Jun 14, 2014 4 min read

There are very few things that don’t become collectable. Toys from long-gone days are a good example.

In the case of toys, many times the box they came in is worth more than the toy itself. There is good reason for that.

Paper products don’t survive the test of time. Some pre-1,900 books are worth a lot of money, and most of use are aware of the poularity of glassware and pottery.

Because of this, it is natural that there are some people who collect firearms and other related paraphenalia.

I know of one collector who has over 200 sporting rifles in his security room. Among his collection are older scopes and reloading equipment.

Another local man has a collection of pre-64 Winchesters. He has one in every cataloged caliber and configuration.

I would say he has a collection that is as good as any in the United States. After all, the .300 Savage and 35 Remington were only offered by Winchester in the late 1940s. Both were produced in low numbers, less than 500 total in both cases.

Guns survive the ravages of time, but surely there are some that were damaged by fire, neglect or even dropped overboard in a canoe.

What I’m getting at, is that even though there were 400 sold, not all of them are in good shape any longer.

The pre-64 is but one example of a collectable object.

There are many other desireable firearms out there and an equal number of people who form a constant clique at auctions and gun shows.

I most often attend the gun show at Arden, looking for collectables at a decent price.

There are those who look for an early model 77 with a trimmed down stock and what is called a flat bolt.

The real desirable firearm from Luger is what I consider the company’s biggest flop, the Hawkeye. The Hawkeye was a single-shot handgun chambered for the 256. It was a sales failure from Day 1.

Usually such a gun didn’t sell well and all things being equal, the fewer there are, the harder they are to find. Hence, they are more collectable.

Just because a firearm is old doesn’t make it a good investment. An example of this was pointed out to me last week when a friend called to ask about a gun he saw at a yard sale.

It turned out that I was the only one who had heard of the manufacturer. It was a Noble slide-action .22.

I haven’t seen one for years, but it was sold at a low price and was a good buy at the time.

Incidentally, Noble torned out a slide-action shotgun and the pump .22.

While old and in good shape, there are very few, if any, collectors who look for Noble products.

I was discussing collectables at the shooting range with some people when I said there was one thing that is constant when looking for a good piece or one you just want to set in the corner. When somebody asks me to price a firearm over the phone, I refuse. I tell the caller there is an important ingredient – condition.

The gun must be in good condition and in its original condition.

Somebody once told me about a Sako L46 that was in the sale rack at a gun shop in Allegheny County. It was priced at $300.

As I held the little .222, I could have shed a tear. It wasn’t used. It was destroyed.

The stock was split. The barrel was pitted both outside and inside. Even the magazine clip was missing.

This was a good example of an excellent rifle suffering neglect.

I set it back in place and scratched it from my list.

There are collectables out there but some are hard to find. Winchester’s level-action guns are not. The same could be said of some Marlins and Sakos.

I have a friend who collects the 721 and 725 from Remington. The 721 chamberded in 280 is hard to find.

Collecting firearms can be fun but expensive.

Remember this advice from this professor of rifles: It might be old, but is it completely original? And what is the condition?

George H. Block writes an Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.