Help me decide a good price for my 336
Yes, believe it or not, in the months since I last posted here, I've made a rather momentous decision to sell my 336. This was not a trivial decision process. I've spent months on it, and everyday -- now -- I know I've made the right decision. (I'll offer some thoughts below about the "why".)
So
I'm posting this in this thread -- er, club -- that I founded (under a different user name, since retired), then a proud new owner of my 336 (and still proud to be) --
to ask the knowledgeable members of this club to help me set a fair price for it. This is NOT a for sale post -- obviously, those are done elsewhere. And actually, I'm pretty sure I already know who the new owner will be: the step son of a good friend (and his new partner -- who's son wants the rifle). He just moved to this state, and wants a lever gun. When I told him about mine, its features, it's history -- including this club -- , he got excited, and said, "Yeah, I want it."
This is a great arrangement, because it'll stay in "the family" (our little group is considering buying a sizeable parcel of land north of here for development of a community). They currently live less than an hour from me, and are building a shooting range on their land (easy up here with all these hills and dispersed rural population). So I suspect I'll still get a chance to shoot it some.
So, since neither of us is rich, and I need to earn enough from sale of this rifle (and one other, far less expensive one) to buy my new rifle (see below), and get a set of scope rings for it -- I've already got a scope for it for starters -- I want to set the price at a point that's fair for both of us -- a win/win.
Let me list the features of the rifle first, then I'll explain a bit about why I've decided to sell it. Features:
- 2007 Marlin 336A -- JM stamp on barrel --> true Marlin
- Wears XS Ghost Ring sights
- Comes with scout scope mount (never installed -- I can't use one
- action smoothed and honed by me over two weeks (see way back in this thread for the story -- which I'll share with the new owner; he loves that sort of thing
- it's in immaculate condition, free of scratches, scuffs, dings, etc. It honestly still looks new.
I called my two (former) gun stores on the west coast -- even though I'm no longer there, they know me -- and they recommended $450 for it. However, a friend in Florida said they're going for less there at gun shows. I haven't been able to find data for here in Maine yet.
So, any suggestions -- posted here or via PM -- will be very appreciated.
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Finally, for any who care: why?
Don't get me wrong: I love the gun. Deciding to let it go was tough. But my focus in rifles (and handguns, for that matter) has changed since 2007, and most markedly in the last few months. I've decided to move to a lighter, shorter all-purpose rifle in a different platform (bolt) and different caliber (5.56mm/.223). I've already picked the rifle :
Ruger American Ranch Rifle. Lower recoil -- important as I get older (now 65) and retinal detachment runs in my family). It's a pound lighter -- us backpackers count ounces, let alone pounds ,-- and 16" barrel, so very short -- important for navigating the dense north woods that I haunt (if you've never tried to thread your way through a dense piece of the great north woods, you can't imagine it).
Plus, as great as .30-30 is, it's not as precise as .223. I plan on scoping my RARR with a good Leupold. I want to work more on precision shooting now, and the RARR is reportedly a tack drive -- sub MOA at 100.
Plus -- even though some readers will recoil with horror when I write this -- new bullet designs and powders now make .223 a very viable deer gun in states where it is allowed (yes, here) and by keeping shots 150 yds or less. (I'd post a link that convinced me of that, but I don't want to risk being OT.)
So, that's my story. I'll appreciate any input about price for this rifle. Thanks.