Guys, the sky is not falling.
Aaron

Rebel wrote on Nov 4^th, 2018 at 1:47pm:

It maybe starting.  I got an ad for a modern sporting rifle sale yesterday.  There were dozens of models and only one, an M14, that even looked like a sporting rifle.  Everything else was an AR.  If that is the current market, single shots will not be recognized as even being a firearm in another 10 years.   

Well, I don't see anyone here giving their rifles away just yet.
This isn't the limited small gunstore market where you can buy a good Highwall for $500 or less.
Take a look at what STS's are selling for on Ebay.
Are CPA's, with no historical significance, sitting in barrels?
Anyone want to sell me a Pope for $1500?
Literature and accessories for next to free?

Aaron
not kidding about the Pope if you're really that worried.

GT wrote on Nov 4^th, 2018 at 4:54pm:

Unless they decide to re-brand them all as an Assault Single Shot Rifle (following in the footsteps of current WA State Initiative 1639).   

Actually, the young un's are saving time and money... if they want to go out and enjoy some shooting, all they have to do is buy a new gun (or currently produced used gun) off the shelf, buy any current accessory sighting equipment off the shelf, and buy their new loaded ammo off the shelf during re-occurring sales and with bulk discounts.
Using the KISS method, they're quickly up and shooting.

And the young un's don't have to bother with the multitude of single shot related issues that are discussed on the forum.   

Bob,
if you read the thread, your kids will use it for  a shovel or door stop.
Sky is still up there, and no one has offered a Pope yet.
Aaron

bpjack wrote on Nov 4^th, 2018 at 3:09pm:


Jack, mine was highly collectible, but not a single shot. It was an 1881 Marlin lever action built by Emil Flues of Bay City, Mi. and done in schuetzen style. 
I eventually contacted his nephew, who wrote Flues' biography for the Double Gun Journal and he told me who my 1881 was built for, and how to locate Flues' serial number on the gun. 
When I sold most of my Marlin repeaters to invest more in Ballard rifles, it was one of the few repeaters I hung onto, and still have. It is also the only repeater Fues ever built. His other guns were either schuetzen single shots, or fine double shotguns.

I belong to a couple of collecting groups with interests in antique arms. At 38yo I am minimum 20 years younger than the youngest member and 30+ years younger than the mean. There is a tiny handful (like 4 or 5) of sub 50yo people out there with the interest and means to collect antique arms. I see it happen all the time where guys who would never let anything out of their collection die. The families typically have no interest and the collection goes to a pawn shop, local gun shop or "friends" spirit it away. On more than a couple occasions the guns got thrown away/destroyed because the heirs were antigun. Some may argue the lack of interest is a cyclical thing but I think that we are at the top of what will be a Progressive  downhill slide. If you cant bare to sell your guns before you die then make arrangements with an auction house to handle your collection before you croak. Moving a collection of any size is a huge amount of work and it is the rare friend that can/will take on the task. All the little stuff- false muzzles, dies, sights, scopes etc are going to be broken up from the guns and go to the dump or be sold for pennies on the dollar.  When Mike Petrov died  im sure it took Joe Dobrowski hundreds of hours and many many months to move the collection for the family. It is the rare collector that has someone like Joe to take care of things. At this point I would never buy 99% of  antique guns as an investment. Maybe very historical pieces or one of a kinds- texas ranger attributed walker colts etc etc. Not what a lot of people want to hear but what I see.