Looking at a Widow's Guns Tomorrow

[gregintenn]

While I hesitate to argue your word, I have always been told the 25-20 was the caliber made in the fewest numbers and sells for more $$. Am I remembering this wrong or just been mislead?

I think you are correct in saying that the 25-20 was one of the least popular chamberings in the 92. While that often equates to more money, that isn't always the case. I'm not real knowledgeable on the 92 Winchesters, but I can tell you that while a 51 Remington in 380 is much more common than the 32 ACP chambering, it is also more valuable.

 

[handejector]

While I hesitate to argue your word, I have always been told the 25-20 was the caliber made in the fewest numbers and sells for more $$. Am I remembering this wrong or just been mislead?

A decent 38 or especially a 44 will always sell easily if priced within market limits for the condition.
32's are a bit slower but still move.
I have found 25's to have a very much smaller potential market. In super condition, sure- the 25 would possibly bring more, but I'd rather be selling a super condition 38 or 44. What is said and what happens don't always match.

 

[bigolddave]

A .25/20 with a decent bore is almost impossible to find. The ratio of priming compound to powder with corrosive primers was such that very few survived with good bores. That being said, the last time I tried to sell any 1892's, a .32 and a .44, they didn't last a couple of hours at the show. 1892's are about the easiest Winchesters to sell, probably because while they made a lot of them compared to '73's, '76's, and '86's, they are so darned "Old West", because they show up in every western movie, whether the time frame is proper or not.

 

[66TAS]

A decent 38 or especially a 44 will always sell easily if priced within market limits for the condition.
32's are a bit slower but still move.
I have found 25's to have a very much smaller potential market. In super condition, sure- the 25 would possibly bring more, but I'd rather be selling a super condition 38 or 44. What is said and what happens don't always match.

Yep, thats an explanation that makes sense. Thanx.

 

[feralmerril]

I sure would like one converted to .256 win mag.

 

[redlevel]

I went back and looked over the guns again yesterday, this time with another friend of mine and also a friend of the family. He is actually my barber and Jim's (the deceased husband) barber. He is a long-time gun collector/shooter/accumulator. He and I went through the guns, using a Blue Book and our combined knowledge/experience to arrive at prices we thought the guns would bring. He is into military weapons and I'm not, but we usually came within $50 independently when assigning values. He did assign a much higher value to a really ratty looking old M1 Carbine than I would have. He wound up buying that gun, along with four more, including a rusty 94 Winchester, a very rusty Stevens 311 in .410, an old Ithaca 49 that had mud in the barrel, an M1 Garand with mis-matched serial numbers, and a bunch of loose ammo.

I brought another rifle home with me to advertise locally on a couple of forums. It is a very nice looking FN Mauser Sporter in .308. I did some research and it looks like FN exported these guns and barreled actions to the US from the late 40s through the middle 60s. It has a Weaver K4 scope on it, and it really looks like a quality piece. I might list it in the For Sale section here for f/f sale in Georgia.

 

[JohnnieB]

Sounds like the recently widowed lady has some good friends.

Thank you for helping her in her time of need.

 

[doc540]

It's an honorable man that does the right thing by someone.

 

[redlevel]

I have a feeling the "men-folk" you speak of may not be the most trustworthy to her. Lots of times they have their own agenda. I may be way off base, but that happens a lot.

I don't think that's the case here, although I have seen "agendas" like you refer to really get in the way of doing the right thing.

Jim's brother lives in the Bahamas during the cold months, so he isn't here to help. The son-in-law is a good guy, smart, but clueless about the guns. I went to him immediately and told him I didn't want to butt in, and that I would leave it up to him if he just said the word. He seemed genuinely glad for me to be handling it, and he and his wife told me they trusted me and that any thing I could do to help get Lola decent money was good with them.

As a professing, practicing Christian, and a Deacon in our Church, what can I do but help her all I can? Lola even laughingly told me I was just doing what a Deacon is supposed to do--helping a widow in the Church.

 

[P&R Fan]

Good for you, I have found "ministry" can take on many forms.
If you had told me 25 years ago some of the ways God has used me I never would have believed it. Trust me, I could tell some interesting stories about it.