How to Estimate a Used Gun's Value

Private vs Trade-In Sale

First off, throw away any sentimental value.

The person behind the counter at your local dealer isn’t going to care if it was your first gun ever or your grandfather’s gun. Now, if it was a gun that was documented as owned by someone really famous then it probably has substantial value and should be treated with great care!

You will almost always get more money for your gun through a private sale than trading it in.

The difference is convenience and effort.

By taking a lower price for the trade-in the other person is taking the risk of being able to eventually sell it for you.

Make sure you have a reasonable price in your head beforehand.  Let’s go over the basic “rule of thumb” steps for finding the trade in value.

Calculating the Trade-In Value

1. Be honest with yourself about the condition – Never taken out of the box with 0 scratches and hardly a fingerprint is considered mint condition.  Scratches, corrosion, worn finish? Take your initial assessment then move down to the next grade.  You can argue all you want but that single scratch is going to keep you from getting the “excellent” price even if you’re selling to a private party.

2. Find the going used rate for your gun – Go to GunBroker.com, Armslist.com or even bluebookofgunvalues.com (although the last one isn’t free) and find your gun.  Make sure it is EXACTLY your gun.  Yes, Kimber 1911’s are going for $800 but your 1911 is made by Rock Island Armory. There will be a price difference.  It also helps to know your area and what used guns go for there.  The only way to do that is to frequently visit the gun stores and try to figure out where your local stores sell compared to internet used prices.  Is it higher?  Is it lower?

3. Take that going used rate and cut it in half.  That’s your starting point.  

Conclusion

In the end, this is just a quick way of determining the starting point. Once you have that you can visit the CaliberSwap website, search directly for the gun you want to sell and receive a free appraisal and top dollar purchase offer. We then guide you through safely shipping and packaging your firearm (we pay for all shipping and transfer costs) and once we receive your gun, we promptly send payment and official bill of sale. We are professional, safe and discreet. CaliberSwap is licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help people in the purchase, sale and transfer of firearms in the United States. We make this process simple, legal and safe as we feel it is extremely important to promote responsible gun ownership.