Is it wrong?

drache

drache

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I love Winchester Lever Guns and I love the 30-30 cartridge.

Now that being said I love the looks of the older style curved buttstocks, to me they just feel perfect. Problem being finding a modern Winchester with that buttstock and chambered in 30-30 that doesn't cost the price of a precision rifle :D

I've noticed though that some of these "collector" commemerative Winchesters like the Buffalo Bill Cody one has everything I need, the buttstock, the chambering, and it's not the bright Gold colour.

Would it be wrong to buy one of these and hunt with it if it's one of the "perfect in box" types? I mean paying $800 for a Winchester Lever gun is a bit much but it's not often I see a used one for sale.
 
I used to hunt with a friend that used one all the time. One day I asked him about it and he said, rifles were made to be hunted with, when I bought this one it was so purty looking I just had to take it out and shoot it. I've put many a deer and a moose in my freezer with it and I would much rather be hunting with it than have it hanging on the wall.
 
I think the only thing that has really stopped me is I figured someone might flame me for using a "collectible" to actually hunt with and the fact that they cost about twice as much as a standard Winchester.

If I could find a normal Winchester with the two things I want (and cheaper than the commemerative) then I'd certainly purcahse that instead.
 
You could get a crescent stock made to fit your Winchester.
I don't have a problem with someone using their gun though no matter how pretty, and really some of those special editions don't do it for me at all...... they would look better tarnished and worn!
 
Why not just get a second stock? You could probably get someone with a stock duplicator to make a butt stock up for you at a fraction of the cost of a commemorative rifle. Just have it finished with a crescent butt.
 
wapitiwhacker said:
Why not just get a second stock? You could probably get someone with a stock duplicator to make a butt stock up for you at a fraction of the cost of a commemorative rifle. Just have it finished with a crescent butt.
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but how much of a fraction? after buying a rifle for $400 then finding someone to make the wood buttstock then finding someone to get the metal plate for the end and then figure out the wait times for all of this to happen seems like the money saved would be about $100-$200 max?
 
I love the Winchester lever's too. I use all of mine. Don't worry about anyone burning you for using yours! Just get out there and enjoy using it! It's what it's meant for. ;)
 
You should be able to get an original 94 with crescent butt for $800 or less if you shop around. Contrary to what you see on the EE, decent 94's can still be had with decent bores. I'm talking about rifles with pretty much no finish but decent bores.
 
Rifles are meant to be hunted with like trucks are meant to carry things. I'd never worry about some wear and tear on a rifle (though I'm not a collector).

I bought a new truck a couple years ago and as soon as the papers were signed I walked out to the truck, dropped the tailgate, reached in as far as I could, and dragged the key all the way back to the tailgate. I think the salesman peed a little, but my point is, it was going to get scratched eventually and after that I wasn't worried about it.

I don't know where I'm going with this. Don't buy that rifle and scratch it on purpose. Just don't be afraid to use it.
 
there's nothing special about winchester commeratives mechanically- except for the medallion and the woodwork sometimes( the so-called "indian rifles with the studs) they're just high polish and /or better blue than your standard shooting models- esp the 94s - the ONLY way you'll get anything back investment-wise is if it's new in box and unfired-even not that much unless there's a demand - not that one would, but i have a numrich arms catalogue that lists inletted buttstocks and the "coin" - in other words, with those 2 parts, and about 10 minutes time, presto, you have a "commemorative"- you would have to do a serial number check or be VERY knowledgeable in the 94s to catch it- as far as the crescent buttstock goes, you should be able to get one through them as well
 
drache said:
but how much of a fraction? after buying a rifle for $400 then finding someone to make the wood buttstock then finding someone to get the metal plate for the end and then figure out the wait times for all of this to happen seems like the money saved would be about $100-$200 max?
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Don't know for sure, but maybe worth looking into if you had an old fav' you wanted to keep on shooting. Google Bob's gun parts. He's down in the States, and unfortunately doesn't ship to Canada but he has tons of different Winchester stocks for 50 bucks and up. Might be worth trying to find someone like that up here. Never know until you try. Good luck, either way you go.
 
Max Owner said:
There are soooo many cheap and beat up models out there, why take a collectable out?
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I don't really consider a "gray gun" all that much of a collectable unless it has special order features, pistol grip, takedown, special barrel, sights,fancy wood etc. These rifles were meant to go hunting and if they have no finish left and are standard models, why not? You're not going to hurt them a bit.
 
Check out auctions those guns come up with no box and papers they sell for 375 -450 even tho theyv enever been fired. Paris auction is in november chech out there listings at triggers and bows. They mite just have a few sitting around. And I can't own a gun I can't shoot collecters or not. Take em out n shoot em ull. Love it
 
those commerative winchesters are really nothing special,if you check they made alot of them,they weren't low production run guns,people put more value on them than what they're worth,go ahead and shoot it.....
 
bdogg said:
those commerative winchesters are really nothing special,if you check they made alot of them,they weren't low production run guns,people put more value on them than what they're worth,go ahead and shoot it.....
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So Ive noticed, $1000 for a winchester that looks a little "sissier" is just wrong :p
 
Save some money and buy one without the box, as another poster mentioned.
There are some commemoratives I wouldn't hunt with but the Winchester lever isn't one of them. If you're worried about the rarity, wait a week til Winchester puts another one out!
 
Just use the damn thing and don't worry about value...Life is too short to pretend to be a museum for a rifle they made millions of. :D
 
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