20 Guns That Will Be Much Harder to Find in Five Years

Photo credit: Blaser

The guns that become difficult to find rarely disappear overnight. Usually, the change happens slowly. A manufacturer trims a model from the catalog, a niche chambering stops selling, used examples get absorbed into collections, and suddenly the gun you remember seeing everywhere becomes surprisingly difficult to locate.

That is why paying attention before a model becomes obviously scarce matters. Some firearms on this list are unusual configurations. Others belong to categories manufacturers have been steadily reducing. None are guaranteed to become expensive collectibles, but each has characteristics that could make clean examples considerably harder to locate five years from now.

Browning BAR Safari II

The BAR Safari II represents a style of semiautomatic hunting rifle that is becoming increasingly uncommon. Walnut stocks, polished steel, traditional lines, and a centerfire autoloading action make it very different from the AR-pattern rifles dominating semiautomatic sales.

Hunters who already own these rifles rarely have much reason to sell them, especially when they shoot well. At the same time, building a traditional semiautomatic hunting rifle with this level of finishing is not getting cheaper. Five years from now, clean Safari II rifles could be much more difficult to replace than buyers expect, particularly in chamberings that were never huge sellers.

Remington Model Seven CDL

The Model Seven has always been one of Remington’s handiest bolt rifles, but the nicer walnut-stocked CDL configurations never existed in the same numbers as ordinary Model 700s.

That matters because compact traditional hunting rifles have developed a following of their own. Plenty were carried through the woods rather than stored as collectibles, so untouched examples are already less common than their basic appearance suggests. As shooters rediscover short, lightweight hunting rifles without chassis stocks or oversized magazines, good Model Seven CDLs could disappear quickly.

Kimber Montana

The Montana was built around a concept that still makes tremendous sense: keep a serious hunting rifle light without covering it in unnecessary hardware.

Its synthetic stock and stainless construction made it a rifle people actually carried hard, which means pristine examples were never guaranteed to survive. Lightweight rifles have only become more popular, and older designs that achieved low weight without looking like competition guns are likely to receive more attention. A clean Montana in a desirable chambering is the kind of rifle that could become surprisingly frustrating to find.

Cooper Model 52

Cooper rifles never sold in mass-market quantities, and that alone gives older examples a head start toward scarcity.

The Model 52 combined excellent wood, careful machining, and the kind of bolt-action refinement that attracts shooters who appreciate traditional rifles. These guns were expensive enough that buyers tended to know exactly what they were purchasing, which also means many are already sitting in long-term collections. If you’re waiting for used Cooper rifles to suddenly become plentiful, that is probably not a great bet.

Dakota Model 76

The Dakota 76 occupies the kind of premium sporting-rifle niche that is difficult to reproduce economically.

Its controlled-round-feed action, traditional stock work, and classic safari-rifle character appeal to buyers who want something more refined than a mass-produced hunting rifle. The pool was never enormous to begin with. As older examples migrate into established collections, finding exactly the chambering and configuration you want could become increasingly difficult.

Merkel K3

The Merkel K3 is a lightweight break-action single-shot rifle that feels almost completely disconnected from current American rifle trends.

That is what makes it worth watching. Very light European stalking rifles appeal to a small but dedicated audience, and imported specialty guns can vanish from the market quickly when distribution or production changes. The people who own them tend to appreciate what they have. Five years from now, locating a clean K3 may require far more patience than simply buying another bolt rifle.

Blaser K95

The K95 is another premium single-shot rifle that exists because some hunters care more about handling and craftsmanship than capacity.

It is compact, beautifully made, and available in configurations that can become highly specific once wood grade, barrel, and chambering are considered. Guns like this rarely flood used racks because owners generally bought them intentionally. That means the secondary market can tighten fast. Certain older K95 configurations could become particularly difficult to duplicate.

CZ 512

Semiautomatic rimfires are everywhere, but relatively few come from CZ, which has built most of its rimfire reputation around bolt actions.

The 512 therefore occupies an unusual position. It offers traditional styling and CZ character in a category the company has never dominated. If buyers continue focusing on bolt-action 457s and more tactical rimfires, the 512 could quietly disappear from common circulation before most people notice. That is often exactly how ordinary guns become scarce guns.

Savage Model 42

The Model 42 is a modern interpretation of the rifle-shotgun combination gun, a category that was never destined for huge sales.

That makes it easy to underestimate. A .22 or .22 Magnum barrel paired with a .410 shotgun barrel gives the gun a strange but useful versatility for camp or property use. Combination guns have become niche enough that manufacturers have little reason to maintain many versions indefinitely. If the Model 42 eventually disappears, there are not many direct substitutes waiting behind it.

