Talk me into a full auto m16

[Trigger Time]

Oh I deffinately am not the 1 round every 5 second kind of guy. I hate shooting slow except on precision guns.
I guess I just need to seriously put the word out that I'm looking and have cash if I find the right deal. If I buy one I'll have to sell some stuff to pay mommy back or she will make me sleep in my non heated garage. Forever

 

[Trigger Time]

So phylo if you were gonna buy one what brand type would you be looking for? I do want something that will increase or gold it's value. So basicly I don't want the Anderson of the m16 world

 

[17 squirrel]

I will ad to what a few have already stated, I was lucky and bought well in the late 70's and 80's, I played with them for a few years and the fun meter wore off and safe queens they all became. I bought a couple back then for 2,000 plus transfer and the rest were under say 600 bucks or less plus transfer.
Back then the extra for a stamp was the big deal, not so much anymore.
I agree that the investment time is about over for the popular MG's unless you are really lucky and buy well. And if a awesome deal is in front and me I will still buy...
All of mine sat in a couple of safes for over 20 years until my son started playing with them again .
Would I pay 20 to 25 grand for something I bought for 800 bucks ??
Not a chance.. Go and rent one for a few hundred every now and then.
The problem that I have when they leave the house and go somewhere besides my farm or a friends place is, people I don't know see me and some of the firearms that I own.
Andrew is a friend and when he started to rent his transferables to paying customers he asked me if I was interested in getting involved with renting some of my MG's.
I told him no and gave him the reasons I stated above. Less than a year later what happens to Andrew ?
I understand that who stole the trailer might or might not have known what was inside, it matters not to me.
I am anal about who, what and where I take any transferable.. Always have been, always will be.
I don't want to have to call atf and say, well I am missing two beltfeds and 3 M16's.. That would suck....

If you can afford one, have fun and enjoy it. They are a gas to shoot.

 

[KJQ6945]

The only way I would ever consider buying an M16 would be as an investment and I fear the time for that has passed. Unless you can find a great deal (a friend just bought one for $12K) on one it doesn't make sense in my opinion. I fear the firearms market is as robust as it is likely to get and while I don't expect an M16 is going to depreciate, the days of triple digit returns on NFA investments is over (again, unless you can find something for well below current market value).

I have no use for full auto, I've fired it plenty and the novelty wears off quickly especially if its my money being consumed.

I don't think the price of machine guns will ever level out. There is a finite number of transferables, and that number can only get smaller, as pieces suffer catastrophic failures, stolen etc.
5 years ago you could buy a Mac for $3K, a AC556 for $5K, and a M16 for $12K. The normal market is about twice that on all of those now. The days of doubling your money are far from over.

 

[Trigger Time]

I don't think the price of machine guns will ever level out. There is a finite number of transferables, and that number can only get smaller, as pieces suffer catastrophic failures, stolen etc.
5 years ago you could buy a Mac for $3K, a AC556 for $5K, and a M16 for $12K. The normal market is about twice that on all of those now. The days of doubling your money are far from over.

I could have bought a Mac for 3900 afew months ago . I turned it down because I wasn't willing to pay more that 3400.

 

[17 squirrel]

So phylo if you were gonna buy one what brand type would you be looking for? I do want something that will increase or gold it's value. So basicly I don't want the Anderson of the m16 world

Colt #1 for me.
After that any of Uncle Sams contractors,
Hydromatic, H&R..

 

[phylodog]

So phylo if you were gonna buy one what brand type would you be looking for? I do want something that will increase or gold it's value. So basicly I don't want the Anderson of the m16 world

Colt all the way. Not because they're necessarily better than any others on the market but they definitely have the most recognizable name. It's the same name that was on the US Military M16/M4 rifles that a lot of people who are interested in owning something like they were issued when they served.

 

[phylodog]

I don't think the price of machine guns will ever level out. There is a finite number of transferables, and that number can only get smaller, as pieces suffer catastrophic failures, stolen etc.
5 years ago you could buy a Mac for $3K, a AC556 for $5K, and a M16 for $12K. The normal market is about twice that on all of those now. The days of doubling your money are far from over.

I think they'll continue to climb but the rate of the climb I think has stabilized or come close. The same friend I mentioned earlier has a NIB Colt Commando that he bought in 1984 for something like $1200. Today that gun would easily sell for $25K. NFA prices have gone up considerably in the last ten years which I believe is due to the overall increase in the popularity of firearms in this country. I think the number of new shooters has begun to level off and so will the pricing. Like I mentioned, I don't think anyone will lose money on full auto as long as they pay a decent price for it but expectations of doubling your money if you buy at current market value are long gone. If you enjoy shooting full auto its still a safe investment.

 

[KJQ6945]

Colt all the way. Not because they're necessarily better than any others on the market but they definitely have the most recognizable name. It's the same name that was on the US Military M16/M4 rifles that a lot of people who are interested in owning something like they were issued when they served.

