At what price point is it no longer good to shoot NFA?

[Got Uzi]

Where is that price point where you decide to not shoot your NFA firearms or even look at selling them? This is something that has been weighing on me lately after seeing some of the market taking an upswing in regards to certain NFA items. 

[Ryo]

Depends.. if you shoot it does it lose a large percentage of value? If not, shoot it but just be gentle with it.

Most NFA items I buy are not collector stuff.. though my KAC Hush Puppy I haven't shot it yet for that same debate going through  my head.

Considering lot of the NFA items we buy.. many of them have been shot already and it would really wouldn't lose value if you shot it.  If you wear it out by continuously taking it out.. that's a different matter.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Ryo

[b_san]

I don't think there's any point to owning a machine gun that you don't shoot. The main value MGs have over other firearms is the legal ability to fire more than 1 round per trigger pull so, for me, not shooting one you own makes no sense and "never fired"/"NIB" machine guns hold no extra value for me either.  I've seen some MGs that looked beat to hell that ran like a top and some supposedly pristine ones that didn't run worth a piss, so looks don't always follow function either.

[GUNBUGS]

For me, I enjoy the fact that I can buy a nice MG, shoot the piss out of it for years, and probably sell it for substantially more than I paid for it when the time comes. Not many things you can buy, use hard, (but take care of it as well), and sell for more later. the "time to sell" has a lot of variable factors. Value, economy, how old are you, appreciation in value, marketability, and other factors I'm sure I haven't thought of. But I view them ALL as "shooters". They have a hole in the front of the barrel. That's where the bullets come out.

Edited June 16, 2020 by GUNBUGS

[Ryo]

Opps.   I meant to say it wouldn't lose much value if you shoot it.  Typing too slow to my brain's speed.  

MG are great.. I wish I bought more many years ago.. they appreciate in value so great. I always wonder if there's a ceiling it would hit.. but it always seems to climb.

Though there are some MGs I always wondered why they haven't appreciate as good as I think they should have.

[kirk in wisc]

I shoot all my machineguns all the time. Dont care what their worth. What is the point in having something if you cant enjoy it. I know quite a few people that have machineguns but never shoot them because it costs too much, but yet they will never sell them until their dead. 

I know one guy in particular who has owned 4 machineguns for over 35yrs and has never ever shot them even once. He prints out a paper every year to show people how much they have gone up since he bought them, but he would rather die than sell them. So what good did they do him? 

I had one of my first m16s that i fired at least 20,000rds through it. When i sold it, i made 10,000.00 profit off it. So shooting it didnt hurt it at all. I wouldnt care if i had a gun worth a million dollars i would still.shoot it. Dont even get me started on people who collect cars or tractors and then just leave them sit for years. 

 

[rhouston8]

I'd say sell it/'em  when they dont bring you enjoyment and when prices dont seem to be esp. and temp soft.

i do know what you mean though. some of my mgs simply dont get shot much at all. the rational thing prob would be to sell them yet i dont.

we tend to also have an emotional element tied up in our guns ...which is normal as they are strange and unique creatures in this civilian world.

i'd say dont allow the market action overly influence your decision to sell or not. Base it instead more on your level of current enjoyment of them.

seriously. 

finally i'd like to add... its rare for someone many yrs later to comment "im glad i sold that MG". sure there are rare exceptions for truly shitty inoperable guns...but by and large we hear 10:1 about people regret either not buying OR selling their MGs in the remote past. Think about it.

[johnsonlmg41]

There is no price point at which I don't shoot them, but some get shot more than others because I enjoy the experience more and some are just more fragile than others.  I enjoy them all for different reasons and was reluctant to sell the few are gone.  I don't shoot any of the water cooled guns since it's more time than I can muster right now. I also tend to not shoot the rare ones and ones that are impossible to find parts for. 

All these guns have a finite lifespan and many of mine came from museums so while they have a lot of life, preserving condition for the next owners is important IMO, so I tend to shoot more common guns. 

There is no such thing as inoperable here, but some do require a lot of knowledge to shoot as well as maintain and are not a good fit for everybody unless you have a lot of support equipment and skills since sending it out is not an option. 

Certainly a relevant question and interesting to read different viewpoints of what may be too rare or expensive?

[GUNBUGS]

Kind of the same question gets asked and answered over at some other gun "collector" boards. " What makes a gun a "shooter" vs. a non-shooter "collectible"? Again, for me, they are all shooters. Maybe if it is a particularly rare, and very high condition example, I wouldn't shoot it much. But, I have an irresistable urge to shoot everything I own. Some folks are afraid of breaking a matching numbered, hard to get, or maybe impossible to get part. I understand that. I'm just not that guy. Too expensive? I don't buy that argument. If you paid a lot for an example, that doesn't mean you can't shoot it. In the end, it's a personal choice. You own it. Do what you want while you have it.

Edited June 17, 2020 by GUNBUGS

[Ryo]

I have to agree with that expense of shooting it wouldn't hold me back shooting any of my MGs.  We spend thousands of dollars to not shoot it?

