Gun Consignment vs. Selling to a Gun Shop: Which Gets You More?

When it's time to sell a firearm — especially an inherited one — most people walk into the nearest gun shop, take the offer on the counter, and walk out. It's fast. It's simple. And it usually leaves a lot of money behind.

I run Gun Legacy in Parker, Colorado, and I sell firearms on consignment for families and estates. I'm going to give you the honest math on both options, because the right choice depends on your situation — and I'd rather you choose with your eyes open.

What a Gun Shop Actually Offers

Here's how gun shop buying works: the shop is buying your gun to resell it at a profit. To make that worthwhile, shops typically offer 20–30% of the gun's actual market value. That's not a scam — it's their business model. They take on the inventory risk, the overhead, and the wait.

But run the numbers. On a firearm worth $1,000 on the open market:

- Gun shop offer: $200–$300. Cash today, done deal.

That stings when you see it written out, but it's the standard across the industry. And for a single inexpensive gun, many people decide the convenience is worth it.

What Consignment Gets You

Consignment flips the model. Instead of the dealer buying your gun cheap, the dealer sells it for you at full market value and takes a commission. My commission at Gun Legacy is 20%.

Same $1,000 firearm:

- Consignment sale at market value: ~$1,000 − 20% commission = ~$800 in your pocket.

That's roughly three times what the shop counter offers. On a single gun, the difference is a few hundred dollars. Across an inherited collection of five or ten firearms, it's often thousands.

An Honest Comparison

You receive (on $1,000 gun): Gun shop sale: $200–$300. Consignment: ~$800.

Speed: Gun shop sale: same day. Consignment: weeks to a few months.

Effort from you: None in either case — the dealer handles listing, buyers, transfer, and paperwork on consignment.

Price risk: Gun shop sale: none — the offer is the offer. Consignment: market-dependent, but priced from real sales data.

Best for: Gun shop sale: needing cash immediately. Consignment: maximizing return, estates, collections.

The tradeoff is time. Consignment isn't instant — the firearm has to be appraised, listed, and matched with a buyer. If you need money today, the shop counter is the honest answer. If you can wait, consignment wins on dollars nearly every time.

When Each Makes Sense

Sell to a shop when: you need cash immediately, the firearm is low-value (under a couple hundred dollars), or you'd rather be done with it today.

Consign when: you're settling an estate and owe it to the heirs to maximize value, you have a collection rather than a single gun, the firearm is collectible or unusual (shops discount hardest on guns they don't know), or the gun falls under SB25-003's covered category — where finding a qualified private buyer yourself has gotten much harder since August 2026.

Watch Out For

- Lowball offers dressed up as appraisals. A free "appraisal" from someone who wants to buy the gun isn't an appraisal — it's an opening bid. Get an independent valuation first.

- Pressure to decide on the spot. A legitimate buyer doesn't need your answer in the next ten minutes.

- Skipping the FFL transfer. In Colorado, the transfer has to go through a licensed dealer with a background check. Anyone suggesting otherwise is asking you to break the law.

The Bottom Line

Neither option is wrong — they solve different problems. But most families I meet don't realize how wide the gap is until someone shows them the math. On a $1,000 gun, it's the difference between $250 and $800. You deserve to know that before you decide.

Contact Gun Legacy for a free consultation — info@gunlegacy.com or gunlegacy.com. I'll give you honest valuations, show you what consignment would net versus a quick sale, and let you decide. No pressure, no obligation.