School me on collecting Winchesters

[Thefabulousfink]

So I've been looking around lately and run across a couple old Winchester '94s (1900 & 1903) for around a grand each. I know next to nothing about Winchesters, but these struck me as beautiful old guns and I think I might like to own a collectible Winchester.

My questions are as follows: What are the pit-falls of collecting old winchesters? Are there any years or calibers that are considered lemons? Is $1000 reasonable for a turn of the century gun is functional condition? Are there any specific things that I should look for on Winchesters beyond function and condition?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Art Eatman]

Find a copy of Fjestad's "Blue Book" and read the comments about collectible Winchesters. There are some warnings about "made-up" guns which look good but are not original. This is particularly true about pre-WW II Model 70s.

Might be some reading at Wikipedia; I dunno.

There are books on that collecting at some of the larger gunstores. Maybe Cabela's? Again, I've not looked.

 

[Liberty1776]

Art has set you on the right track. I have collected various themes of guns for decades and will tell you that the most important thing is knowing what to NOT buy...

If you just want a couple of old Winchesters (who doesn't?) that's one thing. If you actually want to acquire collectable Winchester models, that's a whole different concept.

Quite seriously, if you have that $1000 to play with, spend much of it on books. And finally, to answer your question about is $1000 reasonable, it all depends on what exactly "functional condition" means - and a few other things, like model, caliber, barrel length, sights, stock configuration and grade of the gun, to name a few.

 

[rcmodel]

One very important thing to look for on any Winchester that old is the condition of the bore, especially right inside the muzzle.

I have owned more then one that had all the muzzle rifling worn out in a funnel shape by 100 years of cleaning rod wear.

They can't be cleaned from the rear, and ammo was all corrosive back then.
So they either didn't get cleaned at all and the bore looks like the inside of a smokestack.
Or else they got cleaned all the time and the muzzles are worn out.

If the muzzle rifling is worn out, they won't shoot, and there is nothing you can do about it.

rc

 

[Vaarok]

Bah, you can counterbore them, easily.

The big thing about Collecting Winchesters is you've got to remember that the generation that's so heavily into them is all the guys who grew up on westerns, and as the years roll by, they're going to start keeling over with greater and greater frequency. Yes, you can collect anything and whatever you like, but I feel that the bubble will settle a bit in coming years as the generations more interested in ARs and Garands displace the Winchester guys at gunshows.

The other thing to remember is that everybody knows Winchesters are collectable, so you may wish to hit a sideline like Marlins or Savage 99s where you're less likely to face guys perfectly willing to pay $700-900 for the equivalent of a generic pre-'64 Winchester '94 in .30-30.

 

[rcmodel]

Bah, you can counterbore them, easily.

Bah, yourself!

Counterboring will knock two or three bills right off the top of any collector value the gun had with a worn out muzzle.

The OP ask about collectable Winchesters, not counter-bored Winchesters.

rc

 

[Thefabulousfink]

Thanks for the info guys. I will definitely pick up a copy of "Blue Book" and any other material I can find.
Vaarok, that is some food for thought. Maybe I will try and find just 1 old "shooter" quality winchester for personal use and decoration and look for a less flooded market for collectable rifles.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Never EVER buy your first pre-64 Winchester:

There was a time when I had no Winchesters.

Then I got this puppy:



Then this happened:

Now look at me:

Get out while you can and considered yourself warned.

 

[BrocLuno]

Old pre-WW-II rifles are cool. But they come with lots of use and wear. A Doug Turnbull restoration will be $2K or so. Then what?

Old shooters are fun. Old iron butt plates can be tough on the shoulder. They are fun to shoot, but not a lot.

I'd be looking at Savage 99's, but their prices are going up fast