I happen to mention a NFA item I haven't shot was the KAC Hush Puppy. I was planning to, but decided I'm going probably sell or trade it so no shooting it due to putting a hole in a new wipe would drop the value. Since I decided not shoot it, I'm going to get rid of it. Maybe a MAC 11/9 if I'm lucky! 

[Got Uzi]

For me it’s the cost of ownership and if something catastrophic happens then what? One of my SMG’s is now at a point value wise that I can never replace it for what they are now selling for. 

Do I care about beating on an MP5, Uzi, or M1 Thompson? Nope rock and roll but when one hits the $27k-$30k...now it’s hard to get that one out and shoot it like I used to. That’s my question or thought process on it. Not the common “dime a dozen” MG’s but rather the less common and more expensive ones. I never looked at some of them as collector guns, I’m a shooter who collects, NOT a collector who shoots, but these are also investments. Being investments I question where is that line of risk vs reward

[Ryo]

5 hours ago, Got Uzi said:

For me it’s the cost of ownership and if something catastrophic happens then what? One of my SMG’s is now at a point value wise that I can never replace it for what they are now selling for. 

Do I care about beating on an MP5, Uzi, or M1 Thompson? Nope rock and roll but when one hits the $27k-$30k...now it’s hard to get that one out and shoot it like I used to. That’s my question or thought process on it. Not the common “dime a dozen” MG’s but rather the less common and more expensive ones. I never looked at some of them as collector guns, I’m a shooter who collects, NOT a collector who shoots, but these are also investments. Being investments I question where is that line of risk vs reward

If your looking at it that way.. personally I would look research each high priced MG to determine what are the common failures, and if there are parts available for it. If parts are rare, and the MG is valuable.. I would still shoot it at least one time.. but I might treat it more like a safe queen.  For example a transferable MP5, I would still take it out everyday since I know parts are available for it.  If the firearm had some historic value (and still safe to shoot), I'd take it out one time at least and store it.

Only exception to my thinking of this if the MG is so fun to shoot I'd still take it out, but inspect before and after each shoot.

[Got Uzi]

I’m referring to my M3 and I’ve been watching the market really close. Always have as I love the M3/M3A1 in general. When I see them selling for $25k-$29k now I question is it worth it to shoot mine like I used to-5,000-7,500 rds a year, or is it better to sell it off and wrap the money up in something else I can shoot with less chance of damaging.

I know the ins and outs of the M3’s and what parts can fail, but at the same time being how the gun is made, one major out of battery can destroy the whole gun. Yes I’ve seen this happen so it’s now concerning me. When they were only $16k-$18k it wasn’t as much of a thought but now with prices doing what they are-do I sell or shoot sparingly?

Been back and forth on this one for awhile in my head. I’m my own worst enemy. 

[Ryo]

I would love to fire one of those. Love how it chugs along.

Those are one of the hard personal choices.  Would you later regret selling it?  Sounds like you really enjoy it.  I would just keep it and shoot it if I enjoy it that much, but I definitely will be more diligent with the maintenance of it to keep it going.  Sometimes enjoyment is worth more..

[johnsonlmg41]

The M3 was built as disposable from day 1 and impossible to repair the sheet metal if it fails.   Shooting those is risky and I'd pick a different gun that is more robust,  maybe a sten?  The recent pics of the one with the plate indentation on the rear of the receiver is toast.  MP5's don't last forever either, the roller locks will bulge the sides in time and trunions are a wear item.  You get into MP34's, thompsons, etc.  and guns like that with heavy walls, those guns are repairable often without leaving a trace.  The other option is to pound 20K rounds through it, sell it, pick up another, do over and let the collectors hang them on the wall.  The one that's here has less than 30 rounds thru it, so this one's going to last a while?  Kind of sorry I sold the others, since they were more "used" and slightly less collectible.  Overall there are not that many GG in the registry which  is why the bring the money.   

[Frank Iannamico]

On 6/20/2020 at 9:02 PM, Got Uzi said:

I’m referring to my M3 and I’ve been watching the market really close. Always have as I love the M3/M3A1 in general. When I see them selling for $25k-$29k now I question is it worth it to shoot mine like I used to-5,000-7,500 rds a year, or is it better to sell it off and wrap the money up in something else I can shoot with less chance of damaging.

I know the ins and outs of the M3’s and what parts can fail, but at the same time being how the gun is made, one major out of battery can destroy the whole gun. Yes I’ve seen this happen so it’s now concerning me. When they were only $16k-$18k it wasn’t as much of a thought but now with prices doing what they are-do I sell or shoot sparingly?

Been back and forth on this one for awhile in my head. I’m my own worst enemy. 

I have been shooting machineguns for a LONG time. The only thing I ever had to replace was (several) extractors and firing pins (Reising). Having machineguns and not shooting them is like marrying a supermodel and not... well you know.  As far as selling your MGs, remember 99% of what you buy with the money it is going to go down in value. Just shoot and enjoy your guns.    

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Frank Iannamico