Evaluating Winchester Special Order Features.

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Willy Tincup

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How does one go about putting a value on the defferent special features that show up on some of the older Winchester firearms?
Are there any magic formulas or common guidelines?
Most of the books.....like Flaydermans don't contain much inormation about special features. Sometimes it will mention 10% premium or 25% premium for this or that and thats easy enough. Would many of the special order features add atleast 10%? .....more? less? who knows?
For example; a Rifle contains 5 special order features........extra length barrel, 1/2 round 1/2 oct barrel, button mag, pistol grip stock, shotgun butt.
Lets say that the rifle model and condition puts it at $1000 value. What is its value with the 5 special order features?
 
I am not sure that there is a hard and fast rule for special features; something is worth what someone else will pay for it. The value to you is how badly you want a gun with those extra features. The sale value if you are selling is a reflection of how well you are able to find who wants extra features and is prepared to pay for them. Personally for example, I would not pay extra for a shotgun butt and possibly even pay/desire it less than a hooked butt. Others might be just the opposite

cheers mooncoon
 
Like mooncoon says, there are to concrete rules. Generally the more deviation from a standard rifle, the more value a Winchester has for a collector. If you can get a copy of George Madis' The Winchester Book, he does go through special order features, for example," one out of 665 had a shorter than standard barrel". Going through this info will give you a better insight into rarity not that there are not inaccuracies in the book. A better method may be to go on Guns International, Leroy Merz or Gunbroker and try to get a feel for the higher asking price of special order rifles. I have examined quite a few Winchesters and of the five special features you describe the pistol grip and extra long barrel are the least common and add more of a premium. Generally I would figure a gun with 4 or more special order features to be pretty special as the price to purchase the rifle years ago would have been a lot higher than a standard model.
 
IIRC, Campbell's books on the Single Shot (1885) pretty much put the lie to those "one out of ...." numbers. Essentially that they were not based on as much fact as opinion, and estimates based on what was found in collections long after the time they were built.

He goes on to say that the 1885, at least, was available about any way the customer was willing to pay for.

He also says that when certain extras were paid for, often other things would get a upgrade along the way, IIRC, the case he mentions was in relation to getting extra quality wood, when you paid for a different barrel length or such.

Features, condition, and whatever the market will bear, eh.

Cheers
Trev
 
With a rifle like the '94, where 8 million were made, a very small number had any special features, so a '94 with any 1 sp. feature could easily double it's value, of course it has to be a factory correct feature. IMHO...Ben
 
Even an octagon barrel was considered a special order feature in the 1894 as the standard rifle was 26 inch round barrel with full magazine and rifle butt. An octagon barrel or shotgun butt would seem to add about 20% to the value, a half round barrel(less common) would add 30 or 40%. There is no formula though, the rifle you describe would easily fetch $3000 plus if a standard model in the same condition went for $1000. Trevj mentioned the special order rifles sometimes being supplied with better wood at no extra cost, I have noticed this in 1886 and 1894 rifles. A rifle ordered with a special barrel and pistol grip would sometimes come with 2x wood at no extra cost. The Winchester stock wood was graded with 4x wood being the fanciest grain available. Pictures are really required for an intelligent estimate of market value. Keep in mind when looking at Winchesters on-line that prices tend to be a little higher in the U.S.
In the 1894 rifle only the first million or so are in the collector domain, the rest being basically carbines which are not especially rare even in mint condition. Unless you come across a carbine with a special order feature which is really uncommon after 1940.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. To be more specific these features are on an 86 made in 1894. I'll probably sell is one of these days; just trying to determine a fair value. Its a very interseting piece and does generate lots of discussion.
 
Post a few pictures then.

Aside from being able to ogle a decent old gun, it gives a better idea what is being considered, as prices are really dependent on a lot.

But mostly, so we can see what it looks like! :D

Cheers
Trev
 
trevj said:
Post a few pictures then.

Aside from being able to ogle a decent old gun, it gives a better idea what is being considered, as prices are really dependent on a lot.

But mostly, so we can see what it looks like! :D

Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...

I'd like to post some pictures but when I went to school we did math with paper and a pencil and studied English grammer. Cars had chrome, Elvis was a matinee idol and no one knew what the hell a computer was or did....:)
 
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