M11/Nine price over time?

I'm just starting to think about the possibility of getting into the MG world and am looking for advice from folks who have kept up with prices over the last few years. I want a M11/Nine for my first MG because of the Lage .22 conversion kit. I can buy one right now at their average price of around $4500.00, but would prefer to wait allowing me to save a little more.

How long have they been $4500.00? Has their priced changed much over the last 2-3 years (my guess is yes given the Lage uppers)? Have machine gun prices in general changed a lot post Obama craze?

The question is really: Strech now and buy, or wait until I can more easily afford it in 6-12 months?

-Jim

4500 seems steep. They were around 3000 and change about a year ago.

Kingjamez said:

I'm just starting to think about the possibility of getting into the MG world and am looking for advice from folks who have kept up with prices over the last few years. I want a M11/Nine for my first MG because of the Lage .22 conversion kit. I can buy one right now at their average price of around $4500.00, but would prefer to wait allowing me to save a little more.

How long have they been $4500.00? Has their priced changed much over the last 2-3 years (my guess is yes given the Lage uppers)? Have machine gun prices in general changed a lot post Obama craze?

The question is really: Strech now and buy, or wait until I can more easily afford it in 6-12 months?

-Jim

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MG prices have gone up a lot... but he M-11/M-9 has stayed fairly stable. I bought one about 20 years ago and it was around 2500 back then (I don't remember exactly, but that sounds about right). It may creep up a few hundred bucks over the next year, but I wouldn't expect it to go crazy. Grab mags while you can. Rock on!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=354801230

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=353968352

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=355952479
2500 no reserve

240 towles said:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=354801230

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=353968352

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=355952479
2500 no reserve

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None of those are done yet:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=336648784

-Jim

Doctor_M said:

MG prices have gone up a lot... but he M-11/M-9 has stayed fairly stable. I bought one about 20 years ago and it was around 2500 back then (I don't remember exactly, but that sounds about right). It may creep up a few hundred bucks over the next year, but I wouldn't expect it to go crazy. Grab mags while you can. Rock on!

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Great reference point, thanks!
-Jim

Ok, Here is the thing... most people aren't considering... AMMO!

Ammo is driving MG prices right now!

Let me explain. When there was cheap 8mm, 308 or 30-06 people were able to convert a fair amount of heavy MGs to shoot these rounds. However the days of cheap rifle ammo seem to be gone. The only cheap one is now 7.62x54. Other than Maxims and the rare 1919a4, few MGs out on the market shoot this caliber. So what does this do to the market? Well it forces people down into M16s and subguns. M16s have almost doubled in price and in some cases are hitting $30K asking when they never hit $20 a few years back. Why does evenyone want M16s? Shrike uppers, cheap ammo, 9mm uppers, 22LR uppers. It does them all. So the price is sky high. Uzis and MP5s were considered the best of the traditional subguns. Uzis have gone up a bit but MP5s are also up a very good amount. I believe you can trace this to ammo and what I call MG shooters (Rather than MG collectors that don't shoot as much). Historical guns have not jumped much in price (other than the MP44). However the "shooters" have been driven to a smaller group of guns now that the heavy MGs are to expensive to shoot.

So how have M11/9 prices been? Well when I bought before the economy crash, they were at about $3k+. When the economy got real bad they dropped to $2.5K+. However as Lage uppers really became easy to get and the 22LR kits hit the market, people started to see that these guns are almost as nice as an Uzi. I actually like them more than an Uzi except for the Uzis great double stack mags. So the price has been driven up as its one of the few "shooter" MGs that you can afford to shoot. Also being the cheapest of the MGs meant that a lot of interest as those looking to get into FA could afford that gun. I actually did a whole thread on "getting into FA cheap" about getting a M11/9 with a Lage upper.

So if you are asking me... I would say this. How much are you going to spend in ammo in the course of owning this gun? LOTS! How much more fun is it going to be compared to your other semi auto guns? LOTS! Will it likely become one of your favorite guns to shoot? Most likely! So prices are up maybe 50%. I think there is room to come down and room to go up. Its trending up, so you may still be getting in cheap or buying at the peak... like stock prices its hard to say. What do you think is driving the market and what will change, if anything, in the future that would change the value? Is it worth waiting and not having a FA gun in hopes of saving what maybe a $1K if you are lucky? I personally would not wait. I would look for a good deal and get one! They will likely not come back to the $3K price. So what bottom dollar would you want to hold out for? $4K? Well for the extra few hundred, its not worth the wait IMHO.

