We drove into town today for some feed, and stopped by a local Gunstore (The Outdoorsman in San Angelo) for some powder and bullets. While there I looked at a pair of Winchesters I would certainly like to have.
The first is a Model 55 takedown in .30-30. This is a pretty scarce rifle and is in nice shape. The askimg price of $1,000.00 is not bad for a rifle that has not been carried much and is not altered.
The second is a Model 94, 24" full octagon barrel with full magazine and cresent butt plate. Its a .25-35 and a nice looker. The price is $900.00. I offered my truck as part trade... that got a nice laugh!

I've been there, slim. I go into one of our gun shops here locally, and they have a whole cabinet of collectable guns no one can afford or buy. They guy is older and certainly at the retirement stage. I would guess they will bury him with them...

I know what you mean about prices. New, used and collector prices seem high to me.

There is a M-94 .25-35 on Guns America right now. This rifle has had its barrel and magazine tube shortened. The asking price is &700.00! There is no collector value at all. What makes the rifle worth $700.00? I wonder if the rifle could be parted out and bring this price?

This week I looked at a S&W 329PD. This one had a price of $700.00 on the tag.

I passed on the first Marlin 1894 .32 Magnum I saw due to the firm price of $695.00. I offered $600.00 and they just smiled. I noticed the rifle was still on the rack the last time I was in the store.

Yup, see these guns hanging in the shop all the time. You can come back a year later and there still hanging. I'm not a collector so can chuckle over this. I'm more of an accuracy nut so modern arms are my interest.

I understand that collectors invest in guns because of several reasons:

1. Value will increase and eventually make thier investment pay off, though several of my friends whom are collectors ended up dead and only their family's reaped the rewards of thier collections.

2. Like any fine piece of equipment, just the joy of owning something unique or no longer made is a reason.

3. Some folks like shooting period weapons that reflect a time in history past, i.e. the fervent craze in cowboy action shooting reflects this.

I'm sure there are several more good reasons. I know I've got several old cars sitting around my yard that my wife does not understand why I keep. I've tried without success to explain the uses my collection have, but to no avial. The guns I do have sitting in the safe share her same unreasoning nonunderstanding for some reason. Strange the things that drive us.

We drove into town today for some feed, and stopped by a local Gunstore (The Outdoorsman in San Angelo) for some powder and bullets. While there I looked at a pair of Winchesters I would certainly like to have.
The first is a Model 55 takedown in .30-30. This is a pretty scarce rifle and is in nice shape. The askimg price of $1,000.00 is not bad for a rifle that has not been carried much and is not altered.
The second is a Model 94, 24" full octagon barrel with full magazine and cresent butt plate. Its a .25-35 and a nice looker. The price is $900.00. I offered my truck as part trade... that got a nice laugh!

Maybe he was waiting for you to throw in thefamily cow.


So many timesI got myself into a fret looking at some of the old guns. Some old and in tough shape, some in good shape and the asking price ---- well more than Betsy and the truck.

I can not see where a 1896 needs to be close to $4000. I would just want to shoot a truck load of lead through it at the range.

Well I thought I would like something in the small bore lever and a .22 bee came to mind. Then again a 25/20 . Then , a 25/35 and it could double as a deer gun , as most small game has been shot long ago.

I would see something at the gun shop and like a little boy stay awake wondering how I could possabably bring it home.

Well I got more gunsthan I could shoot now , other than the 357's most double as hunting arms ( that way I could jusity the purchase to the wife), and find myself lending the rifles out during the hunt to close family members.

I got bit a few times over the last few years Once with a Marlin guide gun, NEW, that never was going to be right . and now also with a BLR that I have ownership to but has been in for repair for the second year.
Then I look in the gun safe , and we still have the 6.5 swede, the 3006 , the 35 remington 44Mag and the 30/30 and the 357 winnie.plus hand gunsand the shot guns.
Got everything I could possabably hunt with . never get to use most of the rifles as it is . what do I what another one for?
Just like the wife wanting a new outfit I guess.


So the money lost with the guide and the bite I am going to take dumping the BLRas it looks now sort has cured me from wanting a new gun for next year thing .

I am not going to even remotely look or glace at the winchester 25/35 . As a matter of fact have not been a the shop looking since the end of May.

Slim you need the truck to haul the lead and any other ammo home that you can get a deal on.

Sell the cow! :)
Happy

Harry…
“Maybe he was waiting for you to throw in the family cow.”

That would make me …Jack?

“I can not see where a 1896 needs to be close to $4000. I would just want to
shoot a truck load of lead through it at the range.”

