how much gold

[beachwalker]

Many years ago I bought a Winchester Limited Edition 11 30/30. If I recall, it is supposed to have a 24kt gold plated receiver. I'm curious how much gold this would actually be, and if the rifle may be worth considerably more now. There were 1500 made.

 

[jonn5335]

I would estimate less than a dollars worth of gold is on the gun and if the gun is in good condition $500 maybe $700 if it's new W/box

 

[answerguy]

The rifle maybe worth more today than when you bought it but not because of the amount of gold plate on the trigger.

Gold Plating
Because gold is so valuable, many people wonder whether the gold plating on Franklin Mint medals contains a significant amount of gold that would make them more valuable. The answer is no, because the gold plating is so extremely thin that there is a negligible amount of actual gold in the "24kt gold electroplate". Most gold plating is about 10-20 microns thick (1 micron = .001 millimeter). For comparison, a dollar bill is about 200 microns thick, so we're talking less than 1/10 the thickness of a dollar bill! The gold-plated silver medals look great, but the value is the same as the silver value.

 

[Sav .250]

Looks like the Answerguy let the air out of that balloon in a hurry.
More for show than dough.

 

[beachwalker]

Thanks for info. Gunsamerica one listed for just over $2,000. I have several other commemorative Winchesters and so far they havent appreciated much from what I can tell. If I understand correctly they aren't being made any longer..so maybe that will help. Thanks again. Heck, they look real nice in the gun cabinet anyway!

 

[medalguy]

I was in the emblematic jewelry business for many years until I retired. Typically decorative plating on items like firearms and such is something like 15 millionths of an inch, and the cost to plate a rifle receiver would even in today's market be something under a dollar, and this includes the cleaning and underplating of nickel to make the gold even brighter, as well as the cost of the gold itself involved. Enjoy the rifle as a collector's gun, not for the intrinsic value of the gold.