Having been in near the same position as you... into lots of semis including home builds of heavy MGs into semi autos. If our positions were switched, I would buy a M11/9 now. Once I got it, it became the gun I was shooting probably 70% of the time and probably 93% of ammo consumption. I enjoy it that much! I built a semi FAL, AK47, AK74, 1919a4 and am finishing up the MG34 and MG42. Since I have gotten into FA, semi autos like this have taken back seat and also become "funds" for the to draw from to purchase more MGs. Several kits have been sold and more will come. I have 16 kits waiting to be built. Of them I expect I will now sell off at least half. Now with kids and very limited shooting time, if I am going shooting, I am wanting to shoot my MGs! With some pistol and Trap thrown in.

So not seeing any new imports of larger rifle calibers in the near future. Continued development of the M11, M31, AMP-11, 22LR kits, and now even 223 Uppers, I would suggest just getting in now. If a good 223 upper for M11 really hits the market I would expect prices to jump another $1k quickly! I would not be shocked to see the M11s nearing prices of the UZI eventually as like the M16, its the subgun platform of all future conversions! So I would suggest selling parts kit or two, sell that least favorite gun and get into a gun that you are going to LOVE to shoot as often as you can! I know I have not gotten my last two MGs without selling/trading off some fairly nice items to help cover the cost. However I don't have a one bit of regret! If anything I am learning I can live with less quantity and more quality... if you can call a M11 quality

IMBLITZVTL: It's your fault that I ever started looking at MG's in the first place.... Thanks a lot for the insight. I think I'm going to do a hybrid. I'll start selling off every gun I can bear to sell and all the kits that I won't get around to building in the next few years in order to accelerate my buy "easy" date.

Anybody want a M53 / SGMT / KP-44 kit? :-)

-Jim

He got me too. I now own one, a Max-11 upper and a Max11/22 upper.

Kingjamez said:

IMBLITZVTL: It's your fault that I ever started looking at MG's in the first place.... Thanks a lot for the insight. I think I'm going to do a hybrid. I'll start selling off every gun I can bear to sell and all the kits that I won't get around to building in the next few years in order to accelerate my buy "easy" date.

Anybody want a M53 / SGMT / KP-44 kit? :-)

-Jim

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Jim, You will look back and I will be among the greats in your firearms collecting! John Moses Browning, Samuel Colt, IMBLITZVT, Gordan Ingram...etc. Because I am the one that led you into the modern age of firearms. Before you only had Civilian fireams made obsolete at the end of the 19th century! Now when you lay your hands on your first MG, the clouds will part and a light will shine down from Heaven and you will know what its like to hold the ultimate means of individual power bestowed on mankind by his Creator! You will finally realize the full meaning and purpose of your forefathers protection of your freedom and feel the peace of knowing that you can wield the ultimate protection of your family and property.

Or you will not give it a second thought and race to the range to shoot it!

I have another KP44 if you know anyone buying! Some Suomi kits too!

dwnthehatch said:

He got me too. I now own one, a Max-11 upper and a Mac-11-22 upper.

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You can PM me for my address to send your thank you gift! No need to send one each year, once is enough, even if you will be more and more thankful every year that passes!

Well, it's done. I found a fair deal on a M10/9. Not the M11/9 that I wanted, but the new SABER 5.56mm upper looks like its really coming out and that thing is just awesome. I'm going to stay on the lookout for a M11/9 too just cause I want a Lage Max-31A.

It's on a form 3 in N.C. I'll probably be able to use it in a year....

-Jim

Kingjamez said:

Well, it's done. I found a fair deal on a M10/9. Not the M11/9 that I wanted, but the new SABER 5.56mm upper looks like its really coming out and that thing is just awesome. I'm going to stay on the lookout for a M11/9 too just cause I want a Lage Max-31A.

It's on a form 3 in N.C. I'll probably be able to use it in a year....

-Jim

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Congratulations! Nothing wrong with an M10/9. I've got one. You can have Sam do the Uzi Grip conversion and use easy to load, cheap, and reliable Uzi Mags.

Was this by chance the flat that you were bidding on?

rsideout said:

Congratulations! Nothing wrong with an M10/9. I've got one. You can have Sam do the Uzi Grip conversion and use easy to load, cheap, and reliable Uzi Mags.

Was this by chance the flat that you were bidding on?

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No, I really really wanted those flats, but the auction just went too high ($6700.00) for what I thought they were worth. I thought $3k/ flat was just on the brink of being worth the risk given the satisfaction of building it for myself, at $3350: too much. Overall the M10 will be cheaper and not require assembly.

