I've taken a $700 Springfield, put $1000 worth or parts into it and an ungodly amount of sweat-equity labot, too. To say nothing of the cost of learning how to do said sweat equity in an environment that maximzes my chances of not screwing up. Made a pretty well-functioning gat if I do say so myself.
So when I sell if I should ask for $2000 for it, right? At least. It's a well made custom gun!
Well, no. Who am I? Some well known custom gunsmith? No. Can't sell on that.
All the work I put into that gun, I could have just paid the gunsmith to do it for me! He charges a grand. Is it a $1700 gun when I try to sell it?
No.
I am lucky I didn't turn a $700 gun into a $400 gun. Like Tam says, it's customized for me. Well, tuned up for me. Most folks if given the choice between my used gun or the same model brand new from gun store, would go for the new. It would take some doing in the salesmanship department, demoing all the improvements, to get that realized price higher than the MSRP. I won't come within rifle range of getting back what I put into it.
And that's fine with me.
And whoever does get this gun after me, they are just lucky. That sear hammer engagement is sweet and the slide and barrel lockup is pretty good too.
Fortunately (so far) everything I've done to my K-31 is reversible.
ReplyDeleteM1907 sling, front G1911 front sling swivel, Left-hand adapter, Fuerter sight, all non-permanent. I've resisted muzzle threading and anything else that is permanent.
I've been wanting a sporterized version for hunting, but until I can find someone who makes a synthetic stock for it, I'll stick with a levergun in .35 Rem. Everything else is either stone stock or as I bought it, which goes back to your comment about turning a $700 gun into a $400 gun.