rchall
Member
Just wondering if anyone would have access to the newest BlueBook’s range of values for an original Winchester 52B Sporter? I do not have this book so looking for a little help with this. Thank you!
Winchester 52 Sporter values
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I've seen excellent condition Model 52 Sporters sell for as much as $4,000 when the economy was strong. That isn't the case now and new blue book values are totally useless in the current economy.
Aside from the current economic conditions, blue book values, even new ones, were never much use anyway as they almost always undervalue the gun as they are biased towards shops buying for resale, and do not reflect the realities of the wider reach to motivated buyers on the internet.
I find completed sales on Gun Broker to be far more useful in determining actual market value. Blue book lovers will whine that people often pay too much on on-line auction sites like GB. But they seem to be missing the point that when people "often" pay too much, it in fact reflects the fair market price.
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There is currently only 1 completed listing for an original Model 52 Sporter on GB. It's in very good to excellent all original condition, had a starting bid of $2950 and sold on 3-8-2020 with only 2 bids for $3150.
A Model 52-C Sporter auction ended on 4-11-2020 with a starting bid of $3650. It was only in good (stock) to very good (metal) condition and in my opinion was about $1000 over priced. Not surprisingly it had no bids.
Given that limited information and the current economy, $3K is probably in the ballpark for an excellent condition Model 52 Sporter.
If social distancing drags on into mid summer, you'll see gun prices start to fall even more as increasing numbers of gun owners tart turning guns into money in a market where there are not as many people with discretionary income. Boats, RVs, Aircraft, etc will follow a similar pattern. Buyers with money know that and are probably willing to wait, which further depresses the market.
If you *need* to turn one into money, sooner is better than later as selling prices are only going to fall over the next few to several months. If you are interested in buying one, availability and purchase prices are only going to improve over the next few to several months.
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The usual caveat is that if you can wait for the right bidder to come along and are selling it yourself, you can probably expect to get close to full market value.
If you however want to sell it quickly, yourself, or want to sell it on consignment through a shop, plan on getting only about 80% of the market value.
If you need to turn it into money immediately a shop will only give you about 50% of the market value. Some shops will claim to give you 60%, but then undervalue the actual retail price they base that 60% on by about 10%, so it's still 50%. In some cases if they have a known buyer who is looking for what you are selling and you balk at 50% a shop might go as high as 70% if they are sure they can turn it over quickly.
Aside from the current economic conditions, blue book values, even new ones, were never much use anyway as they almost always undervalue the gun as they are biased towards shops buying for resale, and do not reflect the realities of the wider reach to motivated buyers on the internet.
I find completed sales on Gun Broker to be far more useful in determining actual market value. Blue book lovers will whine that people often pay too much on on-line auction sites like GB. But they seem to be missing the point that when people "often" pay too much, it in fact reflects the fair market price.
----
There is currently only 1 completed listing for an original Model 52 Sporter on GB. It's in very good to excellent all original condition, had a starting bid of $2950 and sold on 3-8-2020 with only 2 bids for $3150.
A Model 52-C Sporter auction ended on 4-11-2020 with a starting bid of $3650. It was only in good (stock) to very good (metal) condition and in my opinion was about $1000 over priced. Not surprisingly it had no bids.
Given that limited information and the current economy, $3K is probably in the ballpark for an excellent condition Model 52 Sporter.
If social distancing drags on into mid summer, you'll see gun prices start to fall even more as increasing numbers of gun owners tart turning guns into money in a market where there are not as many people with discretionary income. Boats, RVs, Aircraft, etc will follow a similar pattern. Buyers with money know that and are probably willing to wait, which further depresses the market.
If you *need* to turn one into money, sooner is better than later as selling prices are only going to fall over the next few to several months. If you are interested in buying one, availability and purchase prices are only going to improve over the next few to several months.
----
The usual caveat is that if you can wait for the right bidder to come along and are selling it yourself, you can probably expect to get close to full market value.
If you however want to sell it quickly, yourself, or want to sell it on consignment through a shop, plan on getting only about 80% of the market value.
If you need to turn it into money immediately a shop will only give you about 50% of the market value. Some shops will claim to give you 60%, but then undervalue the actual retail price they base that 60% on by about 10%, so it's still 50%. In some cases if they have a known buyer who is looking for what you are selling and you balk at 50% a shop might go as high as 70% if they are sure they can turn it over quickly.
According to the new Blue Book, an original 52B Sporter in 100% condition is worth $4500. They list a 90% gun at $2250.
Unfortunately, books don't buy guns and markets can change quickly. The information is often obsolete before the book is printed and the "expert" contributors have established clientele and various motivations behind the prices they publish.
I sold this one a few years ago for $4200 and considered myself lucky to get it. It was a nice clean example with an aftermarket Lyman front sight, but otherwise completely original.
It's difficult to find high condition honest examples if you're hunting for one and it can be just as difficult to sell at a fair price. Not a lot of people want to sink that kind of money into a .22 rifle and Kimber and Cooper offer comparable rifles that are much easier to scope properly. The 52B Sporters weren't drilled for a scope mount, so it's not unusual to find them with added holes. That really kills the value, and it's not unusual to find them with the holes professionally filled. Fakes/upgrades do exist, so make sure you know what you're looking at.
A friend has a 52C Sporter. He put it out for sale a few times over the last couple years at a collectors show and it received very little interest. They're more desirable because they were factory drilled, but you need to either have the bolt handle bent or mount the scope really high. Same holds true for the 52B Sporter re-issue from the 1990's.
Unfortunately, books don't buy guns and markets can change quickly. The information is often obsolete before the book is printed and the "expert" contributors have established clientele and various motivations behind the prices they publish.
I sold this one a few years ago for $4200 and considered myself lucky to get it. It was a nice clean example with an aftermarket Lyman front sight, but otherwise completely original.
It's difficult to find high condition honest examples if you're hunting for one and it can be just as difficult to sell at a fair price. Not a lot of people want to sink that kind of money into a .22 rifle and Kimber and Cooper offer comparable rifles that are much easier to scope properly. The 52B Sporters weren't drilled for a scope mount, so it's not unusual to find them with added holes. That really kills the value, and it's not unusual to find them with the holes professionally filled. Fakes/upgrades do exist, so make sure you know what you're looking at.
A friend has a 52C Sporter. He put it out for sale a few times over the last couple years at a collectors show and it received very little interest. They're more desirable because they were factory drilled, but you need to either have the bolt handle bent or mount the scope really high. Same holds true for the 52B Sporter re-issue from the 1990's.
Attachments
The Model 52C and the Model 52"R" reissue sporters are a bit harder to scope than most other adult sized .22LR bolt action rifles, but getting a good height above the bore with adequate bolt handle clearance is mostly an issue of selecting a scope with a comparatively small bell for the eyepiece. Unfortunately, large eyepiece bells are currently in fashion on scopes, so it's become more challenging than it was in the early 1990s.
From left to right, a Winchester Model 52R, a Remington 541S, a CZ 453 American, and a Ruger 10-22:
Yes, this is definitely a time of uncertainty in our economy. Who knows what the rest of this year will bring?? I thank you all for your input on this thread. I will keep looking for one of these rifles in the right condition at the right price. I have seen some that are priced high, but the condition is not right at all. So, as they say, when you least expect it or aren’t looking it will happen. Thanks again!
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