I have a DU BPS 20 ga. I paid about what a regular used bps would go for. I bought the DU one because that was all the shop had.

I like the looks of the DU gun better, but not so much that I would pay anymore for it. I don't think DU adds or subtracts from the value.

 

The quality is the same... but DU (and other logoed guns) are adorned with tacky fake gold logos that make the gun very hard to sell.

The people who own them from new often think they are worth more because they PAID more. These guns are typically auctioned, and command high premiums at dinners, but that doesn't give them any actual additional value.

 

Gold birdies reduce the value of a gun in my opinion.

 

I have a Remington 1100 Magnum that my dad bought at a DU dinner 25 or so years ago. I don't know how much he paid for it, but it is now my main waterfowl gun. It doesn't have golden duckies, but is engraved with "Ducks Unlimited" on one side of the receiver and "The Atlantic" on the other side. I have never tried to sell it, but I once looked up the value in Blue Book of Firearms, and it wasn't any higher, or lower as I recall, than comparable 1100 mags. I think whatever value the gun has comes from the simple fact that it is an 1100, and has a 3" chamber. I have replaced the original full choked 30" barrel with a 26" steel shot Remchoke barrel, and a Remington synthetic stock. Value? Not sure, but she's a soft-shootin' duck and goose slayin' beauty!!!

 

Why are they worth less? People won't give as much for them. They are only worth what someone is willing to give on any particular day. Most gun shops have difficulty getting more money for one because it says DU, Pheasants Forever, Rocky Mountain Elk, Wild turkey, Friends of the NRA, yada, yada, the list goes on and on.

BP

 

I've looked at a lot of DU double barrels (I'm not a semi type of guy) and am willing to argue that DU guns, in general, have a higher grade of wood. If they did'nt stick those ghastly gold animals on I'd probably have at least one Ducks Unlimited U/O in the safe.

 

I can think of at least two desirable DU guns. The SX1's about 1975 were dinner guns, and they had better wood and engraving. And in the early nineties Beretta made up what are essentially 687 EL's,,,actually almost EELl's as dinner guns. These two, at least, are worth more than field grade guns.

 

And in the early nineties Beretta made up what are essentially 687 EL's,,,actually almost EELl's as dinner guns. These two, at least, are worth more than field grade guns.

Agree with you on this one... but these also only have a very tiny "Ducks Unlimited" added to an otherwise very nicely engraved receiver.

 

Not all guns are auctioned off. Our chapter has been raffling off all of our guns the last several years, more $$$ to be made that way. I've been lucky enough over the years to win a few of them. A Benelli Nova, Remington 887, Browning Silver and a Knight muzzleloader (from NWTF) and I wouldn't expect more resale value out of any of them. I use them. My brother won the dinner gun last year, a SX3 with a nice chunk of wood and he is shooting it like it's any other Winchester.

 

A DU gun (or any of the other similar organization/commemorative guns) are worth more than the plain-jane version of the same gun IF:

1 - It is unfired, in the original box, and has all the hanging tags
2 - You find somebody who is trying to collect one from each year, and he doesn't have the one you're trying to sell

Other than the above, their "book value" is the same as the parent gun.... and, as has been mentioned, a lot of guys would pay LESS for a pimped-out gun than they would pay for the normal version of the same gun.

 

Years ago I won door prize DU guns. The first year was a Rem1100 the following year was a Rem 870. Both had a plastic plate, much like a plastic name tag,saying Ducks Unlimited.These were screwed into the stocks. I sold them pretty quick as they looked horrible with the "name tag" screwed on. I don't know of any DU guns that come to mind that are worth MORE than the same gun normally would bring in.

 

From what I have noticed, they do not have a higher value or make the gun worth more, but it helps when trying to sell it. DU guns seem to get more attention on my local sites with the duck hunters.

 

Most of the DU, NWTF, and other club guns with the emblem and gaudy insignia are not going to bring the price of their plain counterpart. I have bought them for many years from winners for a fraction of what they think they are worth and resold them through a FFL for a $25 markup. None of the regular gun shops in my area will touch one, due to them gathering dust, I buy them and resell them through a hardware store FFL for much less than their plane jane counterparts. I make a few bucks, the poor soul who bought or won them thought he was getting a prize possession until he tried to sell it to a dealer.

No one wants them around these parts but I manage to move the few that come my way when the poor worthy's electric bill comes due and the winner has to sell the gun.

My take, FWIW, I haven't seen a emblemed club gun that was worth anywhere near its plain counterpart. There probably are some but I haven't had opportunity to view them.

 

Guess I am in the minority but I have always liked em. At least the ones that were done well. Some look pretty cheap but there are some nice ones as well. I may bid on one next weekend at our DU Dinner if I see one I like.

 

I see a lot of DU and other organization guns for sale on gunbroker.com and at Cabellas. When they are NIB, the sellers seem to think they are worth $300-500 more than the equivalent gun. However, the same ones seem to keep showing up on the 'net month after month, indicating that they are not selling.

I don't doubt that one gets sold once in a while, but there just doesn't seem to be much demand for them. Somewhere there is a guy who wants a perfect NIB DU gun from every year, but most potential buyers would rather have one without all that bling-bling.

There are a lot of sellers, and few buyers. The market is glutted with them.

 

I always get a kick out of the fact that DU, NWTF, ect have RIFLES, when they are shotgun oriented organizations.

