I have been a firearms owner for more than 50 years. During that time, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some unforgettable characters and to handle, fire, purchase and trade hundreds of firearms—some exceptional, and a few that were better left behind.
My interests have never been limited to one particular type of firearm. I have modern pistols, antique rifles, sporting and hunting long guns, and a couple of what some call “black guns". I have always had a particular fondness for small-gauge shotguns and am a proud member of a .410-bore-only dove hunting group. I enjoy Trap & Skeet shooting, have shot in several league and national events over the years and am a life member of the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club as well as the NRA.
One of the more unusual firearms in my collection is a Winchester Model 36 “Garden Gun,” chambered for the 9mm shotshell. I once tried to convince the local trap club that it wasn’t a rifle so I could use it to break a few clays. They weren’t convinced—and neither was the shotgun particularly successful.
I don't come from a firearms or hunting family. My earliest experience came from a college friend and roommate, Rex Applegate Jr.
Rex came from a distinguished pioneer family in Oregon; his father, Col. Rex Applegate, was well known in the firearms industry as a gun and knife expert.
My time at the Applegate family home in Oregon over several summers sparked my lifelong interest in the shooting sports and firearms.
These personal experiences with firearms eventually led to something much more serious.
A few years ago, I became involved with two estates that contained significant firearm collections. As the family friend who was known as a “gun guy.” I volunteered to help the families navigate the process of determining what to keep, what to sell and how to properly distribute the firearms.
I quickly realized that my professional background gave me a unique perspective on the problem.
My career has been in the automotive aftermarket, where I have worked in retail, wholesale and mail-order—now online—businesses since 1975. That experience gave me a strong background in marketing, product valuation and sales, while my personal experience with firearms gave me the knowledge and familiarity necessary to understand the collections I was helping to manage.
Combining those two areas of experience gave me a significant advantage in helping these families work through what can otherwise be a complicated and unfamiliar process.
Then another local family approached me with a firearm collection.
It became clear that these situations were probably much more common than I had originally realized—and that there was a real need for a comprehensive service focused specifically on the disposition of firearms from estates.
For most estates, disposing of automobiles, real estate and ordinary personal property is relatively straightforward. Firearms are different.
Families may have little knowledge of what they have inherited, what individual firearms are worth, or what their options are for disposing of them. They may also be uncomfortable with the idea of lining firearms up on a table at a garage sale or loading a collection into a vehicle and taking it to a local gun shop without knowing whether they are receiving a fair value.
That’s where Pima Firearms Consulting can help.
Pima Firearms Consulting LLC was created to help families and estates navigate the valuation and disposition of firearms.
We can help identify and evaluate firearms, determine appropriate values, develop disposition strategies and coordinate the process of getting firearms into the hands of appropriate buyers through established channels.
Pima Firearms Consulting holds a Federal Firearms License (FFL), has established connections with shipping facilities, and has experience with online auction sites. We also have a large local network of firearm enthusiasts that can help identify appropriate markets for individual firearms and collections.
Most importantly, we can handle the process while the firearms remain in your possession.
Our goal is to make an unfamiliar and potentially complicated part of settling an estate as straightforward, professional and manageable as possible.
Every collection is different. Some firearms may have significant monetary value. Others may have historical or sentimental value to the family. Some may be appropriate to retain, while others may be better suited for sale through a particular market.
Our job is to help you understand what you have and determine the best path forward.
Whether you are an executor, family member or simply the person responsible for dealing with a firearm collection, you don’t have to figure it all out yourself.
Currently, our in-person service is limited to the Southern Arizona area. We can provide our remote research and valuation service anywhere.
Pima Firearms Consulting is here to help.
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