Teddy Roosevelt Commemorative '94

[richhodg66]

One of these turned up on the LGS rack. Asking $595. It's pretty nice, but there's some dulling, not sure how to describe it, on the right side of the receiver where it's plated. Otherwise real nice shape, no box, I doubt it's unfired.

I don't know what these go for, is he out of line? This shop is run by good folks and I might could deal a little.

[45-70bpcr]

Seems a little high to me but I may be out of touch. Is it the rifle or the carbine? I have the rifle and it shoots very well. For the most part they were of course made to display so I didn't expect much as far as a shooter. Happy to say that was not the case.

[richhodg66]

I has a very long octagon barrel which I like. I have a pretty good relationship with this particular shop, I'm pretty sure he'd do a little better than the asking price for me.

What are these bringing? I know they aren't the hotly sought after collector's pieces so think they are. The only one I found on Gunbroker for comparison was priced higher and not as nice, however, no one was bidding on it either. I really wouldn't want to make an unfair offer to this guy.

[osteodoc08]

It seems that Winchester made more commemoratives than regular guns for a while. There are books strictly devoted to the commemorative models. Personally, I'd offer him no more than a job commemerative of same year and shape. Do you happen to know the year? This will definitely matter in pricing.

If you really like it, perhaps another $50-100. Buy once cry once and the money will be long forgotten a year from now. So long as you're happy.

[beefyz]

I was in similar situation with the winny commemorative "Canadian Centennial" in 30-30. Back in '69 I believe when these came out they were originally going for around $200. Guys hoarded them away, and some are now trying to sell them, for a helluva lot more than $200. I've seen asking prices as high as $1,200; and thats where they stay, as asking prices as so many "commemoratives" were made, it doesn't justify such a high price. Mine was in a gun shop also, no box, no papers, missing the slide for the sight, but never fired. Asking price was $525, i offered $500 and got it. Some may say that was a steal, others could say the price was still high. It also had a 24" (26?) octagon barrel and its one of the most accurate rifles i have ever shot. That long barrel is probably the reason. It get some looks when i take it out of the case.
Do you really want it ? If so i see no embarassment countering at $550 or so.

[richhodg66]

Truthfully, I see plain '94s going for close to that lately. I wouldn't buy one, but I see them.

I think it's a pretty rifle and I'd like a long, octagon barreled '94 whether it was commemorative or not. I'm gonna see how another deal I'm working right now pans out and if it falls through, I'll get serious about this one.

Dad was always a big collector and gun nut who made all the gun shows and wheeled and dealed. We had a LOT of guns come and go during my childhood because of this and one we had for a while was one of those Canadian commemoratives you mentioned. I remember shooting it quite a bit on our range til we all got interested in something else and dad traded it off. It wasn't pristine and I don't think any of us thought much about it, but it was a neat lever gun.

[TXGunNut]

I think my next 94 just might be a commemorative. They have a reputation for being well-made and good shooters to boot.

[35 shooter]

Saw one in a gander mt. store a couple months back that had rough spots in the bbl. finish and lots of dings on the stock. It had a 650.00 price tag on it and had definitely been fired a lot. They also had a NRA winchester with flip up ladder sight and full length stock in almost mint condition for 450.00. Wish i had got the NRA. Salesman said he was sure they would take 400.00 for it if i pushed the manager a bit but i passed on it. How much fun would playing with that ladder sight with cast been?

[richhodg66]

Saw one in a gander mt. store a couple months back that had rough spots in the bbl. finish and lots of dings on the stock. It had a 650.00 price tag on it and had definitely been fired a lot. They also had a NRA winchester with flip up ladder sight and full length stock in almost mint condition for 450.00. Wish i had got the NRA. Salesman said he was sure they would take 400.00 for it if i pushed the manager a bit but i passed on it. How much fun would playing with that ladder sight with cast been?

This one is a lot nicer than the one you describe. I'm not familiar with the NRA one with ladder sight, I'd like to see one.

[35 shooter]

richodg66 I may have described the NRA wrong. It's either flip up ladder or the push slide with a button or something. I just don't remember for sure. But it had the ranges marked on it i think to 800 yds. or so? Pretty cool i thought. If i remember right there is a carbine and rifle model. This was the rifle version. Front sight was a flat post type. I'm not a collector so i don't really know about the true value on the Roosevelt but i'd guess what you quoted would be a fair asking price if you really wanted one. I'd try to get 50 to a 100.00 off of it if i could first though then decide, but that's just me. Gander mt. wasn't backing off the price on the one they had. I lucked into a BUFFALOE BILL almost mint a few years back for 350.00 in a pawn shop then turned around and sold to a friend for the same price. That thing would drive a nail at 100 yds. He kept on and on about it so i let him have it.

