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m16 market and pricing


timelinex

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I am in the market for an m16 (and m60!) and find it a little difficult to find any data on pricing. I don't necessarily mean "whats a fair price" for an m16, which I know is market based. I meant what models are worth more than others. From my research the things that effect price the most are:

  1. if it's marked as an ar15/m16/m16a1/m16a2
  2. whether it's a colt vs other brands
  3. whether its unfired or fired

Right? So what kind of price discrepancy can be expected between all those? (example: Is a2 typically worth x% more than a1) Whats the typical premium on a colt? I saw a few colts in the 24k range just 6-12 months ago and now I've only seen 1 for sale and it's in the 30k range. So did they go up 20% or did I just misinterpret that because of model differences (or outliers).

I would also appreciate any general advice on what to look for in an m16. Anything to watch out for when considering the older models (1970s). I am familiar with firearms and have many AR's. But this will be my first MG.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited by timelinex
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So what are you looking for?  Cheapest M16 style firearm, or a real valuable collectable?

Real Colt M16 always command the higher value. I'm not an expert on cost differences so I'll let the more experience people on this board speak up. I've seen prices as low as $23k and high as $35k

The AR15 non M16 are typically a lot less. Some are more desirable than others for various reasons. Usually some deal with quality of the build (out of spec lowers) vs big takedown pin  (Colt AR-15 SP1). You'll see brands like Sendra, Olympic Arms, Colt (SP1), etc. Price I've seen low as $16k and high as $25k (though I think that was too high).

So do you have a idea of what you want?

As a first MG, the M16 is a versatile firearm. Personally I get more enjoyment shooting submachine guns.  It's cheaper to shoot, much easier to control in F/A. Typically my SP1 I'd shoot it in burst vs mag dump.  SMG I do both and have a smile. If you can afford it, HK MP5 is one of my favorites. I've shot Reising and Thompson and they are fun. I need to get my hands on a tube SMG because I've heard good things from friends. MAC 11s are very popular due to the Lage upper you can put on it. Hopefully the ATF doesn't screw it all up dealing with Lage.

Edited by Ryo
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15 hours ago, Ryo said:

So what are you looking for?  Cheapest M16 style firearm, or a real valuable collectable?

I would say I am looking for an in between. I want something collectable that goes up in value over time, as that eases concerns of spending tens of thousands on firearms that I will rarely ever use :ph34r:. But I am also not looking for unicorns or unfired examples, because I do plan on occasionally using it. 

So I think that puts me squarely into lightly used Colt M16 territory.

15 hours ago, Ryo said:

Real Colt M16 always command the higher value. I'm not an expert on cost differences so I'll let the more experience people on this board speak up. I've seen prices as low as $23k and high as $35k

Right. This is what I'm seeing, so I am wondering what I am missing.

I know gun/ammo prices have gone up during the pandemic, but it doesn't seem to have effected NFA prices as the factors leading to high prices (panic buying & sourcing materials) don't effect NFA (someone buying 30k guns with 6 month turnaround isn't panic buying and nothing new is being built). The 24k m16's were being sold in the middle of the pandemic so it's not like that was pre=pandemic prices anyways. 

So I just wanted to see if the different prices were because of different models. Or if the few m16's listed went up 20% in the last 2 months.

15 hours ago, Ryo said:

The AR15 non M16 are typically a lot less. Some are more desirable than others for various reasons. Usually some deal with quality of the build (out of spec lowers) vs big takedown pin  (Colt AR-15 SP1). You'll see brands like Sendra, Olympic Arms, Colt (SP1), etc. Price I've seen low as $16k and high as $25k (though I think that was too high).

So do you have a idea of what you want?

As a first MG, the M16 is a versatile firearm. Personally I get more enjoyment shooting submachine guns.  It's cheaper to shoot, much easier to control in F/A. Typically my SP1 I'd shoot it in burst vs mag dump.  SMG I do both and have a smile. If you can afford it, HK MP5 is one of my favorites. I've shot Reising and Thompson and they are fun. I need to get my hands on a tube SMG because I've heard good things from friends. MAC 11s are very popular due to the Lage upper you can put on it. Hopefully the ATF doesn't screw it all up dealing with Lage.

I sent you a PM of the M16 I'm looking at.

I have shot an HK MP5 and it was fantastic. I just wanted and m16 and m60 before that. But I wouldn't say no if someone was trying to get rid of theirs fast and gave me a good deal on an HK MP5.

 

 

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Some invest in machine guns when stock market is uncertain. I noticed an uptick lately also. Currently with inflation and Biden in office I think some are putting money in machine guns and that’s causing prices to rise

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42 minutes ago, Ryo said:

So I feel justified putting money in last year for more MG.  :D

I'm still surprised Reising 50's are so cheap. They are not a bad SMG in my opinion.

Heavy, ergonomically uncomfortable, 12/20 round mags are expensive, 30 round mags are unreliable, parts break/replacements not readily available cheap, poor historical reputation.  That said, they are considered the MN machine gun due to the C&R status.

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I bought Keystone 30rd new production magazines for $90 last year.  They only tested 3 of my 6 and they all had no issues running Wolf 45 and the other ammo my friends ran.  I was pleasantly surprised. Christie mags wouldn't even fit without body adjustments due to the action bar. 

 

Parts that break can be modified to be reliable.. Main one is the floating firing pin mod.  No more broken firing pins. Many hundreds of rounds through it now. 

 

Talking about ergonomics.. Firing the Reising with sights was so much easier than with my Thompson. Rear sight on Thompson was blurry due to it being so far back. Had more fun shooting it gangster style. 

Edited by Ryo
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