ley 28 wthe M1's are now in the 12-13k range and the weapons don't appear to be moving fast at these asking prices due to them being posted over and over on several internet gunboards.

Updated 5/17/2008

We have started a NEW board for buying and selling NFA weapons and other firearms and parts. The board is our Trading Post board accessed through www.NFAdealers.com. Posting is FREE.  If your are wanting to sell weapons, parts, ammo, etc. please feel free to post your items on the new board. If you are looking to purchase items please browse the board and see what is available.

     It still remains tough to find inventory at reasonable prices. Though certain segments of the market appear soft there are other items that have been HOT!  Of note are the SWD MAC 11 submachineguns. They have rocketed well past the $3000 mark and have in most instances been selling well in the $3200-$3400 range.  M16 prices have seemed to firmed a bit with recent closed sales in the 14k range. Some dealers are pushing asking prices as high as 15.5k but I do not know if they are successful in marketing their weapons at that price. C&R weapons and those hard to find pieces still command strong prices and I have not noticed any softness in their pricing. The AK weapons prices have softened some due to many currently being marketed but the full stock weapons still seem to be selling in the 15k range. Beltfeds in general are still strong and appear to be slightly increasing. Colt Thompsons have still been hot hot hot as well and asking prices are well into the mid 30k range for nice pieces. Some are being advertised as high as 40k.  M2 carbines, AC556, and MACS have been flying off the shelves if priced properly and exposed to the market for ample time.  Stens stalled for the last few months and are hovering in the low 4k range. Many are being converted to Lanchesters and Stenlings.  HK MP5 sear weapons are readily offered in the 17k-19k range for nice weapons--and sales appear to have slowed at those asking prices.  Reisings have seemed to slowed a bit. However, many I have seen listed for sale have tended to be of lower quality and buyers tend to want nicer weapons. High quality Reisings in the mid 4k range are still moving and I have recently completed several transactions. 

I think one of the BEST values in the current market are WWII Thompsons. My bet is that we will see 23k,24k, and maybe even 25k trading prices for these weapons in the not so distant future. They are very popular C&R weapons and there has been a strong demand for WWII weapons. What's not to like about owning one of the most recognized pieces of American history!

On the other hand, the West Hurley Thompsons have slipped in value since 2006. During 2006 prices for the 1928 models were as high as 16+k and they were selling at those prices. M1's were bringing close to 14k. We now see the 1928 Hurley guns in the 14k range and the M1 weapons as low as 12k asking prices.

Market prices and market value are often misunderstood. Market value refers to the average selling prices agreed upon for various items by knowledgeable buyers and sellers in the marketplace. Market price refers to the asking price of commodities in the marketplace. If indeed an item is purchased at a discount BELOW market value due to a low market price this is no indication of market value. An example may be a MAC 11 purchased years ago at $400 and offered for sale by an uninformed seller at $700. The new purchaser indeed purchased it at a market price of $700 but the current market value of any MAC 11 is in the $3000 range.  Conversely we see some dealers continually priced 15%, 20%,  and more over average market value.  Before buying or selling the BEST advice I can offer is:  DO YOUR HOMEWORK! 

Market prices do not appear to be rapidly escalating as they were two years ago. There is still demand at current levels but it appears somewhat weak and may also have been influenced by interest rates, the downturn in real estate prices (which can have a dramatic effect on perceived wealth) as well as recession fears coupled with $4/gallon gas. When looking at the overall picture of supply/demand machineguns in my opinion still appear to be  a good "investment" and also a  good value when compared to other collectibles.  What other collectible can you purchase, have so much fun with, and make a profit upon its sale?

For current market pricing I suggest visiting www.machinegunpriceguide.com. Prices listed are obtained from current offerings and dealer information on sales.

If you are thinking of selling please contact me toll free 1-866-NFA-1934. I am always interested in buying single weapons as well as entire collections. Thank you, John