1906 Model 94 30wcf...worth?

[Timbo]

Folks:
I collect Rolling Blocks and know nothing 'bout leverguns so I thought I'd consult the experts. Over the weekend I bought a 1906 SRC in 30/30. It's marked 30wcf on top of the barrel, behind the sight. "Nickel steel" etc on side of barrel. Pinned in front sight, ladder rear. Condition is no rust, brown receiver, blue to brown barrel. (Metal in excellent shape generally) Bore is cleaning up, but probably rates an "8" or so. Forearm is dry but all there. Everything functions, nothing broken or missing....except...the butt-stock is an old African replacement, cut from Bubinga and very nicely fitted to both the receiver and the metal buttplate.

"The story": I bought the carbine from a former African missionary, sent to Zimbabwe to be exact. He and his family went over in the mid 1950's and they returned about a year or so ago to retire. Sometime in the early 70's he and his wife were moving a large sideboard in the compound where they were living and the carbine fell out from behind it onto the floor. No one in the compound knew anything about it. He said the gun is exactly as he found it so the re-stock must have been done before that and it is clearly an old piece of wood. He managed to get it back to the states and decided he had no use for it, so he sold it. He's going to write up the story for me so I have a first hand account.

It's a great story and this fellow is trustworthy and well known in my denomination. I have absolutely no desire to sell this; it's just too cool a story! But for insurance purposes, I think I should get a ballpark figure.

Thanks for your time!
Timbo

[405]

Neat story... good idea to have it written up and kept with the gun.
Unfortunately an insurance company won't cover a story. The current market for prewar Win 94 SRCs is pretty good. But, like all collectibles, values are condition/rarity/demand related. If the gun were recorded or marked as issued to someone or entity for some purpose then the "story" becomes provenance and may increase its value.

As it is, without looking at it, your best bet for insurance purposes is to check one or more of the current gun value books. Blue Book, Flaydermans, etc. The replaced stock or any non-original part or flaw or condition issue will decrease value. My guess is something under $1000.

[carpetman]

Bubinga--sounds like it has been bubaized.

[218bee]

Great story. How come whenever I move old furniture I just see dust and dead critters. I assume a 20" barrel, the saddle ring is a definate +++. The replacement stock is the first thing a "collector" would harp on as far as value goes. If you want to insure it I would do that for $1000, but if you were to sell it I would think you'd only get 500-700 for it. Thanks again for the story, doesn't everybody dream of uncovering some "treasure" someday. I'd love to find something someone stashed 50 or 100 years ago even if it was worthless...

[woody1]

Great story. How come whenever I move old furniture I just see dust and dead critters. I assume a 20" barrel, the saddle ring is a definate +++. The replacement stock is the first thing a "collector" would harp on as far as value goes. If you want to insure it I would do that for $1000, but if you were to sell it I would think you'd only get 500-700 for it. Thanks again for the story, doesn't everybody dream of uncovering some "treasure" someday. I'd love to find something someone stashed 50 or 100 years ago even if it was worthless...

While working in my (new to me) old barn today, I found a window weight! Iron. Wasn't even lead! Regards, Woody

[junkbug]

That sounds like a great rifle.

Calling a well done replacement stock a "bubba job", (a term usually applied to sloppily tinkered with military rifles) is uncalled for. Most likely, the original was damaged in use somehow, and was carefully replaced.

It is true that it would be worth more with its original stock, and the story, while interesting, probable adds little value. However, I believe you are being low-balled. I could easily see that rifle, in the condition you described it, selling for $1000+ . It may not sell real fast, but it would sell, perhaps for even more, if you put it up on the internet auctions, and took really good pictures of it. If that African wood stock has some figure and/or character, interest will only increase.

My advice is to keep it, take careful care of it, and shoot lots of castboolits out of it in the 1400 to 1700 fps range, so as not to unduely wear it out.

Good luck, and hopefully good shooting with a great rifle.

P.S. old SRC models, with the folding ladder site, are instantly in a higher price range, regardless of condition. I've wanted a pre WWI Win 94SRC for some time, but the funds just haven't been there.

[405]

That sounds like a great rifle.

Calling a well done replacement stock a "bubba job", (a term usually applied to sloppily tinkered with military rifles) is uncalled for. Most likely, the original was damaged in use somehow, and was carefully replaced.

It is true that it would be worth more with its original stock, and the story, while interesting, probable adds little value. However, I believe you are being low-balled. I could easily see that rifle, in the condition you described it, selling for $1000+ . It may not sell real fast, but it would sell, perhaps for even more, if you put it up on the internet auctions, and took really good pictures of it. If that African wood stock has some figure and/or character, interest will only increase.

My advice is to keep it, take careful care of it, and shoot lots of castboolits out of it in the 1400 to 1700 fps range, so as not to unduely wear it out.

Good luck, and hopefully good shooting with a great rifle.

P.S. old SRC models, with the folding ladder site, are instantly in a higher price range, regardless of condition. I've wanted a pre WWI Win 94SRC for some time, but the funds just haven't been there.

