Finally I mentioned above some few guns that IMHO should not be shot.  [b]I did luck into one gun that I thought shouldn't even be assembled !!  An ArmaLite AR-17 Shotgun in "BLACK."  There were only 200 in black ever made and this is the only NIB black AR-17 known to survive.  That gun IS in a museum today.[/b]

Its a sin to not shoot a gun. After all, thats the guns sole purpose.

With that logic you give the "gun" the power to sin.  I believe only the gun's owner has the power to decide whether a gun will be shot or not shot and be used for good or evil.

While you may decide the sole purpose of your guns is to be shot, I might choose the sole purpose of certain guns is to maximize value.  You decide for yours - I decide for mine.  The guns have no say in the matter.

[b]All responsibilities and purposes go to the individual owner. None to the gun.[/b]

(Yeah, I know what you're really saying and readily admit that I'm being picky here.)

I have a NIB Colt 6530 that I will never fire, whether the AW ban sunsets or not.
I plan to give it to my (future) son or daughter unfired, and they can do with it what they wish.
I think that some of the judgment calls are ridiculous. Some people own firearms for reasons other than shooting them. That should not open them up for ridicule.

Safe Queen's........What good is it unless you use it......


[sniper2]         [headbang]

YOYO

MY FEELING ON THIS IS, IF IT IS 1 ROUND OR 1000 ROUNDS IT DOSENT MATTER; BUY IT TO ENJOY IT HOWEVER YOU WANT , WHEN YOU GO TO SELL IT AND YOU TELL THE PERSON THAT IT HAS NEVER BEEN FIRED, IF HE GIVES YOU A WIERD LOOK LIKE HE DOSENT BELIEVE YOU OR THINKS YOUR CRAZY DONT WORRY IF HE PAYS YOUR PRICE BE HAPPY


VINNIEDABLADE