I know what you mean. If these rifles were really worth this money the manufacturers would tool up and make them. The latest run of 1895 rifles were slow sellers as they were over valued for most of us. When a rifle becomes too valuable to shoot we have a problem. A scratch, ding or worse, a small bit of corrosion can knock several hundred dollars off the value of one of these rifles. This cuts into the enjoyment of the older rifles – and some of the new ones.

“Well I thought I would like something in the small bore lever and a .22 bee came
to mind. Then again a 25/20 . Then , a 25/35 and it could double as a deer gun ,
as most small game has been shot long ago. “

We bought all three Marlin Classics for a lot less money than one Model 65 Winchester commands. While these Marlins do not look as nice as the Winchesters, if the truth is known, they are more useful in today’s world.

“Then I look in the gun safe , and we still have the 6.5 swede…”

As you well know, most all of us would be very well served with a 6.5 X 55 or .260 Remington. These two cartridges are very underrated. Real world results are well beyond what the ballistic charts would indicate.

“So the money lost with the guide and the bite I am going to take dumping the
BLRas it looks now sort has cured me from wanting a new gun for next year thing”

We have all taken a hit or two. It seems to hurt worse when everyone is telling you how great that rifle should be and yours (or mine!) just will not live up to its reputation. Recently I have been watching the results of three Winchester Model 94’s in .357 Magnum that have given their owners trouble feeding and with broken ejectors. My Dad has a Model 94 in .357 and my wife has one in .45 Colt. These two rifles will feed, extract and eject ANYTHING whether the rifle is upside down or sideways. Our rifles working correctly does nothing to help those three guys!
I mentioned we have all three of the Marlin Classics. The .25-20 and .218 Bee are gems. The .32-20 is a real problem. This rifle suffers form double feeding and unbelievable jams. The button which positions the little cartridges on the lifter finally fell off. I’ll get a new lifter one day. In the meantime it is a pretty good little single shot….
.
“I am not going to even remotely look or glace at the Winchester 25/35. As a
matter of fact have not been a the shop looking since the end of May.”

Harry, I cannot tell you how much fun we are having with this .25-35! It helps that we already had everything to load with, and molds, and a selection of bullets due to having had rifles in this caliber for several years. This little rifle sure makes it easy to shoot small groups. “Eager” is a good description. The truth is that you could have the same fun – and perhaps more - with a good .30-30! But it was “only” $400.00 and here shortly we will have spent more on bullets, powder and primers than the rifle cost. Does that make it free?

“Sell the cow! :) “

In today’s market that is the best advice I could receive!

Willaim
I jest regarding the truck and cow.

Regarding the Canadain dollar our milking cow might fetch $1200.oo, while a winchester ninty four commands just under six hundred .
If the UN and the Canadain goverment team up again I hear ,that we are going to have a new surtax to speak on all imported guns. An extra 200.00 to ingrave all recievers.

Since as far as I know we only assemble .22 rifles for winchester and the savage favourite in this country.This will put new pressure on the few remaining gun shops , as most folks would now reconsider a purchase with the 200 dollar hike and 15% tax added to the bill.

There is a healthy underground trade in firearms and this action by our government is to discourage the use of small arms .
How ever I see it as a boost in sales in the unground market be it legal or other wise .I hear the gangs are trading your guns for our home grown grass.

Well if we can not enjoy the shooting sports and the hunt, maybe we should keep that home grown to our selves.

Well myself I see no harm growing up and having a .22 as a lad to shoot gophers on the family farm.
Grown up Other than paper , I never shot unless It was meat.

I rather have my young lad going that , instead of using a paint gun and shooting people.What are we teaching our kids?
Oh! the ground hogs disagree understandly.

As you see the costs have me frustrated .

And in the end probably in my life time , the goverment will have disarmed it's citizens of all small arms , by making it too expensive to persue.

Our little trappers have never had a problem . They both started to act up a bit after about 2000 rounds but a good tear down of the reciever took care of that .( dirt) Our little 357 fires 357 and 38 spl with out problems and I think we have put about 5000 through this rifle now.
And some say the 94 is not suited for pistol lengh cartridges

Oh! I have seen the new winchesters with the case coloured recievers and the crescant butts .The case coloured reciever is chemically applied and I hear comes off. The one in 45 colt has a 20" octagon barrel and comes with the price tag of $930.oo plus shipping and our 15% tax

And Grand -Snap it! the cow is now already down stairs in the big white box. No funds now selling her.
Then I go to the safe and polish my old 6.5 and my 336/35 RC. Two old rifles that never let me down.
Happy