[CastingFool]

Back in the late 60s, I could have bought one of those, for $75. with my employee discount. The bad part was that I only made about that much a week!

[Piedmont]

35 shooter, You saw the NRA musket with a 26" barrel and nearly full length forstock. The other NRA version is a M64 copy that has a 24" barrel, half length forend and pistol grip stock. They were made in 1971 or 1972. I agree with you on the sight on the Musket. It flips up and has a slider and also a scale, I think marked from one through ten. I wish I could still see iron sights.

[35 shooter]

Piedmont that's it and a much better description of it too. Thanks. I'm still kicking myself over walking away from that one.

[fouronesix]

The "Commemoratives" are the same as the regular issues, sans the glitz. Any shine or add-ons or medallions or differences in barrel length or shape are only that- no more.

In the overall market there are old originals and then there are moderns.

Large companies like Winchester, etc. began issuing these in an attempt to create a market. I guess it created a very thin, small market niche that really isn't very deep. The market for the old originals has depth. From what I've seen, any modern commemorative adds only a very small premium to the price of any gun, so should be considered accordingly.

[dubber123]

I have one of the TR commemoratives which I got about 2 years ago, before this latest round of panic buying. I had a NIB Centennial '66 commemorative carbine which I traded straight across for the TR model to get the longer octagon barrel. I paid $300 for the Centennial not long ago, but everything is going much higher now. Up around $500 and I would be looking for a pre-64 plain jane 94. I have been inside the TR I have now, and this one was surely slapped together at the factory, nothing major, but it was no prize fitting wise.

[bob208]

last gun show I was at post 64 carbines were in the $350-450 price range. so for a long barrel rifle add another 100-150. do some haggling. people are not lined up to buy 94s like they are ak's and ar's. when was the last time you saw a mall ninja carrying a 94?

[snaketail]

The TR Commemorative is considered a very accurate lever gun. Sought after by us silhouette shooters. Accurate because is does not have the barrel bands and because it has the longer barrel.
I've been looking for one, but no luck so far.
M

[Speedo66]

If other than the fancy add on stuff, which I'm not crazy about anyway, they're the same, then I wouldn't pay any more than for a normal '94. For hunting, shiny surfaces would actually be a deterrent.

A manufacturer calling something a commemorative doesn't make it a valuable collectable, the market determines that.

[nekshot]

Did you get it? Things aren't getting cheaper around here.

[gandydancer]

A lot of the Winchester commemorative's and regular 94's where made with metal stamping's not machined parts and that makes a big deference in pricing also. stamping's bring the price down considerably.

[pls1911]

Buddy has two non commemorative...one in 270, the other a 30.06.
he draws a crowd when he shows up with a bench full of cast bullets.
They're good shooters in that old Marine's hands.

[rintinglen]

I'd pay that for the 26 inch barreled rifle version, but not the Carbine--I have a carbine, The octagon barreled commemoratives are the most accurate of all 94's, even better than the antiques, IME. The best lever action silhouette shooter in my acquaintance uses a Teddy Roosevelt commemorative to regularly clean my clock.

[Buckshot]

...............I don't know what commemorative or 'Grand Opening" :-) special it might have been but 10 - 12 years ago a friend bought a M94 Winchester from a mutual friend for $450. It has a 24" oct bbl, full length magazine, blued bbl and a French gray action, lever and buttplate, plus very nice wood. Yes it has a medallion on the right side of the buttstock. It's chambered 38-55 and is a very attractive rifle. That medallion detracts, but it's there. I've offered him $600 for it numerous times to no avail. Heck, I don't think he's shot it except a few times after buying it.

..............Buckshot

[flint_knapper]

I like the commemorative winchester's in fact that is what I look for in the '94 line.
Oct. barrel, nice trim and fancy stamping, PLUS they are C&R eligible, which is a wonderful
thing.

[Philngruvy]

Back in the late 60s, I could have bought one of those, for $75. with my employee discount. The bad part was that I only made about that much a week!

Isn't that the truth!!! I think about about the cost of things way back when and I get sick. If you are a car collector, think about the Chrysler Hemi engines. How sweet would it be to own a few of those at the original going price!!!

[richhodg66]

Swung in that shop today and it's still there. I didn't have a lot of time and the owner was busy with a couple of other customers. If it's still there come payday this week, I think I'll make a fair cash offer on it.

