Selling Winchester 1906 .22

[Gaucho Gringo]

Hi All

I have been debating on selling my Winchester 1906 .22 pump rifle. It is the rare Expert Model in 1\2 Nickle. It was made in 1919 and has been in the family since about 1934. I have had it since 1963. The gun is all origional and in good condition. It has survived my father and me using it as we were growing up but it still works and shoots great. The only thing is sometime in the past the stock has been varnished over, not refiinished. My quandry is these are going for quite a bit on money ($1800-2500.) for ones that are in the same condition as mine. I have a son who is 19 but it is not his cup of tea and he shows no desire for it. If I could sell it for what they are going for, I could buy a few newer guns that I would like to have, but no money for them. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

 

[Onmilo]

I had a 1906 Expert that became the possession of my ex-wife in our divorce settlement.
That was 12 years ago and the rifle was valued at $600.00 at that time.

It is a buyers market right now but Winchesters of any sort are selling well because of the shutdown of domestic production.

I would feel that $1500.00 may be an amount that would ensure the rifle would sell quickly.

Those higher figures you quoted generally include boxes and paperwork, NO refinish of any sort, and metal finish approaching 95% and better.
Anything less and the price is negotiated down considerably before the rifle sells.

 

[MacPelto]

I wouldn't do it. Money comes and money goes, but you'll never be able to get that gun back. I sold a gun that was my grandfather's, and learned a hard lesson when he died. Your son may change his mind.

Maybe I'm just sentimental.

Mac

 

[db_tanker]

MacPelto echo's what I was going to say.

Friend, what you have there is an heirloom and shouldn't be sold.

I would save your money and get what you want...you need to oil that little rifle up and case it...take it out and shoot it now and then...but don't sell it.

I have learned from bitter experience not to sell things of that nature anymore.

D

 

[Terrierman]

Don't sell it

You'll be sorry if you do, anything that has been in the family for that long should stay right there.

 

[pete f]

I always ask this question

Do you or your family need to sell it to buy a kidney/heart/or liver?


If not then why are you even thinking about selling. Your son may not want it, but your grandson will, and then what are you going to do?

 

[CZguy]

All of the above posts echo my sentiments as well. I'd keep it.

 

[dfaugh]

If at all possible (e.g. its not life-or-death that you need to sell it) I'd definitely keep it. It's a family heirloom, and while your shildren may not have any interest in it, THEIR children might. Been going through this with a friend of mine... Her father died, left them 4 guns, that had belonged to her grandfather, and possibly HIS father. A couple aren't worth much, and they've not been taken care of, but even though she's not a shooter, she wants to keep them in the family (One is a VERY rare L.C. Smith shotgun, though)...Her brother wants them and we know he'll just sell them off. She has no children (and won't have any), but she'll make sure her brothers kids can have them when appropriate.

 

[mogunner]

Selling Winchester 1906 22

As stated above. Heirloom, irreplaceable, don't sell.

 

[Hemicuda]

I sold (in the early 90's) the single shot H&R topper 12 Ga. that my Dad bought for me, as a USED gun, back in the early 80's... (he had just given me one of Grandfathers/Great Grandfathers single shot 12 Ga. shotguns)

I miss that gun... Even though I have a family-heirloom replacement, I do NOT (and will likely never) have my first shotgun... EVER again... I have since traded or sold some VERY rare guns... but NEVER a family heirloom... NOT EVER... and NEVER a gun bought for me by a loved one...

My GF thought she was doing me a favor by buying me a cheapo 9mm semi-auto pistol... (Hi-Point)... 5 years ago, I got rid of all my 9MM's, (except 2 collector pieces) opting for .40 Cal and .45 cal semi-autos for shooting and self defense...

I no more wanted a 9mm ANYTHING, (not counting the 2 Smitty semi-autos that are in my collection of original, unmolested Smith Semi-autos) let alone a Hi-Point... I have no real use for a cheapo, inacurate semi in 9MM... It is not an heirloom, nor a collectors gun... but would I sell it? NO FLIPPIN WAY... that old Topper taught me a lesson...

That junk (sorry, honey) Hi-point is something someone thought enough to go buy me... (knowing her tight finances, she likely saved all year long, just to get that used Hi-Point!)

Moral of THIS story? YOUR gun IS a family Heirloom... I would NOT EVER sell it... though I might pass it on to a nephew or cousin, if the son wasn't interested...

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

Thank you for all your comments and advice. Kind of brought me a reality check. I will keep my Winchester 1906 and save the money for the other guns I want. I guess when I saw what they were going for, I saw $$$$. Although I always liked mine, when I was a teenager I used to go shooting with friends who had 1890's and 06's with straight stocks and octagon barrels that were longer than mine and I wished I had their guns rather than mine. To this day I still think rifles shoud have straight stocks and long octagon barrels(24-28"). Rightly or wrongly it is my idea of the way I think traditional pump and lever action rifles should look. This just my personal preference as far as rifles of these types. Again, thank you to all who replied.

 

[greenflash107]

That's what I love about these boards. I opened my gun safe yesterday looking for something and took out my Winchester 06 .22. It needed cleaning so I took it outside to shoot it some before cleaning it. My wife was watering her flowers as I came outside and she ask me what I was doing. Told her I was going to have some fun with it before cleaning and putting back up. She ended up shooting around a half box through it. (It was her first time with this rifle and I almost didn't get it back). The front blade sight is missing but it did not take her but 3 or 4 shots to zero in. I wouldnt trade the old rifle for anything. Dont know what it's worth but I know there are not a lot of them around anymore.

 

[CZguy]

The front sight blade is available from Numrick Corp for $11.40

http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=0950z1906

 

[greenflash107]

Thanks CZguy for the info. I think I will replace it. It is a fun gun to shoot, and as I said, now that my wife has shot it, she will taking it out a lot I think.

 

[shllyshny]

Sir,

I can't add anything that everyone else hasn't, so I will relate my own "heirloom" story.

After I got back from Iraq, my father let me have an old 20 guage that I learned to shoot as a young boy. It's not high quality, just an old break action single barrel gun with a nice size chip out of the forearm and someone's fading initials carved in the buttstock. Didn't realize it then, but the shotgun belonged to my grandfather, and it was his initials in the wood. The gun is around 75-85 yrs old as near as my father can tell, just some old off-brand most likely purchased from Sears and Roebuck before my father was born, and not to mention my grandfather died before I was born and didn't even know the man. I believe that was the first gun my father shot, I learned shooting with it, I taught my 15 yr old daughter to shoot with it, and my infant daughter will learn with that shotgun too.

Although it shoots well, on the market that gun probably wouldn't bring me $50.

I would let one of my kidneys fail and live on dialysis instead of selling it.

Max G.