I’m going to stop selling guns

[Kevin]

I was looking at some old pictures.

~AND~

For those of you that have a lot of digital pictures and an Amazon Prime Account, you can store an unlimited number of pictures in the cloud. It’s included in your prime membership.

Anyway, I was looking at some old pictures and came across a gun that I sold.

I miss that gun. And honestly, don’t even remember what I did with the money. That’s the worst part. It’s not like I could say, “oh, I’ve got this nice gun instead.”

So that’s it. I’m done. That 41 Bisley magnum that I haven’t shot in a couple years? Nope, it’s going to just sit there until I shoot it again. Same with my Bisley stainless framed Blued Single Six in perfect condition. Won’t sell it. Ha!

Now I know why you guys say you won’t ever sell a gun.

Might have to buy another safe…

 

[turd]

There was a time when things got pretty thin here, and I sold some guns to make ends meet. Miss those a lot, I keep my guns in pretty good shape, and some folks got some pretty good deals. I have replaced some of them, with other models/same calibers, but I do miss the ones that had to go..... No, I won't sell any, but I have several nephews, so I might give some away. :) I also had to sell my Browning safe, and I haven't replaced that yet. :( Those things are expensive! And my basement stairs have a right angle in them, might be tough to get a safe down there where the 'gun' room is. I won't keep the safe in the garage because of the seasonal weather changes here.

 

[the_leper_colony]

There are some that I had when I was young, that I do wish I had kept (out of production & cost too much to buy today)! But I sold or traded most of my guns during 2020-2021 to a local FFL, and don't regret it: I'm sure they're with new owners now, who hopefully shoot them more than I did. There was ONE that I regretted parting with, after the fact - but I got lucky and found a better example at the same FFL, a few months later, and took it home with me!

So maybe it's true, that if you're not sure about selling, probably better to keep it!
:)

 

[Mike J]

The last two I sold I do not regret. I had already decided I didn't like them. The two I sold before that I was okay with but there was another gun I wanted worse. We hit an unexpected rough patch before I purchased the gun I wanted & wound up using the money to pay bills. Sometimes I regret those two a little but I wasn't particularly attached to either of them.

 

[tazbigdog]

I’ve regretted selling some, like my SS Security Six. My first .357 and loved it. I had a chance to buy one, never used, still in it‘s box, for a great price. Will never sell that one.

 

[JPGLSG1234]

Kevin, "Same with my Bisley stainless framed Blued Single Six in perfect condition. Won't sell it. Ha!"

Would you mind posting a picture of that gun please.

I ain't selling nothing, zero, zip, I told my Sweet Wife if I happen to fall off the globe, call Bobby Tyler tell him to come get all this stuff.

 

[Cholo]

You can give her my number, too. I'm a lot closer LOL

 

[Kevin]

Kevin, "Same with my Bisley stainless framed Blued Single Six in perfect condition. Won't sell it. Ha!"

Would you mind posting a picture of that gun please.

I ain't selling nothing, zero, zip, I told my Sweet Wife if I happen to fall off the globe, call Bobby Tyler tell him to come get all this stuff.

Sure! I’m going to go to the range on Tuesday.

I’ll post some pictures then. It’s one of my two most favorite Single Sixes. The other is a Clement’s custom he made for me about two years ago.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Wait...People actually SELL their guns?..

 

[41Dude]

I do not sell firearms anymore. They somehow, one by one, end up with my grandkids.

But I do remember purchasing in 1971 a brass frame Ruger 7 1/2" 45 Colt when I was in the service. Beautiful, fun to shoot.
Sold it to another service member to pay some bills.
Don't remember what bills. Do remember the revolver. :cry:

 

[Stantheman1986]

I stopped selling guns, and the ONLY way I'd sell or trade any would be to acquire a gun I want more that is a replacement for the gun I'd sell. For example I am thinking of trading my convertible Flat Top for a convertible Vaquero .357, because if the convertible Vaqueros existed when I bought the flat top, I'd have gotten the Vaquero instead. I just like fixed sight revolvers better. But selling just to sell, never again.

Other than that, I no longer sell any. And over the years I've sold a lot and I miss a few of them.

I also, ironically have a .41 Bisley Blackhawk and I took it to the range exactly once, probably 4 or 5 years ago. I briefly thought about letting it go to fund an Old Army and I was like no, I'm not selling it because honestly I just think it's cool, even if I never fire it again. It's my only .41 Magnum and I like the Bisley engraved cylinder.

 

[contender]

I came to the conclusion that I really hated "seller remorse" long ago. I have tried to NOT sell anything I bought for myself. I have won guns in raffles or such that were not the type(s) I wanted/needed/desired.
So those do get sold.
No remorse,, and someone else gets something they can enjoy.

But I too can recall several guns in my early years that I sold/traded that I wished I had back.

