Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Value of Custom built rifles

A follow-up to my previous post-

I bought one of those full-out custom rifles, some time past. It was a Ruger #1, built by such artists as stockmaker Al Lind and metal engraver Ray Viramontez, and fitted with a Shilen barrel. It was offered by Guns Magazine as a closed bid auction, proceeds to benefit the Olympic Shooters Fund. No, it wasn't built specifically for me, but from the photos and descriptions, it was something that really appealed to me.
Mine was the high bid, and once the rifle was in my possession, it went into my gun safe, where it stayed for a number of years. I would take it out occasionally to clean it up, or show it to friends, or whatever. Then, one day it occurred to me that it if I didn't shoot it, the rifle was nothing more than a museum piece, that I would never recover my money from, tax deduction notwithstanding.
So, I mounted up a scope, fireformed some .280 brass into .280 RCBS for which it was chambered, worked up a load for it, and took it elk hunting, where I shot the biggest bull elk I have ever seen, before or since. I still take this rifle out of the safe every once in awhile, just to admire the wood, checkering and engraving, and the wonderful balance it has. Someday, one of my sons, or my grandson, will own it, hopefully to also appreciate it as a fine piece of artwork.
I guess this rifle totally changed my perspective on custom, wood stocked rifles, and why one should own one (or more). I intend to do more hunting with this very special rifle- probably not in driving rain or snowy blizzards, but on hunts I intend to remember as much as that elk hunt. Who knows, maybe this fall for a big New Mexico Muley?

Wood stocked custom rifles cost a fortune to have done these days. 2k is cheap in comparison. I would love to find the perfect fitting model 70 based wood custom. Likely would be same price as factory Supergrade at collector price. Supergrade probably better investment but an older, nice, model 70 custom would be cool to have.

Custom rifles are play money, toys. Nice to have, but you're buying one for YOU, nobody else, not even your kids.

I appreciate them, but would only pay a "custom" price if the thing was a laser and I'd just won the lottery or something. A parts gun with custom work on the barrel is about my style.

I have number of custom rifles that were all built by the best well-known gunsmiths in the US.

All of these rifles have Bender, Swarovski and March scopes.

A while back I wanted to sell all of them as one lot.

I tried a few places who said they pay top dollar for collections and they offered less than a 1/3 of the cost me to build them so they all went back in my safe. Lots of tire kickers with big ideas and no money

Even if I sold them for 1/2 the price I had invested in them the buyer could have made a substantial profit.

The scopes alone are well worth over the price they had offered me for the complete lot.

I am seriously contemplating the idea to leave them in my will and give them to the NRA to auction off at one of their yearly events in which they will receive the proceeds as I have no family members that I would want to leave them to.

All I can say is they are great for personal enjoyment but a terrible investment.

Nah, I'm not Wieland,
If I were, I would have spelled my last name correctly.....

Seems legit.




Clark

I remember people flipping out when my dad bought his first K-80 after they divorced.

They thought it was incredibly stupid to spend that much on a shotgun because "An 870 does the same" type of mentality or the much more common "You can't buy birds" thought. You don't buy birds - what you buy is a tool that allows you to practice enough to hit better. Go ahead and put 200,000 rounds down a Stoeger and tell me it's as tight as a K80 or Perrazi.

He reminded them that people spend 25k on a harley, ride it 4 years (putting all of 6,000 miles on it) and sell it for 50% of purchase price

He bought the K gun for a lot less, can use it year round and put a couple hundred thousand rounds through it (and did) and sell it for 85% of purchase price - if not more.

It's all in what you do - some people snowmobile and spend 30k doing that - others hunt and shoot and spend a lot less but because you can get an 870 or RAR for 300 bucks - anything more is crazy...