If they repealed the NFA, and other laws. Prices?

[freakazoid]

Something I've been wondering. Let's say the all of the NFA and other anti-gun laws were repealed. What would this do to prices of all the current NFA guns out there? I would think that guns like MACs, ARs, and AKs would pretty much drop down to the price of the semi-auto version. But some of the more rare ones I would think really wouldn't drop much. They would drop some since they could then be imported again, or turned back to a rebuilt condition after having been turned into parts kits, but some there really isn't much out there, or now no longer in a great condition, for example all the STG-44s that are being used over in the Middle East. How many Solothurns are there really out there, or surviving examples of Thompsons, or Lewis guns, ect.? And on top of that would there be preban and postban markets? Rebuilt from parts kits and original non-destroyed? Would NFA registered guns hold a premium, or guns that had been squirreled away in your grandfathers attic and never registered?
Thoughts?

[Firethorn]

Depends on condition, history, 'collectability', etc...

An original M-16 should still be worth some coin just for the history, but it's price should indeed drop substantially. 

Firearms that aren't produced anymore, period, should have more value.  Indeed, with the market opened up more, they may actually increase in value some due to more people getting into the sport.

For example, stamp collections are currently falling in value because, well, 'nobody' uses stamps anymore.  Without the day to day familiarity with them, the interest has plummeted.

More low end ex-NFA weapons will open the joys of NFA ownership to ever more people, and that will stimulate demand for the historical ones.  It would be something of a roller-coaster ride before things settled to a new equilibrium though.

[brimic]

Newly manufactured FA stuff will probably be the same price as new Semiauto versions, if not cheaper altogether. I would imagine stuff coming off the NFA might have some collector value as being 'prohibition' guns, the newest of which, would be about 30 years old.

[AJ Dual]

Imagine the NEW stuff gun makers would come up with... 

[Perd Hapley]

I would expect, after a generation or two, the forbidden fruit of full-auto joy toys would lose some of their cachet. People might still want them, like they want sports cars, or horses, but they wouldn't be in as high demand as we might think.

[Fly320s]

Imagine the NEW stuff gun makers would come up with... 

They already are.  Most of the big names make full-auto versions they hope to sell to military clients.  Sig's MCx and MPx have full auto versions for government sales.  I own a MPx and would love to have a full auto version,

[AJ Dual]

They already are.  Most of the big names make full-auto versions they hope to sell to military clients.  Sig's MCx and MPx have full auto versions for government sales.  I own a MPx and would love to have a full auto version,

True, but it's still a trickle as compared to the interesting and off the wall things the civilian market would come up with.

[MechAg94]

I think most all gun guys would get at least one full auto or select fire gun, but most people would burn through some ammo and then only shoot it that way occasionally.  I would probably end up with at least one full auto subgun and an AR type.  Any sort of belt fed gun would be just as expensive as the current semi-auto reproductions. 

There would also be a lot of shooting ranges that wouldn't allow full auto.  I know the range I belong to does not allow it now. 

On the suppressor side, that is where I would probably go a little crazy wanting to get one for just about every caliber I have.  I think you would see hunting with suppressed guns become a new trend.

[Fly320s]

I think most all gun guys would get at least one full auto or select fire gun, but most people would burn through some ammo and then only shoot it that way occasionally.  I would probably end up with at least one full auto subgun and an AR type.  Any sort of belt fed gun would be just as expensive as the current semi-auto reproductions. 

There would also be a lot of shooting ranges that wouldn't allow full auto.  I know the range I belong to does not allow it now. 

On the suppressor side, that is where I would probably go a little crazy wanting to get one for just about every caliber I have.  I think you would see hunting with suppressed guns become a new trend.

Agree with you about silencers.  Those would get very cheap very quickly.  I'd probably buy one for every type of gun I have, in each caliber.

[brimic]

There would also be a lot of shooting ranges that wouldn't allow full auto.  I know the range I belong to does not allow it now. 

Most gun ranges are run by or have a majority of fudds in their membership who think that full autos are illegal, even those who do acknowledge that FAs are legal are plenty content to make the FA owners sit at the back of the bus when they aren't actively throwing them under the bus to try to appease their liberal friends.

