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