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Always think condition when collecting firearms

5 min read

Firearms of various uses and designs appeal to many people for different reasons.

There are those who shoot targets, be the shots taken off hand or from a bench rest. I call these gun people paper punchers and I am among this class of shooters.

Most of the readers of this column are hunters. They might be seeking deer or enjoy chasing down bunnies with a shotgun. Either way, they are both hunters.

Not satisfied with a 30-06 they might want a bigger gun such as a .375 for an upcoming hunt in Alaska. The hunting instinct has been around since the dawn of man when you either hunted or went hungry. Whether it is believed or not man is a predator.

The placement of the eyes proves that statement. All predators have forward-facing eyes.

Since it is too cold to stand on a firing line punching holes in paper, and hunting is dependent on game laws, many of us turn to the third reason to be a gun owner.

Collectors are not affected by the snow or the cold. Be it knee-deep snow or sub-zero temperatures, collectors can be found following a leads on a can’t-miss collectable firearm.

While I enjoy attending gun shows and an occasional auction, I am usually there for the social experience. I just can’t play the financial game with those who have the money. But I do know a bargain when I see it.

I enjoy the gun shows more than I do the auctions. Get a bidding war going between a couple of would-be buyers and the prices can go out of sight. A gun collector who wants a certain firearm will pay ridiculous prices to get what he wants.

I once attended a local auction because of one rifle in the bunch. It was a 722 Remington in .243. The .722 is fairly common, produced from 1948 to 1961, and the .243 is one of the most common rounds but put the 2 together and this combo is very rare.

I patiently waited with John Dino while all the other things were sold, and finally, as I was choking on cigarette smoke and squirming on the hard seat, the 722 came up for sale.

The auctioneer asked for a starting bid and we were ready to bid a starting price of $250. Before I could utter a word a man in the front row yelled $600. We got up and left.

At that time, the .243 wasn’t worth nearly that much. That’s an auction for you.

On the other side, you can have fun bickering prices with a sales person on the other side of the table.

I have observed the comings and goings of collectable firearms. You never go wrong collecting the Winchester lever actions.

There is something about that same Winchester that keeps their firearms popular. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the price of a Winchester 1886 model at any store. They will command a price in the 5 figures if in good condition.

There is the rub – condition rears its ugly head when talking value of any collectable firearm. You can have a Winchester 73 – a desirable rifle – but if the stock is split and has been cut for a pad then its value plummets. This can also be said about almost any old firearm.

Originality is also important and is the cause of a drop in value for many firearms. Drill holes for a scope and the value drops. Cut the stock for a pad and the same can be said.

The Model 70 Winchester is a good example of the variation in value based on the caliber. The rarer the chambering, the higher the value in other words the chambering that were not popular are now the ones that bring the highest price. While a nice 30-06 can still be bought for under $1500, I know a collecter who paid $13,000 for a Model 70 in the rarest of all, the 300 Savage.

There were fewer than 500 rifles so chambered, while the old 30-06 was by far the most popular.

There are other makes that are also collectable such as some Remingtons. The rarer the better.

When did you last see a Remington 725? I know a few knowledgeable collectors who never have heard of one being available. The 725 was nothing more than a dressed up 721 but was only made for about four years in the late ’50s. Fewer than 15,000 were made.

What about the Remington Model 20? This was a little pump-action made both as a rifle and carbine and chambered for the short rounds of the day, such as the 32-20 and 25-20.

Regardless of what you choose to collect, always remember condition is the most important thing when starting a collection.

• I hear that Henry is going to offer a special rifle for the ladies on Valentine’s Day with roses on each side of the receiver. I was thinking that if they put it in a long pretty box, it might appear like a bouquet of long stem roses. Instead of flowers, it could be a great Valentine gift idea, Henry’s Roses.

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

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