Having the number of full autos in circulation increase by a factor of 10, 100, or 1000 would greatly increase the demand for ranges that allow full auto fire.


As far as ammo goes- there is vast warehouses full of surplus ammo out there in the world available for pennies/round, its just that its banned from import because arbitrary rulings banning 'non-sporting' and 'cop-killer' ammo.

[Jamisjockey]

I predict there would be an immediate run on available full autos, and they would temporarily become more expensive.
Suppressors are easily mass manufactured, and would probably not see a huge bump in pricing.

Personally, about the only full auto I'd want is something in a cheap caliber. 
I want some SBR's and suppressors. 

[brimic]

I predict there would be an immediate run on available full autos, and they would temporarily become more expensive.
Suppressors are easily mass manufactured, and would probably not see a huge bump in pricing.

Personally, about the only full auto I'd want is something in a cheap caliber. 
I want some SBR's and suppressors. 

The irony is that FA seems to have the biggest utility in a SHTF event, with mass gun confiscation being the most likely of events.

I'd lurv me a Browning BAR or two for repelling aholes, but without a NFA and without a GCA 68, the likelihood of ever needing one is zero.

[French G.]

All I'd want would be belt-fed and I doubt they would get cheap in a hurry. I wonder how many manufacturers would market new guns. Someone would try to sue them out of business.

[never_retreat]

Missing one big thing I think.
All the non registered full autos that are in "storage".
I may or may not know a few people with stuff that they legitimately did find after the registry was closed. Its just been cached away all these years.
I bet there are a lot of pieces out there like this.

[RevDisk]

Aside from belt fed or SMGs, FA isn't very useful under most circumstances. Doctrine has moved away from SMGs, but they persist because they're a lot of fun. I'm sure a lot of folks would love to dump a mag on FA. More power to them. It'd be new shiny toy for a while and then fade into "expensive niche". That said, I'd save my pennies to buy a M249 SAW. It was my favorite piece back in the day, and the paratrooper version was very handy in certain circumstances. Fits under some winter coats. The cloth bag is much nicer than the plastic box anywhere except the range.




In more practical terms, suppressors would drop in pricing like a rock. They're generally dirt simple and in bulk could be cranked out for under $30. You could build ueber high quality suppressors for maybe $70. They're selling for their current prices because supply and demand caused by to artificial scarcity due to govt regulation. You have a high regulatory cost that is defrayed over a very small number of products. If the regulatory burden falls to next to nothing, it's less to defray. If the demand jumps through the roof, you'll see prices fall like a rock aside from the initial purchase frenzy.

You can buy a mid-grade complete AR15 from PSA for $600. I own one, it's perfectly fine. I wouldn't want to fight a prolonged war with it, but it'd probably handle even that load just fine. You'd pay extra just to bump from "probably" to "very probably" for an extra couple hundred bucks. A suppressor is several orders of magnitude less complex and very easy to manufacture in bulk. 

Educated guessing would be an AR15 suppressor would be $150-$300 for mid-grade quality within 2 years if the Hearing Protection Act passes.  Fall apart after 300 round fly by night suppressors would be under $50. Titanium laser cut uebergruppentacticool SEAL-Ranger grade suppressors would be about the cost than current mid-grade suppressors.

I am very very much looking forward to suppressors for my Uzi. It's already a pleasure to shoot. Suppressed Uzi? That'll be awesome. I kinda regret not buying the 1980's laser system for it when I saw one for sale.

[just Warren]

All I'd want would be belt-fed and I doubt they would get cheap in a hurry.

I'll take an order of Vickers with a side of MG 42 please.

[French G.]

I'll take an order of Vickers with a side of MG 42 please.

I want an MG3, a 240 and 2 M2s.

[Jamisjockey]

The irony is that FA seems to have the biggest utility in a SHTF event, with mass gun confiscation being the most likely of events.

I'd lurv me a Browning BAR or two for repelling aholes, but without a NFA and without a GCA 68, the likelihood of ever needing one is zero.