^^ This all the way^^
for investment purposes, by the best name you can afford. Roll marks matter for resale.

 

[17 squirrel]

I don't think the price of machine guns will ever level out. There is a finite number of transferables, and that number can only get smaller, as pieces suffer catastrophic failures, stolen etc.
5 years ago you could buy a Mac for $3K, a AC556 for $5K, and a M16 for $12K. The normal market is about twice that on all of those now. The days of doubling your money are far from over.

What I see is, that the lower priced MG's have gone up in price consistently in the last few years and the more popular and more expensive have not grown in price that much..
Will it stop ? Who knows, but if someones willing to pay, the prices will continue to climb.

 

[KJQ6945]

I think they'll continue to climb but the rate of the climb I think has stabilized or come close. The same friend I mentioned earlier has a NIB Colt Commando that he bought in 1984 for something like $1200. Today that gun would easily sell for $25K. NFA prices have gone up considerably in the last ten years which I believe is due to the overall increase in the popularity of firearms in this country. I think the number of new shooters has begun to level off and so will the pricing. Like I mentioned, I don't think anyone will lose money on full auto as long as they pay a decent price for it but expectations of doubling your money if you buy at current market value are long gone. If you enjoy shooting full auto its still a safe investment.

I hope your right, but I just doubt it. I was always in to muscle cars earlier in life. My goal was to have a Hemi Road Runner by the time I was 35. Raising kids at the time made money tight, and they've never leveled off. They became a rich mans hobby, and the guns are pretty much doing the same thing.

 

[dsol]

I may know a private seller down here in Southern Indiana that has one for sale, he used to be a FFL and knows all the Form 3 hoops to jump through. PM me later if you want to be put in touch with him.

I am unsure of the details other than it is a Colt M16A1, but can find out more.

It was 22.5K cash or 25K he is asking.

 

[Leadeye]

Have had some experience with FA stuff over the years and my only advice would be to buy an open bolt sub gun of some sort. Almost all FA shooting is done at pistol ranges where 5.56 is over powered in addition to being more expensive than you can shoot pistol cartridge stuff for. My favorite shooting is with an M1 Thompson using cast lead bullet ammo that I make myself. Low cost, lots of fun, and I don't think the gun will ever wear out. Surplus parts are still available if something did break.

Not taking anything away from the rifle caliber or belt fed stuff, it's fun, but looking at the big picture these days a sub gun makes more sense.

 

[KLB]

If I had the money laying around and someone was selling a valuable M16 for $12K I'd buy it in a minute, that's a good investment. If you've got the coin to buy just be patient and wait for a good deal to come along. Full auto firearms are going to hold their value so its a safe place to put your money. The only way to lose would be if NFA was repealed and while I think it is possible we may see SBR, SBS and suppressors removed from the NFA, I don't ever see full auto being removed. Too many people with lots of money and influence would lose big time for it to happen.

The NFA isn't the problem here though, it is the Hughes Amendment. If they were to suddenly allow buying new full-autos, prices for the older ones would go down a lot.

 

[phylodog]

The NFA isn't the problem here though, it is the Hughes Amendment. If they were to suddenly allow buying new full-autos, prices for the older ones would go down a lot.

You are correct, I don't believe that'll ever happen either. Too many people with money and power would take a substantial hit to their investments.

 

[Leadeye]

Being one of "those people" I would gladly watch that investment go away to see things back the way they were in the "golden years" of 77-84.

 

[avboiler11]

I too have been considering a M16...I can see value for a quality lower in the $15-20k range, but above that is simply too rich for a giggle switch.

I do know a guy in Texas that got his FFL07 so he could dabble in post-ban samples; it is a very part time second gig for him as a full-time professional pilot but he said his revenue from sales and transfers pays for his hobby so he considers that a win.

 

[17 squirrel]

Being one of "those people" I would gladly watch that investment go away to see things back the way they were in the "golden years" of 77-84.

I agree wholeheartedly, to those of us that bought heavily back in the dark ages, I could care less about my investment value in firearms. They were not bought as investments. They were bought to shoot and have fun with.

If Hughes went away, my kid would be killing me to buy the beltfeds that would now be available. A M2, a Mag 50, 240, 249 and on and on.... More fun than a greasey old hog dripping LSA all over you..

 

[Spear Dane]

If you aren't approaching this with a "it's an investment I can play with" attitude then you are as well off (and umpteen thousands of bucks to the better) to simply put a Slidefire stock on a mil spec lower.

 

[KJQ6945]

If you aren't approaching this with a "it's an investment I can play with" attitude then you are as well off (and umpteen thousands of bucks to the better) to simply put a Slidefire stock on a mil spec lower.

Reported!

This is obviously a shill account operated by my wife.