I would assume if you are going to a DU dinner, you'd be more interested in bidding on a shotgun, not a rifle.

 

Guys, this is a zombie thread.

 

I have been burned a few times to many with dinner guns. People who know guns don't want them. Dealers buy them and add a premium hoping that ignorant customers will pay the premium. Enough do to keep the hustle going. The tag price is the offer. If a shooter wants to pay the premium, it is OK. People who know their guns generally offer 14-20% of the price of a plain gun of same make and model.

One thing is that even though the gun is NIB and unfired, it is a used gun. Once the transfer is made to the lottery winner or auction buyer, it is considered a used gun, even though unfired.

Second is that the market is flooded with dinner guns and few people want guns with gaudy seals or club engravings on them. I don't blame the seller for trying to get a premium but chances are it ain't gonna happen. Dinner gun auctions usually get more for the guns due to loyalty to the club raising the money. My nephew bid $2000 for a SBE, got it, then tried to sell it for what he paid for it. He ended up with a $800 high offer after hauling it around to several gun shops. I tried to tell him before he made his bid. It fell on deaf ears. Now he is stuck with a gun that he doesn't need and can't get half of his money back.

My advice: If you are loyal to your sponsoring club, write them a check for $100 or so as a donation. Then go to a LGS and buy the gun in it's plain jane version, if that is a gun you like. I am a member of NWTF, DU, and NRA and go to the dinners where they auction their dinner guns. i make a donation, pay my annual dues, and leave the auction to the less informed.

 

As SuperXOne mentioned, there are a few DU Dinner guns I wouldn't mind paying a small premium for, as on the whole, they often have different engraving, unique serial numbers and usually, a better grade of wood. Winchester Model 12 (Y model) guns and a Canadian Winchester 101 come to mind besides those mentioned by SX1. IMHO, those particular models are not gaudy or tacky whatsoever.

DU is first and foremost a conservation organization, not "just a bunch of duck hunters". Those supporting their local dinners are well aware that anything they pay above fair market value at auction constitutes a contribution to the organization. I have seen $5000 Winchester 94 DU Commemoratives that certainly the bidders knew weren't worth more than $500 ... but they knew full well where their money was going. The same goes for $2000 & $3000 L/E prints and other items that get a little "over the top" when there's a "bidding war" among participants. All good for DU ...and those that can afford such fun and philanthropy.

As to "why rifles" ... why not ? I'm a 35 year plus DU supporter and avid waterfowler, but also hunt upland game & deer, moose & black bear. A good number of the local DU Committee guys (and a couple of girls) I know are deer/moose hunters.

And no, I do not and have not owned or bid on a DU dinner gun... although I've played the raffles on a few !

 

It seems the gist of the original post was about resale value and not the "donation value" that might be considered by the original winner of the gun .

Some of the DU guns I've seen are just overdone to the point of ugly , although not all .
The only one I've ever actually seen in a duck blind is an Xtrema 1 , you have to look pretty closely to even realize it's a DU gun .
I was with the owner when he bought it from the original winner , it had only been shot to pattern it and IIRC he paid $800.00 for it which seemed fair for both parties .
I've known the buyer for 45 years and I can say he'd never have bought it if it had much bling on it .

Some of the wood used on DU guns is beautiful , if it stopped at pretty wood and a small DU emblem I might pay a small premium for the wood .

 

Well. i just bought one. It was an Auto 5 Browning Light Twenty. It was on armslist and I thought it was a scam. Emailed the owner and he got back with me on the phone. It had been fired but not much at all. The gloss Browning finish had been changed to a more tasteful oil finish. The wood was very nice and the engraving was better than I expected. $925 shipped seemed like a deal to me {hs# . Clean as a whistle and the pheasants won't know any difference from a plain blued model! Anyone have a 20ga invector skeet choke they'd like to sell?

 

My point exactly ... if you find a DU Dinner gun you like, without the often over-done emblems, I believe it's worth a small premium over a standard model gun for (generally) better wood or other unique features.

The "donation" value, i.e. what might be paid by an original bidder, can be considerably "out to lunch"
(never mind, dinner) ... but again, most of those folks know that they are "paying" (donating) considerably over retail for the otherwise the same, off the shelf model.

 

My point exactly ... if you find a DU Dinner gun you like, without the often over-done emblems, I believe it's worth a small premium over a standard model gun for (generally) better wood or other unique features.

Yes ...

Recently bought a Winchester Model 23 DU.

Outstanding wood ( much better than the average Model 23 ) with only a small DU emblem ( gold ducks head ) on the underside of receiver.

Am 'tickled pink' !

 

avvago,

Yes, but it's a Model 23! Most any Model 23 will bring a pretty penny now days, more so if it's any other gauge than 12. The value of a "branded" gun vs the market gun most times will depend on which gun it is. Right now the NRA is trying to sell special edition Nobel pump guns. You can only put so much lipstick on a sow and it still just a sow with lipstick. Who want's a Nobel Pump gun anyway? It won't bring much money whether it says NRA on it or not! Now if it was a Model 37?

You get the idea.

BP

 

Yes but,

EVEN though it's a 'nice' gun like the Winchester Model 23 ...

'They" could have still stuffed it up by plastering gold this and gold that all over the gun ...

'They' didn't, which is different to some other guns of repute. ( am thinking some of the Browning Citori and A5 commemoratives )