Quote Originally Posted by SteyrAUG View Post
HK 91s and 93s lack several of the features of G3s and 33s, especially paddle magazine releases. Bayo mounts and grenade launch rings were removed and a completely wonky shelf was created to replace the push pins, but it doesn't seem to have harmed collector values in any way related to those firearms.
The H&K 91's and 93's are the closest thing that you can get to a real G3 and 33. If H&K started importing new complete H&K factory-built rifles that were identical in every respect to G3's and 33's except for the fun switch, it's my contention that it would impact the value of the 91's and 93's. I'm not saying that their values would necessarily go down, but the rate of future increase would certainly be impacted.

Years ago, the only way to get a Yugo SKS was to buy one that Mitchell's had imported. The market price was around $1,200 before the Yugo surplus SKS's were imported. Then all of a sudden you could buy a new old stock military Yugo SKS for under $200. After this happened, I remember seeing a dealer at a gun show who had one of the Mitchell's Yugo SKS on his table for $1,200. Since the new old stock military Yugo SKS's were on multiple other dealer's tables for less than $200, I respectfully asked him what was different about the $1,200 one? He said that it was imported by Mitchell's and was therefore more desirable than the surplus ones being imported. Of course, the reality was that the one he was selling was close in most respects to a real military issue Yugo SKS, but there were some cosmetic differences. Yes, it was imported earlier, but in no way could it be considered more real than an actual Yugo military issued SKS. Reality is that the market had changed on the dealer quickly. He got stuck with something that he paid high dollars for and couldn't accept that he was going to have to take a loss to move it because from a collecting standpoint it was not more desirable than the real deal. If the other new old stock Yugo SKS's were not available, I might have bought the Mitchell imported one he was attempting to sell. However, there was no way that I was going to pay six times more for one that I view as less authentic.

I think one thing that originally made the SP1's desirable was at one time they were as close as you could get to a real full auto M4/M16. Subsequent Colt offerings were neutered versions of what people really wanted. If Colt released them today, they wouldn't sell at all except perhaps to people who have to have one of every Colt variation for their collection.