Winchester model 69 (not 69A)

[41magsnub]

My grandfather has a Winchester Model 69 .22 rifle with the lyman scope. We can date it almost exactly because my great uncle won it at a fair in 1937 in Butte, MT. It was given to my grandfather on his death last year since the rest of that side of the family are a bunch of hippies and didn't know what to do with it. Based on the date and other research I know it is a model 69 instead of the much more common 69A.

For Christmas last year I took the rifle home with me after a visit and cleaned it up and sighted it in then gave it back. Damn is that thing a tack driver...

Given the age of the rifle and the amount of use/abuse it is in remarkable shape. The stock is in great shape with just normal wear and little dents. The finish is pretty good. The crown and front sight are a little beat up but fine. There is a shroud thing around the front sight base that is loose, but the sight itself does not move. The bluing is pretty bad since it was allowed to get a lot of surface rust at one point. I completely disassembled the gun and took all the rust off and cosmolined it so it is not going to get worse.

The only work that has ever been done to it besides my in-depth cleaning (the first cleaning in over 30 years) is I replaced the scope with an identical vintage scope from E-Bay since the L-R adjustment knob was broken off the original mount and the scope that came with the replacement mount had less wear. I still have the original scope and broken mount in the back of my gun safe in case I find out some day there is a difference.

In his closing years he is getting more interested in his possessions and their values to help determine who to give things to. As the only grandkid remotely interested in guns it will probably go to me, but that is not a big deal and is neither here nor there. He is wondering what it might be worth as far as $$$.

Sentimental value is it is priceless since two generations including my dad learned to shoot on it. I had never shot it or known of it's existence as a kid since it spent the last 30 years or so in my great uncle's garage in a corner behind a bunch of junk .

I also figure it might be worth reblueing and trying to pull the dents out of the stock.

Thoughts?

 

[TnShooter83]

If it had peep sights it be worth 300.00 in the condition you speak of.
Yours with out peep sight and in that condition 150.00.

The difference between the 69 an 69a is
that one cocks on the close, and one on the open.

I own one of each, and wouldn't sell them. They are a great example of an early target rifle.


But with the history, and family value of yours.
There is no amount of money one could pay you for it.

 

[Princi]

I also figure it might be worth reblueing and trying to pull the dents out of the stock

I wouldn't do that for sentimental reasons. I'd keep it in the same condition as it was when my grandfather had it. There is history behind those dents in the stock. Of course I'm just a sentimental fool.

 

[Rugerforme]

I have a 69A that I bough at a flee market when I lived in PA, If memory serves I paid $100 for it 10 plus years ago, It came with a period scope super fine crosshairs with a very small dot in the center. It’s my fair weather Squirrel gun I love it.

 

[41magsnub]

Thanks guys.. I am on the fence about doing anything to it that is not preservation. I figured it would not really have much market value since there were about a gajillion of these made before they were discontinued.

It is in no way a show gun at this point so I think it deserves to be shot routinely. Assuming it comes into my hands I will use it for introducing folks to firing a rifle and for myself to practice basic marksmanship with since my other rifles (7mm mauser and 22-250) are a little spendy to shoot purely for practice.

 

[Nhsport]

I would vote for not messing with a reblue. A reblue might look "better" but old used guns should show wear. Most dealers or collecters would agree with me on this. Work at it with some oil and 0000 steel wool (gently!) and you might be surprised how well it cleans up .