1873 Appraisal

[Dirty Brass]

Can anyone furnish me a couple of sources that will appraise a '73 Win. for me? I found a couple online, but I figure people here may have the better "hands on experience" recommendations

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pard,
This probably won't be much help to you in picking an individual, but the difficulty with evaluating or appraising the value of any antique is (1)the "expert" having intimate knowledge of the subject item, (2) the expert having direct access to the item, and (3) the purpose of the evaluation.  Since much of the value placed on an antique arm depends on the condition, the expert almost certainly has to have physical access to the piece.  That means either shipping the gun to an expert (IMHO a dicey proposition since the shipping itself exposes the item to the possibility of damage or theft), or having an expert close by to you.

The other factor involved is "why" do you want the piece evaluated?  Are you looking for insurance value?  If so, then you will probably want a definite written appraisal.  This generally must stand in court, and a certified appraiser is desireable.  If you are looking to sell the item, then a more general range of value will usually suffice, as the sale price of an item will be what a buyer and seller agree on in an "arms-length" transaction.

One place you might (probably?) find an expert on Winchester firearms would be at a collectors' gun show (NOT your usual fleamarket show), such as the Colorado Gun Collectors Show (in Denver this past weekend), the Tulsa Show, or the NRA Show.  There are others of this type.  You might get ahold of a copy of "The Gun Report" and look in the show announcement section in the back.  The Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, WY, may also be able to help either locate an expert, or provide some information on your piece that will help in evaluating it.

Hope this helps.

[Dirty Brass]

Thanks. The fella just stopped by with what he said was a '73 Win when we spoke. Turned out to be a '94 Win 38-55 Standard Sporting model. Sure burst my bubble   Oh well......

[Trailrider]

Thanks. The fella just stopped by with what he said was a '73 Win when we spoke. Turned out to be a '94 Win 38-55 Standard Sporting model. Sure burst my bubble   Oh well......

Well, kinda depends...  IIRC, the .38-55 Standard Sporting Models were out before and during the .30-30.  So, it might be of interest to someone who collects/shoots .38-55 M1894's.

[Dirty Brass]

Well, kinda depends...  IIRC, the .38-55 Standard Sporting Models were out before and during the .30-30.  So, it might be of interest to someone who collects/shoots .38-55 M1894's.

This one was made in 1905 and in below average to average condition.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

According to my local expert, Jed Cooper, the '94 came out in BOTH calibers at the same time.  The 38-55 was a Ballard cartridge, while the 30-30, or 30 WCF was a Winchester product.  They DO however, share the same cartridge base.  Therefore, they have the same bolt-face.