I sure do have a lot of .30-30s now. Some I haven't worked with much. If nothing else, though, this one would look nice on the wall.

[wistlepig1]

91877
Here is my 1966 I got in 1967 new for $125. The long barrel shoots well. The store had a carbine with it and I had on lay-a-way ( waiting for my next payday). The store burned to the ground, along with the Winny. Sad day!:(

And my old tennis! new in 2009

[KYCaster]

I have a Canadian Commemorative that I've grown to like very well.

I found it in a LGS that was obviously in financial straits. The owner was honest about the gun. It was on consignment, had been shot some and had a couple of stamped parts replaced with machined parts. IIRC the asking price was $750.

I told him I liked the gun, but without the original box and papers, and having been altered and fired, the collector price was way out of line....what he had was just another shooter Win. '94. He asked me to make an offer and I declined.

Two weeks later his shelves were nearly bare....he sounded desperate....so I gave him a low-ball offer and he said he'd run it by the owner and let me know. He called later that day and told me to come and get it. I couldn't be happier with the deal.

I put a Marble's tang sight on it and I'm very well pleased with the way it shoots.

Here's a pic of one of my better targets....

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=48370&d=1349495014

The black spot is 12 in. dia. The pasters marked "3" are the five shot group I fired after sight corrections. The distance was 300 yds.

Yes....I'm very happy with the gun.

I'd make him an offer and see what happens.

Jerry

[richhodg66]

I've had good luck with this particular shop. It's a pawn shop, but has been a family run business in town for 60 years or so and I've gotten very fair dealings with them on several gun purchases and also on a few other things. When my youngest son wanted to upgrade guitars, the owner took care of him real well, gave him more than he asked for on the trade in. All in all, I feel pretty good about making an offer, it won't be too lowball and he knows I'll be back in and most likely buy from him again before long.

[richhodg66]

Whistlepig1, very nice looking rifle!

KYcaster, I doubt I'll be shooting at 300 yards, but that is impressive. The range I just joined has a 300 yard range,but it's a certain amount of trouble to use that part. I've never been much of a long distance shooter, but I have a few I'd like to try at longer than 100.

[pietro]

.

For me, a Commemorative Model 94 is a way to hunt/shoot a deluxe rifle, with a bbl longer than 20", upgraded wood (usually), engraving & peep sight prepped - and/or in a non-.30-30 chambering like .38-55 or .32 Special - for at least half the cost (or less) than a pre-64 gennie with the same features/config. (even @ $600)

For instance I bought a Canadian Railroad Commemorative because it was essentially a fancy post-64 Model 55 - with 24" bbl, .32 Special, engraved receiver, straight-grip buttstock.

A buyer that's particular about the post-64 features can always switch out the stamped lifer/carrier (if it has one) for either a pre-64 machined unit or a post-70 cast unit; install solid pins ILO the post-64 roll pins, etc, etc - for a fairly minimal cost (BT, DT).


.

[Warhawk]

My youngest has a Buffali Bill commemorative carbine that I bought for him when he was a baby (his name is Cody). He killed his first deer with it, and several feral hogs. I doubt he'd ever part with it. He's 26 now.

Last year I bought a Buffalo Bill rifle, 26 inch octagon. This makes six 30-30's for me, and I am NOT a 30-30 fan. Maybe this one will change my mind.

[helice]

+1 on Snaketail's post # 17. These are fine shooters
The TR is the one I look for.

[nekshot]

around 1973 a manager from work knew I messed with guns. He told me to stop over and proceeded to pull out about 30 of these rifles in boxes and about 20 handguns. The handguns looked like colts, where all 22's and everything was in the presentation boxes. He wanted 150.oo for the 94's and the sa 22's I think he wanted 125.00 each. I simply did not have 2 cents to rub together but I never forgot that nite. I really liked the canadian and the teddy r models.

[richhodg66]

Well, I picked it up today. Store ownder is a good guy, I offered $500 out the door and he agreed. It isn't mint, but it's a nice rifle and I think I'm going to enjoy shooting it. Might hang it on the wall above my reloading bench it's so purty.

[35 shooter]

Congratulations i think you made a good buy on it. Bet it winds up being a good shooter.
Every octagon bbl 94 i've ever shot was super accurrate even with factory ammo.

[helice]

I AM HAPPY FOR YOU and a bit jealous. :grin:
When do we get to see this beauty. Been waitin':coffeecom

[snaketail]

Congratulations, I think you got a good rifle at a good price. Now I want one too.
M