Just curious, but can anyone give an educated guess as to how much the recently dropped Winchester rifles will increase in value? I've been trying to hunt down a .357 trapper before the prices jump, but nobody has them. I may have to go Marlin if prices get silly.
How much will Winchester values climb?
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R.W.Dale
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NONE AT ALL!
after all they quit making REAL winchesters over 40 years ago, can you say pre 64.
after all they quit making REAL winchesters over 40 years ago, can you say pre 64.homefront said:
Marlin's a better gun either way.
Winchester has hardly been anything but a name in over 40 years. There are many nice lever guns out there. Puma's 1892 in .357 is a nice gun, and available in stainless for a few bucks more than blue, or in color-case-hardened. Marlin's 1894C is and always has been an excellent carbine, made like Winchesters used to be, but at a good price, too. And Uberti's 1873 is a thing of beauty, though expensive.
The Featherweight is a nice gun. Of course, quality NIB CRF guns are readily available from several manufacturers these days. ...for those who give a crap if their hunting rifle is CRF.
I like the new Winchester O/U's. A nice design. I wish I could get an American O/U more easily, with more heft to it than the Red Label. If I want a Belgian O/U, though, the Cynergy is my pick if I can scrape the cash together.
I don't suspect they'll be "worth" anything more than they were previously. What ticked me off was that I wished to pick up a 70 Classic Featherweight Stainless in .30-06 before they all disappeared, and my local dealer had re-tagged ALL of his in-stock Winchesters with a 25% increase.
No thanks, I'll go ahead with a Browning A-bolt II, Tikka T3, or Rem 700 Mountain... maybe from a different dealer.
Beware. In all other industries, these would be considered a closeout item and would be sold at heavy discounts.
No thanks, I'll go ahead with a Browning A-bolt II, Tikka T3, or Rem 700 Mountain... maybe from a different dealer.
Beware. In all other industries, these would be considered a closeout item and would be sold at heavy discounts.
Dr.magnum
Member
We have a gun show this weekend, out here. I'm thinking about going just to see what some of these crazy dealers do with their prices. I'm sure there will be some gouging going on.
Father Knows Best
Member
If there is an increase, it will only be temporary. Winchester isn't going away. Olin Corporation still owns the name. It's just that ONE licensee (USRAC, owned by Fabrique Nationale Herstal), is stopping production. That's not surprising seeing as Olin licensed the use of the Winchester firearms brand to USRAC back in 1981 for 25 years, i.e., until 2006. Check the calendar. Yep -- USRAC's license is expiring.
"Winchesters" are still being made by other firms under license from Olin. For example, the Japanese firm Miroku is still manufacturing quite a few "Winchesters" under license. I know Miroku is make the model 1892, and they may also be the firm that is producing the models 1885 and 1886.
For those models that were made by USRAC, including the models 70, 94 and 9422, I would expect some other firm to pick up the torch as soon as a licensing deal with Olin is signed.
Only the suckers will be paying inflated prices for Winchesters in the coming months.
"Winchesters" are still being made by other firms under license from Olin. For example, the Japanese firm Miroku is still manufacturing quite a few "Winchesters" under license. I know Miroku is make the model 1892, and they may also be the firm that is producing the models 1885 and 1886.
For those models that were made by USRAC, including the models 70, 94 and 9422, I would expect some other firm to pick up the torch as soon as a licensing deal with Olin is signed.
Only the suckers will be paying inflated prices for Winchesters in the coming months.
plateshooter
Member
I was at one of the larger gun stores, in my area, at lunch time today. The guy behind the counter told me they had received 12 calls that morning looking for Winchester 94 leverguns. I would guess prices will climb for a while, but have no idea if they will stay up there. Big funshow tomorrow, it will be interesting to see what people will be asking there.
Buckskinner
Member
The news story I read said that only the lever guns will be dropped from the line...
As far as values go, this may positively impact the value of Pre'64 Wins, especially the lever guns, just because there's that urgency now about Winchester.
I have an 1894 made in 1908, an M1 made in '43 and a M70 30-'06 from 1949. I expect an increase in their values no matter what, but now with the perceived scarcity of new Wins, these will be even more attractive to collectors/investors...
Not that any are for sale, mind you...
As far as values go, this may positively impact the value of Pre'64 Wins, especially the lever guns, just because there's that urgency now about Winchester.
I have an 1894 made in 1908, an M1 made in '43 and a M70 30-'06 from 1949. I expect an increase in their values no matter what, but now with the perceived scarcity of new Wins, these will be even more attractive to collectors/investors...
Not that any are for sale, mind you...
I had the old Marlin vs Winchester arguement with a buddy at work the other day. I like Winchester, he hates Winchester. The day he found out Winchester was closing up shop he said he had to find a couple of Winchester 94's to put up, and no one has them in stock.
I haven't checked the local pawn shop recently but he had 10 or so used Winchester 94's, all were priced around $200. I bought a nice 1970's model for $190 and a new one at Walmart for $264 in the last year.
Last week people were passing over the Winchester 70's and 1300's and buying Remington 700's and 870's. This week everyone's over paying for the stuff they wouldn't consider buying last week. ...if people bought their stuff like they are this week they wouldn't be going out of business.
I haven't checked the local pawn shop recently but he had 10 or so used Winchester 94's, all were priced around $200. I bought a nice 1970's model for $190 and a new one at Walmart for $264 in the last year.
Last week people were passing over the Winchester 70's and 1300's and buying Remington 700's and 870's. This week everyone's over paying for the stuff they wouldn't consider buying last week.
...if people bought their stuff like they are this week they wouldn't be going out of business.MADDOG
Member
Now we got "PRE 64" and hopefully "PRE 06"krochus said:NONE AT ALL!
Father Knows Best
Member
MADDOG said:
Don't count on it. USRAC didn't start making "Winchester" brand firearms until 1981. Prior to that, they were made by Olin. Nobody pays a premium for a "pre-81" or a "post-81" Winchester. The pre-64 guns are valued because of the WAY they were made, not WHO made them.
Some other company will license the name from Olin and resume production of model 94s. If they make them better than USRAC did, then I would expect the 81-06 USRAC Winchesters to be valued about as much as the 65-05 models, i.e., not much.
jeff-10
Member
Ah, the gunowners fixation with the word "pre" will never end. I was kind of hoping it would go out of style when the AWB sunsetted.
Father Knows Best said:
That's about what I figure.
I have an old H&R .22 revolver in 99%+ condition. What's it worth? Not that much. H&R is an iconic name in American firearms history, and a thread here showed that people still like their little guns. The gun is a fun shooter.
Winchester's pre-64 guns were hand-made, at least a lot more than modern production guns are. A pre-64 in good condition is actually worth a lot LESS than it would be if you bought the same gun brand new, now (like a Dakota bolt action or a Uberti lever gun, both more expensive than a new or old Winchester). They're worth more than they were new because they're a bargain at that price, for someone who appreciates a fine gun. Collector value is really not a big part of the price until you go back nearly 100 years.
Something to think about before you blow your cash on every crappy new 94 on the rack at Wal-Mart.
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