winchester 66 centenial model

[twotoescharlie]

last year(2012) I received one of the above rifles as a part payment for money owed. full length barrel,pretty wood, appears to be unfired. should I shoot it or put it in the back of the safe? would like to make a cast boolit shooter out of it, but don't know where to start.
have several 30 cal. moulds and 2 lathes. been casting and reloading for 58 years, but due to failing eyesight don't think I have much longer to be enjoying my hobby.
(76years old)
any help would be appreciated.

TTC

[searcher4851]

Unless you have someone in mind to bequeath it to, I'd shoot it. Nice looking rifles and that 26" barrel should be a fun cast boolit shooter. Think of the fun you'll have seeing the horrified looks on the faces of the folks around when they see you shootin it. (sorry, I have a warped sense of humor)

[starmac]

That would be a battle you have to fight yourself. I don't have a use for something I'm not going to use, but I know other folks do.

[Skirmisher]

Shoot it. Most commeratives do not bring a premium due to the numbers produced and the 66 was produced in large volume. In fact you can sometimes find a commerative for less than a regular 94 of the same era. I have a 66 Centennial rifle and it's a joy to shoot. I bought it from Winchester of Hong Kong in 1970 from their catalog while I was in Viet Nam for $125. The biggest mistake I made was not buying consecutive serial number rifle and carbine for $250 but I was a buck sergeant with limited $.

[Uncle Jimbo]

This is just my 2¢ worth.
An unfired gun in the safe is like an empty beer can. Nether one is very useful.

[40-82]

I suspect you know more about guns and their value than I do, and you know that even working the action of a commenerative model will reduce its value, let alone shooting it. A few years ago, just before his death, I heard my father out behind the house shooting 'possums who were getting into the cat food he had left out. When I saw the old paper shells he was shooting, highly collectible items that dated back over fifty years I was horrified and said so. I pointed out that we had plenty of modern shells he could use. He said, "Boy, I remember when that's all you could get, and if you look at it like that I'm a collecter's item too." He went on shooting 'possums with those old paper loads. Maybe it comforted him to handle something from long ago, and remember a time that wouldn't come back. The memories of him still shooting in his last years mean more to me than the shells. Go ahead and enjoy the rifle.

[retread]

I have one I bought back in 66. It sat in a box for about 20 years. One day I was moving things around and picked up the box and thought 'I'll never sell it and who cares what is worth to the next guy". I started enjoying the rifle that had been "worthless" in the closet and have not regretted it one bit. Sweet shooting gun. Enjoy it instead of letting it gather dust for 20 years.

[flint_knapper]

500-600 new in box any day on gun broker, shot and enjoyed 350-400 no box. I have 2 buffalo bill's commemoratives, a rifle and a carbine, they shoot really sweet with a 100gr. speer plinker on top of 8gr unique! The ol box will fetch 60 + , the hang tag 20 so you are about even spliting them out. About all of the Win. comm's. are also C&R.
Guns are made to shoot.

[jlchucker]

Shoot it. Most commeratives do not bring a premium due to the numbers produced and the 66 was produced in large volume. In fact you can sometimes find a commerative for less than a regular 94 of the same era. I have a 66 Centennial rifle and it's a joy to shoot. I bought it from Winchester of Hong Kong in 1970 from their catalog while I was in Viet Nam for $125. The biggest mistake I made was not buying consecutive serial number rifle and carbine for $250 but I was a buck sergeant with limited $.

I agree. Most of those "commemoratives" that Winchester was making during that era were nothing more than a model they were selling designated as a "Classic", with an octagon barrel, nicer walnut, and a schroll-engraved receiver. They were selling them individually or in pairs. The pair consisted of a "rifle" with 26 inch barrel, and a "carbine" (that should have been called a short rifle) that had a 20 inch octagon barrel. Many of the "commemoratives" had the same configuration, but with gussied up receivers and "engraving". The Pairs all had consecutive serial numbers. Every model that I've ever seen, where the owner had shot them, had good barrels and were very accurate. I wish I had gotten the pair myself.

[rintinglen]

My Canadian cententennial and my Teddy Roosevelt Commemoritives have both been shot-a lot. If you have the box, and it has not been fired, and you plan on selling it, then don't shoot it. If you don't plan on selling, shoot the darned thing and get some fun out of it.

[helice]

TTC,
By my eyes they are a really nice lookin' rifle. But Charlie they made over 102,000 of them. The thing is a shooter; shoot it and have a blast. If you don't want to shoot it - send it to me and I'll be glad to shoot it.[smilie=1: Like I said it's a good lookin' gun.:D

[JJ Mc FRAG]

By all means, get out there and shoot the heck out of her, with
lead preferably. As the others said, plenty were made and the
quoted values are correct. (Even up here in Canuckistan.)
The ones I've owned all shot great.
:drinks: