Where to Get a Gun Appraisal
You can get a gun appraisal from FFLs like Cash for Arms, industry professionals like the Blue Book experts, gun communities or forums, or even via your own research.
1. Online FFLs Like Cash for Arms
Effort: Low
Cost: Free with Cash for Arms, paid for some others
Reliability: High
You can approach some FFLs (federally licensed gun dealers) to get a gun appraisal online. Depending on the FFL, it may be not even cost you a thing.
We offer free gun appraisals online at Cash for Arms as part of our gun purchasing process. Gun owners send us details using our gun appraisal form or contact page.
After that, we send our estimate of the gun’s value without any charge to you. We even offer free antique gun appraisal online through our historical-weapon experts!
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See What That Gun’s Worth!
Want to know the value of your gun for sale? Talk to us! We’ll give you a FREE appraisal online as well as a sale price you won’t be able to resist.
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2. Local Gun Shops
Effort: Moderate (because you have to travel with the gun)
Cost: Variable
Reliability: High
If you’ve been searching for “gun appraisal near me,” local gun appraisers are options for in-person gun appraisal. You can find them at local gun shops.
Just remember that you may have to pay a fee. The cost tends to go up with appraisal complexity. You also have to actually drive with the cleaned, unloaded gun to the shop first.
3. Professional Appraisers
Effort: Low
Cost: Variable to high
Reliability: High
You can also have non-dealer professionals appraise a gun. Even though some aren’t specifically just firearm dealers, they appraise guns often.
Some of these specialize in specific firearms, e.g. they may only do antique gun appraisal or WW1 memorabilia appraisal. Some may even have gun appraisal certification.
Examples are auction house appraisers and the Blue Book of Gun Values team. Most of these charge a fee for the valuation. Blue Book charges $50 per gun at time of writing, for instance.
4. Firearm Forums or Communities
Effort: Low
Cost: Free
Reliability: Low
If you can’t or don’t want to contact a professional for some reason, you may turn to “informal experts.”
This isn’t an option if you’re getting a gun appraisal for insurance or to sell a gun. Informal experts don’t produce reliable data, especially for things like antique gun appraisal.
Anyway, do this by crowdsourcing information. Go to gun communities in real life or online (e.g. Reddit or gun forums). Post about your gun and ask people what they think it’s currently worth.
5. Self-Appraisal with Research
Effort: Moderate (because you have to research yourself)
Cost: Free
Reliability: Low
Again, this isn’t viable if you’re getting an appraisal for insurance or sale purposes. However, it’s another free option (like Cash for Arms) if you’re worried about gun appraisal cost.
Go to gun auction websites like GunBroker. Register to get access to the filters for results. Search for recently completed sales of guns like yours. Check the prices and get the average.
Note that you can also try our value guides for different models, e.g. the Beretta 92, Glock 43, S&W 686, etc. But it’s still not as accurate as submitting the gun to us.
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Get an Appraisal and Offer for Your Gun
If you want to sell your gun for what it’s worth, sell to us. We do free appraisals and fast gun purchases from sellers like you!
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How Much Does Gun Appraisal Cost?
The cost of gun appraisal varies. It’s free at an online FFL like Cash for Arms but most gun shops charge at least $15. Some charge as much as $50 per gun.
Note that fees may switch to hourly rates if you’re having several guns appraised. Gun collection appraisal starts at a minimum of $50 per hour at some dealers, for example.
What Is the Best Way to Get a Gun Appraisal?
The best way to get a gun appraisal is through industry experts like Cash for Arms. Such professionals have the knowledge to value guns fairly in ways most others can't account for.
This is because gun appraisal services require intimate knowledge of both firearms and the current market. Prices and values for guns fluctuate in real time.
Industry experts have access to market data that others don’t. At Cash for Arms, we even use current data for each online gun appraisal. This ensures you get a fair offer.
Get a FREE Gun Appraisal Online Today!
Think you’d like us to take a look at your gun for sale after all?
Just send us the details of the gun (or guns!) here on our website. We’ll appraise it and make you a no-obligation offer as part of the firearm valuation.
In many cases, we can get back to people in just a couple of hours. Contact us here or at (904) 977-5477 to begin.