Sold gun due to no ammo?

[Michigan Slim]

That's the reason I sold my .22lr guns back during the great .22 shortage. Wish I hadn't now.

I got caught there too. Made up for it after. Still hard to shoot a lot of it. 1000 round weekends used to be doable. Now we shoot a couple hundred and stop. Sucks.

 

[gregkl]

I may stop shooting altogether if component prices don't come down but for now I am okay.

I consolidated calibers a long time ago and other than .35 Rem, ammo is not out of this world expensive. And as often as I shoot my .35, what I have will last the rest of my life.

I wouldn't mind scoring 1K or so of 30 Carbine so I could shoot my carbine. But I'll hold out and see if the prices come down.

But I won't sell anything because ammo is high. The stuff can sit in the safe being a queen.

Like someone upthread said and I am like him in being old so I'm done selling. My kids can sell the guns when I'm gone and buy a Starbucks gift card or some crypto or whatever is the rage at the time.

 

[Tombs]

I just keep dumping spare money into ammo.

It almost doesn't matter what it costs, you will eventually accumulate a shocking amount. Just not quickly.
Waiting for good prices just leaves you out in the cold for years on end, and then when the ammo is cheap some other expense always comes up and you still can't afford it.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Can't say I've sold due to higher costs or low availability, but I have "dropped calibers" before. Sold all weapons and ammo associated with a particular caliber either because I don't shoot it anymore or wanted to thin the herd. Trying to keep ample stock across many facets is a daunting task. Snackrifices must be made to strengthen the others.

 

[two70]

IMO, making long term decisions based on short term or (likely) temporary conditions is not a good idea. Of course the devil is in the details. How easy would the rifle be to replace? If it's easily replaced that might make selling a little more reasonable. How much would you shoot it if ammo would readily available? If you're not going to shoot it a lot even with plentiful ammo, then selling may be a better option. I think though, you probably answered your own question. If you don't want to sell, then don't. You can always sell later if you change your mind.

 

[Mgderf]

I just reread this. And thought of my collection. I may be a hoarder.

I despise labels...Lol

 

[printcraft]

I've not done it so far. I have a rifle for which ammo is practically unobtanium (6.5x53R Dutch Mannlicher bicycle carbine), but I was able to source some brass made from .303 Brit brass and make my own. I have gone the opposite direction too and bought ammo for which I didn't have a gun to fire it (6.5x54 Mannlicher) in the hopes that I would eventually find a gun for it.

I had a little bit of .44 mag on the shelf that I just had to sell because every time I looked at it I thought...
"I need to get something to shoot this with..."

 

[Mgderf]

That's about what primers cost. Powder is also astronomical right now and the 45-70 guzzles it.

I don't buy that anyone is getting under 50 cents a round, even loading their own, in the current market.

Not all .45-70 has to be loaded to T-Rex loads.

 

[femurphy77]

I purchased a rifle because I needed something to shoot ammo I accidentally ordered one time but have never sold anything because I don't have ammo for it. I do have one cap and ball pistol I've never purchased anything for it to make it go bang but I'll just hang onto it a little longer.

 

[JRR85]

Odd ball and expensive calibers are the gateway drug to reloading! Ask me how I know.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Not all .45-70 has to be loaded to T-Rex loads.

But they're just so darned fun that way!

 

[tcecil88]

I sold all my rimfire and centerfire guns a year ago when there was no ammo. Bought a double barrel shotgun cause that's what Uncle Joe said was all I needed.

 

[Mongo59]

I can remember when you bought the surplus gun and they gave you a crate of ammo.

Now, if you buy a crate of ammo, they give you the gun...

 

[Michigan Slim]

Not all .45-70 has to be loaded to T-Rex loads.

Trailboss and Unique make nice reduced loads that still kill deer.

 

[ancjr]

I remember when you could go in Walmart at 3am, drunk, and buy all the 9mm they had for like $20.

 

[1nderbeard]

IMO, making long term decisions based on short term or (likely) temporary conditions is not a good idea. Of course the devil is in the details. How easy would the rifle be to replace? If it's easily replaced that might make selling a little more reasonable. How much would you shoot it if ammo would readily available? If you're not going to shoot it a lot even with plentiful ammo, then selling may be a better option. I think though, you probably answered your own question. If you don't want to sell, then don't. You can always sell later if you change your mind.

Boom. Selling a rifle is making a short term problem a long term one. You'll never find the replacement any where close (if at all) to what you paid for it. Even 2-3 years ago.

 

[Leo]

I have bought some firearms because of the novelty. After I shot it, and let my friends try it, It sat in the safe until I sold it. Some were ridiculous, like the Phelps 45-70 revolver, some really had no practical use unless you are in combat in the middle east, like the 50AE desert eagle, and a way over priced Merkle double rifle. The expense of the ammo was a part of it.

 

[two70]

I have bought some firearms because of the novelty. After I shot it, and let my friends try it, It sat in the safe until I sold it. Some were ridiculous, like the Phelps 45-70 revolver, some really had no practical use unless you are in combat in the middle east, like the 50AE desert eagle, and a way over priced Merkle double rifle. The expense of the ammo was a part of it.

That makes me sad and a wee bit jealous.

 

[dan1856]

I miss this. Gone are the days of $100 yugo SKS rifles and $80 for 1K of 7.62. I remember going to the 1500 and buying 3 cases of 7.62x39 for $240

 

[spainy79]

I have to say this thread took off better than I thought it would with responses. A day has passed and I made all of you wonder what I could possibly be selling...or not...it is my Marlin 336 chambered in .35 Remington (gregkl mentioned it earlier). I stumbled upon this gun at an estate auction in 2019. It wasn't the gun I went there for but I was happy with my bid and taking it home. Wasn't my first lever gun and won't be my last (pending the new Marlin 1895 SBL). Lost Californian mentioned the local gun shop for reloading and I believe I know which shop you're talking about. A coworker mentioned this to me a while back (before the whole pandemic started) and I hadn't even thought about that. I'm going to Texas soon for a hog hunt and the 336 was one of my options that I want to take. I'm not taking an AR; I want to use either a lever or bolt gun. The bolt gun I'm pondering to take is my Remington 722 chambered in .300 Savage and yes, I have plenty of ammo for it.