So,, I can appreciate & understand where the OP is coming from. I have been very fortunate to having purchased (1) from Kevin, that I truly cherish. So,, Kevin,, MANY thanks,, AND,, AND,, know it's being used as it was intended to be used. In competition.
These past few days,, I was at the Area 6 USPSA Championship match. Many admired my Super GP-100 in 9mm. And I was asked if I knew where they might find one.
Sadly,, I didn't do the gun justice in the match.
My point? Sometimes,, letting one go,, can be a good thing,, if the new owner appreciates it, and uses it as intended. And especially if it wasn't being used as it should have been.

 

[Stantheman1986]

I also try to always own enough guns that I can get over the guilt of selling some by shooting some of the others I have

 

[Mike J]

I thought about it after my first reply to this thread. There are 3 I regret selling. The first was a Marlin 336. It was the first long gun I bought myself. The second was a Winchester pump .22 I lost in pawn. Both of those were caused by being young & dumb & drinking way too much. The third was a Star chambered for 9mm Largo. It was the first handgun I bought myself. I wound up trading it for a Mossberg 20 gauge that I wound up selling later. That little Star was a neat pistol. It looked like a miniature 1911 although it was a completely different design.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I am sure we have all had guns we wished we didn't sell.
I have come to the conclusion that they are just material items.
If I wanted to " wish I would have kept " , it would be some of the vehicles I have owned over the years.
If I still had some of the vehicles I used to own and sold them today , I would probably have enough money to buy one of every Ruger ever made and money left over.

 

[KWend54]

You have to keep it all in perspective! God and family first and I have sold an entire extensive collection when life events threatened the family, requiring me to sell them. Was it hard? … of course, but a no brainer when my priority was my family. You have to remember they are only guns which I enjoy immensely but in the big picture, my life doesn’t revolve around them and you can’t take ‘em with you! They should never be first in your life IMHO

 

[arky65]

I have been thinning the safe and closet corners since I retired 13 years ago. Have not missed a one of them. Since I retired, I find my self shooting only a few of my guns on a regular basis. I can't take them with me, and the wife has no idea of value or how to sell them. So with no children to leave them to, I have gifted several to friends and family and sold others.
I have agonized over letting a few go for different reasons, but once they are gone, I have not missed them. I take pleasure when I get pics of the gifted guns and the game they have taken.

 

[Kevin]

Well, I’m glad to see I’m not alone in thinking like this.

And sadly Arky65 isn’t wrong, we can’t take them with us. So eventually they will have to be sold.

I know my dad doesn’t shoot anymore, he divided up the guns between my brother and myself. He kept one revolver for the house.

I got his Kimber of Oregon Government model 82. You don’t see those much anymore. It’s an interesting gun. 22 lr, and about 15 pounds. But what an amazingly accurate rifle.

And no, it isn’t for sale.

 

[larry8]

Before I moved to my home here, I had 40 to 50+ guns. I thought it better to sell some than transport them to my new home. So I called my friend that had a private business of buying and selling guns at the gun shows and set 18 guns on a 4x8 table for him to come over and buy a few. He bought all of them and gave me a good price for each. I was looking at the rest of my guns and decided to sell the rest, so I called him back a few weeks later and sold him another 18 guns. I kept only 5 guns to bring down to my new home. Now this means that I now had several thousand rounds of ammo for the calibers that I had sold, so no use for them either. I called him and he said he would buy the ammo from me so I put the ammo on a 4x8 table. It was 1 1/2 feet high and spilling over the edges. My only regret was selling my S&W 41 cal ss revolver that was like new, and a ss Ruger Redhawk 44 cal. I could replace them now but the prices have gone out of this world on them.

 

[tulsamal]

> Wait...People actually SELL their guns?

You get older. Hopefully. You have put away enough money to enjoy our retirement. You sell the big family house and property where the kids grew up because you prefer not to be outside in a blizzard trying to make sure all the animals have water. It was and is a wonderful property to raise a family... but that part of your life is past. You feel like you would like to spend the last decade or two of your life living in Latin America... you can't "take your guns with you." You can put them into some kind of storage situation in the US and hope that works out. You can try to find family homes for the ones that mean the most to you personally. But ultimately, you bought many of those guns over the decades because you were interested in them and thought they were a good price. And you thought... I could always sell this gun when I retire for more money than this. Now you are there.

You can die refusing to sell them... and then somehow hope your heirs figure out how to sell them for the right kind of price. That they don't foolishly dump them all at a pawn shop or gun store and end up getting 50% what you could have sold them for. You give away guns to friends and family. You sell the rest and put it into the retirement funds. And you get on that big plane heading to Ecuador... and discover that you probably really can somehow against all odds... actually enjoy Act III of your life without actually owning 100 guns.