I hope Lage makes a Max-31a for the M10 eventually since the AMP10 seems like its not being made anymore.

-Jim

Kingjamez said:

I hope Lage makes a Max-31a for the M10 eventually since the AMP10 seems like its not being made anymore.

-Jim

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The Max31A is for the M11A1. I have one. The Max31 is for the M11. He doesn't make a Suomi mag upper for the M10. I also have an AMP10 upper. It works great and absolutely eats everything.

I looked into an M11/9 last year for $3200 and was ready to buy it but the shop got robbed and it was lost. Since then the prices seem to have gone up to the low to mid 4's and are harder to find.

Jim, congratulations! I am sure you are going to love it! I don't know a ton about the conversions on the M10/9 but I am sure you have that figured out. In the end having that larger frame might be better as there may be more that can be done with it!

Asking prices are MGs are skyrocketing! Uzis have nearly doubled in the last year, really in the last 2-3 months. Macs have about doubled. M16s have almost doubled in a year and a half. MP5s and HK sears are up as much as 50%. DIASs have doubled. I mean the list goes on. All except heavy MGs in rifle calibers. A lot of them are slightly down. I sure hope prices don't keep going up like this as I will priced out soon!

Anyway, I sold my Vickers semi parts kit/Accessories/303 ammo. That along with some other sales and I think I am ready to make a move on an Assault Rifle. I have my eye on an AR18 but still am considering an FNC and Ruger AC556. We will see. Hopefully in another month or two, I can make a deal on one. After which I will slow on the MG collection a bit. Maybe add a Chauchat, a T-Gewehr, Sig Dark Elite with threaded barrel, Ruger 10-22 with threaded barrel and a Ruger MKIII with a threaded barrel. Also I plan to do a near complete lineup of suppressors at once. Get a 223, 9mm pistol and a 22LR all together. We will see!

IMBLITZVT said:

Anyway, I sold my Vickers semi parts kit/Accessories/303 ammo. That along with some other sales and I think I am ready to make a move on an Assault Rifle. I have my eye on an AR18 but still am considering an FNC and Ruger AC556. We will see. Hopefully in another month or two, I can make a deal on one. After which I will slow on the MG collection a bit. Maybe add a Chauchat, a T-Gewehr, Sig Dark Elite with threaded barrel, Ruger 10-22 with threaded barrel and a Ruger MKIII with a threaded barrel. Also I plan to do a near complete lineup of suppressors at once. Get a 223, 9mm pistol and a 22LR all together. We will see!

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Very nice, can't wait to see what you pick up! You're right on with the suppressors. I did the same thing. I went with a .308, .45, and a 22LR to allow me to suppress everything I own. The .308 works great on .223, and the .45 works great on 9mm.

Every weapon should be a NFA weapon....

-Jim

rsideout said:

The Max31A is for the M11A1. I have one. The Max31 is for the M11. He doesn't make a Suomi mag upper for the M10. I also have an AMP10 upper. It works great and absolutely eats everything.

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Yeah, right. Thanks. I guess I'm hoping that Lage makes a Suomi mag upper for the M10 as the AMP10 is really hard to find these days.

Watching your video on Youtube with the AMP10 is what pushed me over the edge to change to the M10... it looked really good.

-Jim

Kingjamez said:

Yeah, right. Thanks. I guess I'm hoping that Lage makes a Suomi mag upper for the M10 as the AMP10 is really hard to find these days.

Watching your video on Youtube with the AMP10 is what pushed me over the edge to change to the M10... it looked really good.

-Jim

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You start coming to the shoots and I bet you can talk him into selling it to you!

I thought about getting a 308 can for 223 but I am buying for my MG... so if I perfect fit. No sense in save $800 on a $10K gun. I did not really like 45ACP suppressed and don't have any guns I would use it on so 9mm will be fine. I might end up buying a 308 can eventually.... after all we were thinking of suppressing my Maxim! We will be out with our 100 Yard shoot this sunday. You should come! Rside can bring his AMP and shoot it off a bipod!

Kingjamez said:

Yeah, right. Thanks. I guess I'm hoping that Lage makes a Suomi mag upper for the M10 as the AMP10 is really hard to find these days.

Watching your video on Youtube with the AMP10 is what pushed me over the edge to change to the M10... it looked really good.

-Jim

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Lage has made it clear he isn't ever going to build a Suomi upper or .22kit for the M10.