The real price or value is what someone is willing to pay. I don't think I see anyone here making a pitch to buy the gun.... so such terms as "low ball" don't apply. Folks that gave estimates on value did so within realistic terms. Now, the real question is what value would be realistic for an insurance claim. Anything you want I guess if you can "con" the adjustor or defraud the company! The best gauge for value/price are current market selling prices. The best sources are the online sites or auctions or actual gun shows or any actual sales. There are a few sources for that info including the current gun value books. I think one of the online gun auction sites has a current, updated book out that does exactly that.... selling prices.... NOT asking price, wishing price, list price, coffee shop price, "found in grandpa's attic" price, etc. The other way to value a gun of course would be to pay a firearms appraiser who is acceptable to the insurance company. The insurance value would have to be adjusted as time goes on.... the current economy and collectibles markets are volatile.

[carpetman]

Junkbug---wasnt really criticizing the mans gun--was making pun get it bubinga--bubaized. Truth is the non factory wood would take away from value and lower the price. Take an original classic auto and replace the original seat covers with custom made ostrich ones and you lowered the value.

[ra_balke]

The story might add value to somebody, but the truth is, most people buy those guns as shooters, and that is about all. If the replacement buttstock looks right, and it has a story to go with it, that would help.

Maybe you could go on to Gun Broker, and put it up for auction, then give it a good high hidden reserve price. The bids would tell it's worth better than anything else.

[Timbo]

Thanks folks. I realize it's a difficult task to offer an opinion when you aren't holding the firearm or even looking at a picture, but your observations came out about where I was thinking price wise. Confirmation is a good thing.

The bore in this continues to clean up and I'm pretty confident it will handle CB's just fine. It's a nice, early SRC and I'm going to enjoy adding it to the herd.

I'm mostly a Rolling Block collector/shooter, but I have a sprinkling of other really odd-ball stuff too; Kropatschek, Berthier (man, they're ugly),Beaumont, Comblain, Vetterli, etc. Everything I own I shoot and they are all fed a strict diet of CB's only.

Now, in keeping with the CB Code of Ethics, since I added one more gun to the herd, I must now purchase three more moulds. In six months, I will loan out two and complain loudly about the one I kept. In a year I will call the people to whom I loaned the other two moulds; they will have no memory of any loaned moulds and will angrily demand that I return the ones they loaned me three years ago.

Ahhh, what fun.

Timbo

[NVcurmudgeon]

Folks:
I collect Rolling Blocks and know nothing 'bout leverguns so I thought I'd consult the experts. Over the weekend I bought a 1906 SRC in 30/30. It's marked 30wcf on top of the barrel, behind the sight. "Nickel steel" etc on side of barrel. Pinned in front sight, ladder rear. Condition is no rust, brown receiver, blue to brown barrel. (Metal in excellent shape generally) Bore is cleaning up, but probably rates an "8" or so. Forearm is dry but all there. Everything functions, nothing broken or missing....except...the butt-stock is an old African replacement, cut from Bubinga and very nicely fitted to both the receiver and the metal buttplate.

"The story": I bought the carbine from a former African missionary, sent to Zimbabwe to be exact. He and his family went over in the mid 1950's and they returned about a year or so ago to retire. Sometime in the early 70's he and his wife were moving a large sideboard in the compound where they were living and the carbine fell out from behind it onto the floor. No one in the compound knew anything about it. He said the gun is exactly as he found it so the re-stock must have been done before that and it is clearly an old piece of wood. He managed to get it back to the states and decided he had no use for it, so he sold it. He's going to write up the story for me so I have a first hand account.

It's a great story and this fellow is trustworthy and well known in my denomination. I have absolutely no desire to sell this; it's just too cool a story! But for insurance purposes, I think I should get a ballpark figure.

Thanks for your time!
Timbo

Timbo, the Bubinga stock is a very authentic touch to an African story. John Taylor, in "African Rifles and Cartridges," relates stories of native "bush gunsmiths" doing exemplary repair work on firearms, including those that had been "savaged" by Cape Buffalo. I have a friend who is a former Rhodesian army officer, refugee from Mugabe, and one of our newest citizens. I can check with him about whether Bubinga is a wood that occurs in Zimbabwe.

[Timbo]

I appreciate that! I build acoustic guitars and have used Bubinga on a few; it is an orangish-brown, dense,heavy wood. I had to wonder at first why anyone would choose this wood, especially since it chips so easily. (Ya gots to have scalpel-sharp tools when you're inletting this stuff.) But I'm sure they used it because...it was available, just like we would walnut or maple. If Bubinga isn't native to Zimbabwe, it would just make this an even better story!

Without getting to warm and runny, maybe some of you guys have done this with your favorites too: I picked this carbine up again last night, put it to my shoulder and wished I could conjur up a picture of everything the sights had ever lined up on... wouldn't that be something?

Regards,
Timbo