Surplus Arms Price Check
 

I was in a gun shop this morning looking around and saw that an overpriced U.S. 1917 Winchester .30-06 bolt action had a significant price reduction. For over six months the rifle sat in the rack with a hang tag of $999.00. I told the shop staff that the price was excessive. The rifle was listed on a few internet gun auction sites and there were no takers at the reserve price. Today, the hang tag sale price is $749.00. I credited the shop owner with heading in the right direction, but mentioned they still had some distance to go get to a reasonable price. The owner said he would love to slash the price, but he paid $700.00 for the rifle. I told him that he paid too much. He agreed. Take care...
Joe

Joe,

Surplus Arms prices are all over the chart. I agree, that P-17 is over priced.

In the April 2012 edition of "Guns" Magazine, on page 32, Holt Bodinson reviews the M-58 Madsen bolt action .30-06 rifle. His specimen appears to be Very Good to Excellent. He places a value of $400 on the rifle. In a recent article he reviewed a 6.5MM Jap rifle without an upper handguard and with a rough bore, which rifle he did not fire, and valued it at $500, as I recall.

I would say that Danish Madsen should be in the $500-$650 range, according to the local used gun racks.

Adam

About the best thing you can do is go to Gunbroker.com, join up and then login, go to advanced search, and check the "completed auctions." The asking prices are no real indication of value, but the stuff that sold is a good indication of real value if you are honest about your gun's condition VS the ones sold.

Before I go to a show I check the numbers to make sure my prices are in line and that I have a bit of maneuvering room. But if you pay to much for a gun in the beginning you are stuck between the; keep it until it increases or sell it and reinvest to generate a positive by multiple sales. It just depends on your philosophy, neither situation is wrong.
Ed

Joe,

Last weekend we had the annual Morris, PA gun show. The prices on military surplus arms would have given you chest pains! A GOOD Mark I Springfield was priced at $1,800. Garands in the Good range were $1,500 to $2,200, depending on manufacturer. A GOOD Hakim was $625 and a Swedish Ljungman 6.5x55mm was $1,150. M1 Carbines were $800-$1,200, depending on manufacturer. Yep, the DOLLAR has shrunk in value.

Adam

It depends
 

The asking prices I have seen are often very shocking. Then again, that is the asking price and everything is negotiable. Take care...
Joe

I am doing another gun show this weekend. Have seen a fair amount of Garands for sale priced from 600 for a refinished one to 1500 for one marked as a match rifle.. I know very little about them but nothing seems to be selling all that much. I haven't seen the older military rifles moving..or the newer ARs either for all that either..But ammo is flying out the door. This show is in Billings and it has been blessed with a lot of people