r/canadaguns • u/One-Coffee-2621 • Apr 15 '26
Misc Can someone explain why deactivated firearms cost SO much?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the historicity of particular items. I even paid a pretty penny for antiques and a Mosin-Nagant cause of its country of manufacture & individual history. However, I would think that would only go SO far for what's essentially a paper weight. I know personally I'd never bid on auction or buy from a site something I'd have to "pay for the privilege" of deactivation. I'd rather something remain in its original form then pay a premium to hold it. Am I wrong in this view? Am I a dirty poor? Both?
56
u/Redbulldildo Apr 15 '26
~2 million Canadians can buy real firearms
>40 million Canadians can buy deactivated ones.
25
u/KyllikkiSkjeggestad Apr 15 '26
What’s even funnier is when people use the excuse of the PAL being expensive in regards to buying deactivated, a couple hundred dollars for a PAL ain’t gonna set them back a lot when they’re spending 5k on a deactivated Mauser 🤣
16
u/XilingolShepherd Apr 15 '26
In addition, a parts movable old-spec deactivated is even more sought after and may potentially cost more in this high inflated market.
9
u/MacintoshEddie Apr 15 '26
Some of them are specifically collector's grade. So you're paying for something that possibly hasn't gotten a scratch on it in the last 80+ years.
Plus the market on dewats can be much wider, including people who can't own the real version.
Some types of dewats get used for movie props, museum exhibits, and so on.
There's many gunsmiths who don't even offer dewats, because they don't want the liability. If they do it wrong, it's still legally a gun and they might be on the hook for selling it to someone who might not legally be allowed to possess the functional version. Plus some disagree with the principle of it.
1
u/One-Coffee-2621 Apr 15 '26
I wouldn't begrudge a gunsmith on any of that or a museum buying something of quality, or movie props etc. It seems to me though usually its someone trying to off load something for exponentially more than it's probably worth
2
3
u/Global_Theme864 Apr 15 '26
Supply and demand. You may not think they’re worth that much, but enough people do to set the price there.
1
2
u/Murray3-Dvideos Apr 15 '26
Sounds like there is a good amount of work required to deactivate a firearm depending on what Gov agency standards your trying to meet. Lots of welding, possibly milling away things...
2
2
u/Acceptable_Visit_115 Apr 15 '26
The new deactivation standards also destroy the gun essentially. The old deactivation standard was much more lax and command a higher price.
1
u/noobte Apr 15 '26
ppl dont want to deactivate their firearms and much less sell them for less than what they paid.
20
u/xXxDarkSasuke1999xXx Apr 15 '26
A substantial chunk of the market for historically significant or unique firearms are people who just collect with no intention of actually shooting them. Collectors would obviously rather the guns be unaltered by deactivation but there are still enough of them that would still want to collect deactivated pieces to keep prices high. Basically the only deactivated guns that even hit auction are ones that have some sort of significance, either for history or as an interesting technological showcase.
If, for example, Savage A22s were prohibited tomorrow, there wouldn't be any real market for deactivated A22s because they aren't rare, they don't have any historical significance, and they don't showcase any interesting technology or craftsmanship.