Meh.  I can cause just as much hate and discontent with a semi auto as a fa. 

[41magsnub]

I'd have FA in my AR15's just because, but what I would drop coin on once prices evened out would be suppressors and SBR'ing some of the rifles.

[lee n. field]

Imagine the NEW stuff gun makers would come up with... 

Dam-betcha. 

[BlueStarLizzard]

As far as "practical" goes, I too think it would be all about suppressors and SBRs, but I don't think full auto would be quiet as low demand as some think.
It's fun, number one, and the gun nuts/nerds would be all over some stuff and coming up with new oddities.

As far as the more historical stuff, don't discount reproductions becoming a thing. The originals would probably stay high and be outside of the pocketbooks for anyone but the really dedicated collectors, but I can see reproductions being very popular among a certain set. We already have Cowboy Action. Could you imagine what some of the more modern military reenactor crowd could come up with for playing with their new toys?

[Perd Hapley]

As far as "practical" goes, I too think it would be all about suppressors and SBRs, but I don't think full auto would be quiet as low demand as some think.
It's fun, number one, and the gun nuts/nerds would be all over some stuff and coming up with new oddities.

I think a lot of the perceived fun comes from the novelty of it, and the forbidden fruit aspect. Take that away, and I don't think people will get quite the same charge out of it.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I think a lot of the perceived fun comes from the novelty of it, and the forbidden fruit aspect. Take that away, and I don't think people will get quite the same charge out of it.

IDK, I have guns that just plan fun to shoot. Like the PS90. It's just giggle worthy.

[AJ Dual]

A suppressor is several orders of magnitude less complex and very easy to manufacture in bulk. 

Educated guessing would be an AR15 suppressor would be $150-$300 for mid-grade quality within 2 years if the Hearing Protection Act passes.  Fall apart after 300 round fly by night suppressors would be under $50. Titanium laser cut uebergruppentacticool SEAL-Ranger grade suppressors would be about the cost than current mid-grade suppressors.

I am very very much looking forward to suppressors for my Uzi. It's already a pleasure to shoot. Suppressed Uzi? That'll be awesome. I kinda regret not buying the 1980's laser system for it when I saw one for sale.

I agree there would be a boom in cheap suppressors only work well for rimfire and pistol calibers, or very low volume shooting. They're also heavy. And they're also long/large.

A good suppressor that can withstand years of use, or high volume of fire, or high heat in rifle calibers, there's a lot of work that goes into them. And they're made out of stuff like Iconel and titanium which is a bitch to machine. They also pay attention to things like avoiding galling on their threads and parts with dissimilar metals, or similar metals, as the case may be. And other higher-end stuff like monocores isn't just done on a lathe.  Then there's the issue if you want rapid attachments, flash-hider adapters instead of simple threading.

A basic.. "it works... for a while" suppressor made out of a mag-lite tube and some K-baffles, yeah, that's easy. But a good suppressor, there's reasons they cost four figures. And additional volume with over the counter status won't drive the savings you think they will.

With internet knowledge educating people on the NFA process, and trusts driving volume already, good suppressors, I don't see them coming down in price too much.

[French G.]

I agree there would be a boom in cheap suppressors only work well for rimfire and pistol calibers, or very low volume shooting. They're also heavy. And they're also long/large.

A good suppressor that can withstand years of use, or high volume of fire, or high heat in rifle calibers, there's a lot of work that goes into them. And they're made out of stuff like Iconel and titanium which is a bitch to machine. They also pay attention to things like avoiding galling on their threads and parts with dissimilar metals, or similar metals, as the case may be. And other higher-end stuff like monocores isn't just done on a lathe.  Then there's the issue if you want rapid attachments, flash-hider adapters instead of simple threading.

A basic.. "it works... for a while" suppressor made out of a mag-lite tube and some K-baffles, yeah, that's easy. But a good suppressor, there's reasons they cost four figures. And additional volume with over the counter status won't drive the savings you think they will.

With internet knowledge educating people on the NFA process, and trusts driving volume already, good suppressors, I don't see them coming down in price too much.

Pretty much all dat.