- Hydro Dipping - While hydro dipping is a very cool and inexpensive way to completely change the appearance of your gun, there are a couple things that should probably be avoided. Camouflage shouldn't be applied to handguns. To me, it seems a little disgraceful to take a beautiful Ruger revolver or a full metal Smith & Wesson and dip it in Mossy Oak. It's kinda like painting a Ferrari pink - it's unnecessary and does nothing but ruin the look of a beautiful firearm. On the other hand, I have seen some incredible work done to grips. A quality hydro dipped pistol grip can really create a unique piece.
- "Tactical" attachments - This is especially true of older WWII weapons like the M1 Garand and Mosin Nagant. I see people removing the solid wood stocks and replacing them with a black, adjustable polymer ones. While this can look pretty cool, it doesn't make much sense and it reduces the appeal of the weapon. While you may have invested $300 into your Mosin, you'll have a hard time getting people to buy it from you for that.
- Restoration - This should be a no-brainer but it has to be said. If you have a collectors piece that is 1 of 10 ever made from the 1800's, DO NOT try to make it look better by "restoring" it yourself. While it may look better to you afterward, a collector will think the opposite. This can sometimes reduce gun value by 50%.
- Engraving - Don't have a pistol or rifle engraved unless you never plan on selling or gifting your gun. Many people have a name for their weapons, and that's fine, but it doesn't help to have that name etched in the slide when you are wanting to sell it. What if you wanted to purchase a pre-owned weapon and the one that you find has "Deathpunch" engraved on the side? You'll probably move on.
However, if you still want to customize your piece, don't despair! Here are some customization items that won't impact a gun's value:
- Custom Grips (pistol primarily) - If you have the ability to change the grips on your gun, try experimenting with different options. You may find a look that is completely unique to you. And if you ever decided to sell that weapon, just put the original grips back on. If you don't have removable grips, you can add a Hogue grip to your pistol to better your hand position. This can also be removed easily if needed.
- Optics - It's a pretty safe move to upgrade the optics on a weapon (aside from older guns). If you take a shotgun and replace it's standard bead sights with fiber-optics, the value of that gun shouldn't change much. If you add night sights to your pistol, it will most likely increase it's value.
- Magazine Base Plate - It's just a piece of small, easily replaceable, plastic or metal. If you want to paint it a different color, go right ahead!
- Polymer Frame Pattern - If you have polymer framed guns such as a Glock or M&P, you can get a pattern engraved on the frame to your liking. This isn't a cheap thing to do, and you may need to by another factory frame if you want to sell it, but it's much cheaper to replace the frame than the other components.
