Help with value

[gspn]

I have a very nice, very old, and very difficult to value shotgun. I picked it up a few years ago and while I managed to find some info on the gun, there are so few of them around that I can't find any like it that are for sale. I was hoping to see a few sell somewhere so I could establish a realistic value...but over the past three years I've not seen anything like it come up.

I was lucky enough to find an expert on Francotte shotguns and he helped me decipher some things about the gun. It's a Francotte SXS 12 gauge that's estimated to be made in either 1897 or 1898, and it appears to be a Grade 2 model.

Any ideas on how I can estimate a value on this with so few/none trading in the market?

Here are some pics:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bernankefed/albums/72157638922408396

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bernankefed/albums/72157635469557716

 

[Predator55]

Blue book of gun values or take a look at guns international, they have three pages of your make. See if you can match it up or get close.

 

[Liberty1776]

Beautiful gun. Another resource is the forum on Doublegunshop.com

 

[Jim Watson]

Pretty, but big money for a Damascus shotgun is hard to get.

 

[gspn]

Pretty, but big money for a Damascus shotgun is hard to get.

I'm not worried about big money...just being close to what it should be...whatever that number might be.

 

[two gun charlie]

I would hold on to it , guns like that only increase in value

 

[gspn]

I would hold on to it , guns like that only increase in value

I might, but if I never figure out what the current price is, I'll have no way to know if it's gone up in value.

The gun itself is awesome. Locks up super tight, points like a dream, really nice.