Gun appraisal

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mcfly68

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I need to know where/who do I take a rifle to get appraised...what I have is my great grandfathers 1894 winchester that he brought to Canada when he moved from the US in 1901....so this is an original early production 32-20 1894 model winchester..it has the octagonal barrel, full length tubular mag and in very nice condition. I want it appraised for insurance reasons. Also any tips on properly storing this rifle to preserve it?
 
There are enough of us on this forum who collect old Winchesters that if you posted some detailed photos of the rifle (e.g., one of the butt, one of the action and forearm, and one of the barrel, both sides for all three photos, and one of the printing on the barrel), and if you described to us the condition of the bore and noted any dings, gouges, cracks, etc., I'm sure we could give you a value.
 
If it's an 1894 the calibre may be 32-40. If it's actually 32-20 (32WCF) it is an 1892 model. Which is the correct marking on it?
 
Should have mentioned there is also the 32 Special for the 1894 model. None of the 3 cartridges are the same and the 32WCF was made on the smaller actioned 1892.
 
skirsons said:
Are the opinions on this board suitable for insurance value?
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Since you rarely know the people behind the opinions, I'd say no. But, when there's consensus of opinion, you can probably count on the opinions on this board as easily, if not more reliably, than anyone else's. To the best of my knowledge, there's no such thing as a professional firearms appraiser. That means you get an opinion here, from a gun shop owner/employee, or from a gunsmith. Most gunsmiths will be pretty good but, lets face it, any of those groups (including GunNutz) can and often do have personal agendas.

Either they've had bad experiences with the make or model, they hope you're going to consign it at a reasonable price, they want to buy it themselves, or they think your mother dresses you funny and you should get out of their shop. There's a million other reasons why appraisals can be suspect. In the end, they're all just opinions. Any gun is only worth what someone will actually pay for it. During bad times, even the most amazing collector's piece may be worthless (it could just as easily be worth thousands a few years later). Stupid gun laws can have a devastating effect, too.
 
skirsons said:
Are the opinions on this board suitable for insurance value?
Click to expand...

When I had to get an appraisal for insurance purposes, the company wanted someone in business and a letterhead on the appraisal sheet. On the other hand I knew of only one person who both fit insurance companies requirements and was reasonably knowledgeable (he was a dealer). He is since deceased and I can think of only one person again, also in a different city, whose opinions I would accept more or less.
When dealing with antiques, antique store owners rarely know squat about firearms and I would expect modern stores to considerably undervalue the guns assuming they knew anything about them.

cheers mooncoon
 
That's what I was getting at. The poster's question was about insurance appraisal which would need to be accepted by the insurance company. They're not going to accept opinions off this forum no matter how much experience and knowledge the poster has.
 
Unless you want a "Fine Arts" floater for an old deer rifle, just keep a decent set of photos on file. If/when it's gone (assuming ,of course, that it's taken by other than your government) buy the newest edition of The BlueBook of Gun Values, then just use that to back up your photos.
 
Rossguy said:
Unless you want a "Fine Arts" floater for an old deer rifle, just keep a decent set of photos on file. If/when it's gone (assuming ,of course, that it's taken by other than your government) buy the newest edition of The BlueBook of Gun Values, then just use that to back up your photos.
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Best idea so far! However, you are going to end up with US prices for better or worse.
 
Try These Guys

Hi,

I have an old shotgun that I wanted similar info for... I found these guys online... based out of Perth, Ontario...

Easy to use and deal with... you get a certificate... but hadn't heard of the company that made my shot gun... Belgian... a quick internet search found me company info independent of their search... I imagine that your gun is a little more mainstream... so shouldn't be a problem.

http://w w w.gun-appraisals.com

EB:canadaFlag:
 
mcfly68 said:
I need to know where/who do I take a rifle to get appraised...what I have is my great grandfathers 1894 winchester that he brought to Canada when he moved from the US in 1901....so this is an original early production 32-20 1894 model winchester..it has the octagonal barrel, full length tubular mag and in very nice condition. I want it appraised for insurance reasons. Also any tips on properly storing this rifle to preserve it?
Click to expand...

I have the Firearms values book, but you haven't given us enough info.
How long is the barrel, is the lever curved or straight?
Your rifle could be worth a lot, but I can't help you until I get more stats.
 
Check out the Cody Firearms Museum online-for a fee they will be able to tell you alot about the firearm-can't recall if they will appraise it
 
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