Henry Small Game Carbine

The Small Game Carbine takes the familiar Henry rimfire lever action and gives it features aimed at actual field use, including a shorter barrel and upgraded sighting arrangement.

It is not the cheapest Henry .22, which probably keeps it from becoming the version everybody buys. That could matter later. Specialized factory variants are often the first ones to become difficult to locate once production changes. A clean Small Game Carbine could eventually be much harder to find than the basic H001 rifles that remain everywhere.

Browning Semi-Auto 22 Grade VI

High-grade versions of ordinary firearms frequently become scarce faster than the basic models because relatively few buyers were willing to pay the premium when they were available.

The Grade VI version of Browning’s little semiautomatic .22 adds engraving and upgraded wood to an already unusual takedown rimfire design. These are exactly the rifles owners tend to keep rather than trade. As more of them settle permanently into collections, finding one in excellent condition could become increasingly difficult.

Franchi Instinct Sideplate

The Instinct Sideplate occupies an awkward but interesting place between utilitarian field doubles and truly expensive bespoke shotguns.

Its upgraded presentation gives it more personality than a basic over-under without pushing into the price territory of custom European guns. Shotguns in this middle luxury tier can disappear quietly because the buyers who appreciate them are relatively few. Five years from now, certain Instinct configurations may be much less common on used racks than buyers expect.

Winchester Model 23

The Model 23 side-by-side has never carried the same collector recognition as Winchester’s much older doubles.

That could change as quality traditional side-by-sides become harder to find at approachable prices. The Model 23 has the Winchester name, Japanese production quality, and enough age to start looking more interesting every year. Many were used as actual bird guns, meaning clean examples are already being separated from the ordinary shooters. That trend is unlikely to reverse.

SKB Model 200E

Older SKB doubles were once viewed primarily as solid Japanese hunting shotguns rather than collectible pieces.

Shooters have gradually figured out how well many of them were built. The Model 200E offers traditional side-by-side handling without requiring the cost of a high-end British or European gun. As nice examples get bought by upland hunters who intend to keep them, the remaining supply gets thinner. These are exactly the shotguns that can seem plentiful until you begin looking for a specific gauge and condition.

Smith & Wesson Model 952 Long Slide

The standard Model 952 is already specialized, but long-slide variants occupy an even narrower corner of Smith & Wesson’s semiautomatic history.

They were built for shooters interested in precision rather than defensive practicality, and that limited their audience from the beginning. High-quality target pistols also tend to stay with owners once acquired. As collectors dig deeper into Smith’s performance-center and target-gun history, unusual 952 configurations could become exceptionally difficult to locate.

SIG Sauer P210 Target

The P210 Target takes a pistol already known for precision and pushes it farther toward deliberate range shooting.

It is not the sort of handgun most buyers pick for concealed carry or home defense, which naturally limits demand. Yet specialized target pistols often become more interesting once manufacturers move on to newer configurations. Owners who appreciate the P210’s trigger, fit, and accuracy are unlikely to trade them casually. That can make the used supply shrink quickly.

Pardini GT9

Pardini is associated far more strongly with competition shooting than ordinary defensive pistols, and the GT9 reflects that specialized background.

It is a high-quality 9mm built for shooters who care about precision and trigger control rather than mass-market accessory support. Guns with that narrow purpose rarely become common in the first place. If importing patterns or production priorities shift, a GT9 could become the kind of pistol you only encounter occasionally at specialty dealers or competitive events.

Manurhin MR88

The MR73 receives virtually all the attention when Manurhin revolvers come up, leaving the MR88 in a much quieter corner.

That obscurity may not last forever. Collectors tend to move outward once the most famous model becomes expensive, and lesser-known guns from the same manufacturer suddenly become interesting. The MR88 has enough French service-gun character to appeal to buyers looking beyond the obvious choices. Once those buyers start absorbing the remaining examples, supply could tighten very quickly.

Uberti 1873 Cattleman Stallion

The Stallion is a scaled-down single-action revolver that does not attract the same attention as full-size Peacemaker reproductions.

Its smaller dimensions are exactly what could make certain versions difficult to find later. Niche rimfire and small-bore single actions are easy for manufacturers to trim when demand changes, and buyers rarely think to preserve inexpensive reproductions in original condition. Five years from now, particular finishes and chamberings could be far less common than they seem today.

Freedom Arms Model 2008

The Model 2008 is a single-shot handgun from a company primarily associated with premium revolvers, which already makes it an unusual firearm.

It is built for serious handgun hunting and precision work, not broad consumer appeal. That means production was never going to resemble the numbers behind mainstream hunting pistols. Highly specialized firearms from small premium manufacturers tend to disappear into permanent collections. If you eventually decide you want one, the challenge may not be price alone. It may simply be finding somebody willing to sell.