I've decided I'm not ever going to hunt again and the new rifle I bought the year before I moved down from Montana has been sitting in my closet now for four years. I may as well sell it but haven't a clue as to how to go about it. My ex always did the "gun stuff" so he was the one that always did the buying/selling and trading. (He did the guns ... I did the horses.) I'm not acquainted with any of the local gun shops. There doesn't seem to be a good local "classified ads paper" in this area, like the "Nifty Nickle" types I used before. The local weekly newspaper doesn't seem to have many ads and I'm not sure how much coverage they get anyway. Any suggestions?
I would post this message in the freedom and self reliance section of this board as well, there is a lot of knowledgable folks in there that will glady help ya out too. Add make/model/caliber & condition. ~T~
I really wouldn't want people knowing that I was getting rid of the rifle, letting them see my place to look at it, etc. I suggest you speak to a well respected auction company in the area. They may have an up coming auction to which they could add it. If the sale is well advertised and there are other guns listed it should bring close to its top value, but you will have the auction fees to pay. Consider the auction fees as a little safety cost for not having to deal with some folk that might not be above board. Most are of course.
That's one of the concerns I do have. I would definitely meet someone at a store or somewhere to look at the gun, not give directions to the house.
Why would you ever get rid of a rifle? So you aren't going to hunt, doesn't mean you won't need that particular tool ever again. It's paid for and with some minimal care will last you indefinitely. You never know when that rifle will be needed and wouldn't it be terrible if you did need it and could only wish you had it back? Just my 2 cents. Handy
I'm not much of a "long gun" person, I'm simply not as comfortable with them as with a handgun. The handguns won't go.
1. Determine the value of the gun. Check out the Gun Trader's Bible from the local library (if I remembered the title correctly). By using the NRA grading system, and the book, you can arrive at a "book" value. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it, however. 2. Contact a local FFL holder, and see if he will ship the rifle for you for a nominal fee. Nominal fee in this case, could be anything from $10, to a fresh cake, or pan of biscuits. To ship a weapon across state lines, it has to go dealer to dealer. Or, he may offer to buy it, but remember, he's in the business to make money. 3. Advertise the rifle in a national publication, something like "Gunlist". A small ad in the want ads section is fine, the cheaper the better. 4. List the price as the retail value determined in step #1, but add the word "negotiable", or "asking". You should recieve a few offers, and can decide which one you'll take. My .02 cents, YMMV.
After figuring out the value of the thing and figuring out what you want for it I would call a rifle/pistol club and talk to them. Around here you can get a better trade or honest deal from one of the nice rifle pistol CLUBS. This is shenadoah valley of VA. I don't live in Charlottesville - but there is a very nice rifle club there with indoor and outdoor shooting range and all. They Told me they have healthy trades and sales through members of the club and that I could sell one to a collector there very well. Sapphira
I priced a similar 243 like the one you mentioned just the other day. The one I looked at was more for a young kid to handle and it run brand new right around $240. This was without a scope. You could take it around to a few pawn shops and see if they could run a price value on it. Make sure they look it up through a gun catalog instead of off the top of their head. Don't sell until you have several quotes to judge by.
Look for a gun show in your area. At the large gun shows here (Berea fairgrounds and Summit county) people walk around with for sale signs on their back. It also gives you a chance to speak with a lot of dealers and sell it that way. As usual, just my 2 cents. Mike
Check your topic in the Freedom and Self Reliance Forum. I posted a reply there, which should get you on the right path to selling your rifle.
Just take the rifle to a gunstore and see if they will buy it before you spend time and effort on shows and auctions. It is one thing if you have local shows on a regular basis but if you have to wait six months and drive two hours it is not worth it for a model 7 rem. The gun you own is of no real collectable value and not going to garner much attention. Someone starting off a child or a small framed adult may have interest but you are not likely to get more than 200-250 for rifle and scope even going to a show. If it is in mint unused condition maybe more. A new model 7 remington with laminated stock lists at $700 (walmart types may have it for less) The wood stocked, stripped down 7's and ADL 700's are cheaper upper 4's thru 5's. So you will not get much when you can buy a new one so cheap.
You obviously haven't checked gun prices lately. And even mentioning collector value is ridiculous. It's a modern, bolt action hunting rifle. Blue Book value on that rifle in 100% condition, which she says it is, is $450. And a gun store is the last place a person should try to sell a gun. Gun stores are in business to make a profit, so obviously they'll give you much less than you can get through a private sale and people are always looking to save a few bucks off the price of a brand new gun.
