Hello! I hate to be such a girl, but I don't know very much about guns or where to find information online about them.

I'm helping my dad try to find the value of my great grandfather's rifle, a Western Field 47 22 s l lr. I believe it's a Ward's model, although I haven't been able to determine if it's a Mossberg or Savage.

If you could please tell me when it was made/any details about it/it's value, boy, I'd really appreciate it! Or if you can just help me navigate to some good online references I'd be equally grateful.

Thanks so much in advance for any help you can offer!

It'll be a Mossberg. My Blue Book of Gun Values says this about Western Field:

....most of these models were manufactured through subcontracts with both domestic and international firearms manufacturers. Typically they were "spec." guns made to sell at a specific prince to undersell the competition. Most of these models were derivatives of existing factory models with less expensive wood and perhaps missing features found on those models from which they were derived. To date, there has been little interest in collecting Western Field guns, regardless of rarity. A general guideline is that values generally under those of their "1st generation relatives." As a result, prices are ascertained by the shooting value of the gun, rather than its collector value.

To me that say's that the value is less than a comparable actual Mossberg model. I'd think a comparable Mossberg model may be one of the 40 series, but maybe someone else can confirm that. If that is correct, even most of the actual Mossberg 22's aren't worth a whole lot, even at 100% condition. Most are in the $200 price range, so I'd have to think a Western Field is maybe $150 tops at 100%. If it's not 100%, it's value may not break $100.

Thank you so much for the speedy reply with such detail! I really appreciate it.

I'm excited to tell my dad; he wants the gun more for sentimental reasons than for value. It was his grandfather's and as his dad is dividing up all the old possessions he doesn't need anymore, I don't think any of the other kids will want it if there isn't value on it.

Thanks again--can't thank you enough!

I'd concur. It was an inexpensive brand to start with, and collectors are hardly jumping all over these. These sort of guns are not too hard to find at gun shows and such. The sentiment surely outweights the monetary value.

Good luck with that and welcome to the forum. Let us know how it shoots if you get it out to the range....

Hey, MikeG!

Thanks for the concurrence. ;-)

I'll definitely let you know how it shoots!

Thanks again for your advice & knowledge!

-Brianne.

Hello! I hate to be such a girl. . .

Please don't be, Brianne. The shooting sports all of us here love are in trouble due to changing demographics. The more girls who are attracted to our sports, the better off we all are. Please feel welcome to the forum, and to shooting. We need you.

Now, about value. At first glance that means money only, but as you think about it some more that there are some things easily replaced by money, and some things that no amount of money can replace (photographs of your grandparents' wedding, for instance).

You might be able to find another Western Field rifle similar to your great-grandfather's for less than $100, but if that specific rifle were lost (fire, theft, etc.) no amount of money could replace it.

So, you tell us -- what is the real value of that old rifle?

The Old Guy