Life goes on... with or without regard for how you wish things could be. You aren't going to live to be over a hundred virtually for certain. I've fought and argued about the gun issues for nearly my entire adult life... I pass the baton on to the next generation. Nothing I can do or say is going to change the fact of getting old and dying... and I would rather get a chance to enjoy "the fruits of my labor" while I'm alive. Dying or ending up in a "retirement home" with dementia and "leaving a hundred guns" to family members who aren't interested in them and don't know what the heck to do with them... there is nothing "responsible" about that. "Moving those guns along to younger gun people" is just part of the process. My stewardship of them is at an end.

 

[dhains1963]

Some guns just need to be sold. I had a beretta px4 storm and a taurus g2c that were straight up garbage. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn door with them. I also got rid of a winchester 30-30 that makes me sick (I was around 27 years old and didn't shoot much prior to my Navy tour).

None the less, things happen! There is no use beating myself up over it. Guns are just inanimate objects. They can be replaced and are a perk for hard work. I used to get every gun I wanted, however now I keep what I need.

 

[Ka6otm]

My Dad didn't sell guns. He traded them and gave them away to family and friends, but he didn't sell.

I haven't quite lived up to that as I've sold 2 guns over my lifetime. And I regret having sold both of them.

I don't collect, I accumulate.

 

[B-O-B'03]

When I was much younger and broker I sold a 4 shot, pepper box derringer and a 9 shot .22, snub nosed, High Standard revolver.

I can't remember the make of the pepper box, but it was a break open loader with a rotating firing pin, not very accurate (when I was shooting it) but a fun piece.

I also had a High Standard auto-loading .22 rifle, with a scope and sling, that was stolen from a duplex I had just moved into.

Like others have mentioned, the rest of them are for family, after I am done using them.

-Brian

 

[Randyzzz]

Just sold a HKVP9 that I didn’t really care for. Oregon is a difficult state to sell private party- all sales have to be background checked by a FFL and that can take weeks to months. I don’t regret selling it- never liked it- and I got one of my Single Sixes with the $$. Didn’t make or lose money. But it was such a hassle that at this point I’m going to give them all to the kids when the time comes.

The ones I regret selling? There was a HK4 with all 4 caliber conversion kits. A 1969 NIB Gold Cup. A Smith Model 29 6” compensated. A Browning HiPower and a BDM. A Colt Mustang. And a tricked out Mini14. But to be honest for the most of them I don’t think I’d buy them again if I had the chance…it was the memories attached to them that mattered.

 

[Ride1949]

The only one I regret selling was a High Standard HD Military .22 engraved,
"Donated to the Hyster Gun and Rifle Club
by Mrs. H. A. Wortwith "
1954
I paid $25.00 for it, with a holster in 1978. Didn't get near enough for it when I sold it. I should have kept it for the novelty alone if nothing else.

 

[Stantheman1986]

Also remember-

We don't own any of our guns, we're just using them until we die

Our living relatives will probably hock them after we depart anyway

There's no gun rack in the Hearse, you can't take them with you

And you can always soothe seller's remorse by buying new toys......we have the technology like we've never had before, to go to Davidson's , Buds, etc and order a gun......or the old fashioned "gun shop" circuit where you jump in the car and hit all your favorite honey holes looking for a deal.

If you think of them more as tools, even beautiful , well made tools that bring us joy but nonetheless tools, it's easier to get over seller's remorse. The less emotional attachment the better. Guns have no emotions and don't care about you. If someone took one of your guns away from you , and pulled the trigger, your beloved gun would still fire and kill you. People who assign an almost human or pet-like persona to firearms are creepy. I heard a guy say once that he loves his guns more than he loves his wife.....well, ok your guns can't cook or meet your "needs" but stay weird buddy and good luck with the marriage

 

[Cholo]

Most of my guns are simply art to me. I keep shooting the same ones over and over again LOL

 

[sixmranch]

I've bought/sold hundreds of guns. A few are keepers for sentimental reasons, but the rest are sold/traded for an upgrade, something different, or just don't want it any more. The only regrets are the Pythons and Anacondas I sold back before they got ridiculous. Still don't understand why they are so high priced, they made a bunch of them. I also miss my Buckmark Varmint. Haven't been able to replace it, yet.

 

[peachhead]

I have had to sell a few in certain circumstances, and while I wish I hadn't, I more regret the ones I didn't buy. I'm trying to make up for that now, to a certain point. I do have a couple that I'm thinking of selling but i haven't made up my mind yet. If it shoots good then I have a hard time selling it. If it doesn't shoot good then I like to try and figure out why so I can correct it. That process can take years

 

[pawncop]

When I was younger I was a buying/selling/trading fool. For several years I did not sell nor trade, still was a buying fool.
Recently, I have thinned the herd a little but being selective of what I sold.
I am finding there are fewer firearms that can effectively call my name. I will admit to lusting after one of the new Pythons.