How big of a hit should one expect from selling custom rifles? Is there a difference in full customs or semi customs off 700 or another factory actions? I feel like it has to be a desirable set-up (caliber and configuration) to even sell these days....and to get a good number it has to be a full custom done “right” in the eyes of many...with top notch components...

My recent experience is that you are doing well to recoup 50% of the cost of a semi-custom. Maybe get back 30-40% of a full custom. The longer you are willing to wait, the more you can recoup, to a point. However, if you look at the Hallowell site, and the high end rifles on Guns International, many of those have been for sale for more than a year. Tis not the time to be selling nice stuff if you do not have to... JMO... YMMV...

Orion pretty much nailed it.

The market is soft on everything except black rifles and plastic pistols. Prices for fine blue-and-walnut rifles are as low as I've seen them in close to 40 years and getting lower. Rifles by big names (Biesen, Echols, Miller, etc.) hold their value a bit better than rifles by less well-known people, but only a bit.

Most people considering a custom probably want to build from scratch, so the value depends on what the rifle is. Custom work done to enhance accuracy has taken a huge hit since there are so many accurate inexpensive factory rifles these days.

What kind of rifles are you looking at selling?


Okie John

Recently sold a custom stocked rifle, got not quite 33% of total amount invested in the rifle and stock. Ouch! T.

It'll hurt!!!

That it does. It’s a good time to be a buyer if nice rifles though.

For sure custom rifles lose money. Semi custom probably worse but there’s a lot of variance.

For that matter factory rifles lose money. Best maybe break even. If someone disagrees with that statement and says “I paid a $1.50 for this beautiful Winchester 1942 Model 70 and today it’s worth x” they haven’t realized that inflation ate all the supposed extra value of the rifle.

Which is why you should only have custom rifles that delight you. I don’t give a damn if my custom rifles lost money after I hunted with them all over and then I died.

We should ask Rick for a sticky ad in the classifieds just for “swapping” customs. IE only post WTT for other customs so that we fray some of the cost.

Just a thought!

Well I have one I’m bored with. It’s an incredible rifle and I’ll just keep shooting. It was my first from the ground up. So I guess there are some things I’d change. All cosmetic. It’s a 6.5 CM. Stiller Tac 30, Mullerworks 1:8 finished at 22, McMillan Edge olive green with black specs, trigger tech trigger. Built completely by Accurate Ordnance who unfortunately has closed its doors as AO.

Seems like parting out sells quicker and probably a little better money.


Biggest hit is probably the barrel and anything that was "smithed" like action truing...unless done by a known reputable Smith. Stocks, actions, triggers etc usually move quicker than a custom rifle...as long as they are desirable.



Unless a custom is in front of the right buyer, you're in for a big loss and likely a long wait.

I missed a custom built on a trued 700 a couple weeks ago... literally everything I was about to build almost down to the details. It sold for just over what the stock cost new....and it was for sale since December.

I've heard a couple times to expect to get back what you have in parts. I've sold a couple and never came out close to even. A couple days ago on gunbroker, I watched a semi-custom built by a well known builder sell for less than a thousand bucks. I think it had less than 75 rounds down the pipe and looked to be about a $3500 build. There's been a few on here lately that have really suprised me with the time it's taken to sell them. It's a soft market but you may get a little more traction being it's a Creedmoor. However, I think you made the right decision to just enjoy it for the time being.

My old boss said “ We lost our hat, ass, and overcoat on that job”. Instead of building one, maybe keep an eye out for a used one.

One of the problems with a custom is, it was built just the way you wanted it. In the case of your gun, everything may be just the way I wanted it except XXX (fill in the blank, in this case I will pick on the barre) I wanted a 24" barrel and yours has a 22", so I would have to retube it to get just what I wanted which means that I would need to get yours cheap enough that I could afford to put another $600 ( I made that number up but figured $300 for the barrel and $300 to install) and still get some kind of a deal or it is not worth it to me.
I have custom stocks on 3 of my shotguns and I knew going into it, if I ever sold the those 3 guns I would loose my butt.

If I were going to sell a custom rifle today, I would part it out, I think you might get a little more money (still less that 50%) but a little better than you would as a whole gun.
YMMV

I don’t think it could be summed up any better. Custom builds are not a good financial investment, that’s for sure. Most looneys realize that going in, part of the sickness.

This.

I could use a Tac 30, if it gets parted out.

I have not taken a hit on a single custom or semi -custom rifle. Of course I have not sold any yet and I don't plan on selling any. They are to be handed down to my children. I have written down the particular aspects of all my rifles/shotguns and pistols in this category and have passed this on to my children. It seems to be a dynamic document and keeps having to be amended. If your plan is similar, I suggest you start writing the particulars down for when you are not around.

Think of a custom being like a bespoke custom-tailored suit. It works for YOU.

Only thing that would make me pay full rip for someone else's custom is if I really admired the owner AND the smith, and I wanted something to remember them by.

And Lynt? That's a really smart suggestion.

I just picked up a 1975 Remington Custom Shop Model 700 C Grade with nice rings and mount for $1,035. In a reverse inflation calculator with 3% inflation per year, that puts it at $274 in 1975 dollars.

I doubt the original owner paid only $274 for that rifle. I'm not sure if it's been hunted with but it has been fired. Very little wear on the jeweling on the bolt and only a few random compression marks in the finish. Granted, it's not a full custom rifle, but it is a very nice "semi" custom back when the custom shop rifles were darn nice.

I bought a C grade for 1100 about a year ago. It didn’t look like it had been fired

Great rifles at a great price!

Thats the ONLY way to avoid taking a hit. Build it for yourself the way YOU like it, then use it and keep it. Other have mentioned return on investment as about 33%, and I'll concur with that.

The old rule of thumb, even on modifications or 'improvements' to factory rifles was...if the Mod cost $150..then deduct that amount from the value. Simple as that.

Customs are customs...for YOU.

Factory guns of any kind are worth the most COMPLETELY unaltered.

I picked this one up the other day on Gunbroker for $900.500 rounds down the tube,shipped for free,plus a bunch of extra stuff with it.
23” Rock Creek 5R, stainless barrel. #4 barrel contour,1-10” twist
Obermeyer 30-06 chamber dimensions
KDF muzzle brake with interchangeable thread protector
Gunkote finish, barrel and action
McMillan Game Scout stock, pillar, glass bedded
Nikon Prostaff 5 riflescope. 4.5-18 X 40 with sunshade, target and hunting turrets
Ruger scope rings, matching Gunkote finish
Timney trigger set to 3#, extra springs

Work performed by Ken Breda, High Power, Precision Gunsmith, Oakhurst, CA

Classic case! You got a helluva deal on that!

Deals are gonna get better!

Blue steel and walnut is hard to move these days unless it's a truly collectible maker. There aren't many out there. My rule of thumb on a new build is that it will sell for 33% of what I paid (in constant dollars). But you need to see this as a buying opportunity. There are lots of extremely nice custom rifles out there for sale and you can be the second owner for 1/3 of what the original owner paid to have it built.

Funny part is, I see so many custom builds for sale and the person selling it wants (or is asking for) every dime he has in it. Go buy a brand new car, drive it home and put 1000 miles on it and then ask the same price for it as you can buy it from the dealer and see if you can sell it before the tires dry rot.
Good luck with both the custom at full (or almost full) price and selling a car for full price.

All sound advice and words of experience. I’m going to keep the rifle. It’s a super fine rig and I’ll shoot it on big green fields and places I can stretch it’s legs a little. I have plenty of other rifles I enjoy that are set up for the woods hunting I do here in the SE. Thanks for the participation of those who chimed in.