2 more wall hangers

[Battis]

Saturday, I passed on two "wall hangers" at a place in NH, and I still don't know if I passed on a good deal. One was an 1864 Springfield muzzle loading rifle that had been transformed into a shotgun (stock was cut, barrel smooth bored). The other was a Spanish Mauser. I'm pretty sure now that it was the 1893 model, based on what I've read since, though I saw no date on it. At the time I knew nothing about Spanish Mausers, but this rifle was in good shape - the wood was good, the bore had strong rifling and no pitting, the action worked fine. The seller knew less than I did. He wanted $200 each. The 1864 had the dated Springfield sideplate, the nipple was useable, the hammer, trigger, etc were fine - that was probably worth the $200. I'm pretty sure the Mauser was worth it.
Anyways, I thought about it all night and called the guy in the morning as soon as he opened. "I sold them both," he said and hung up. Very strange person. I'm thinking that he re-thunk the Mauser and maybe did some research of his own.

[quickdraw66]

What made them wall hangers? They sound like they were in good enough condition to shoot. Fireable or not, the Springfield was probably worth $200. I'm not so sure about the Spanish Mauser. I have seen some go pretty cheap.

[Battis]

The seller called them wall hangers because he didn't know anything about them. I bought an 1898 Krag rifle recently (in the same area) that was sold to me as a wall hanger but it's a great shooter. I just didn't know about that Spanish Mauser - the prices seem to be all over the place on them.

[leadman]

A quick way to identify a 1893 Mauser is by the bolt, if it hasn't been replaced with a newer one. The bottom of the bolt face is squared off to help push the cartridge out of the magazine. Other Mausers have round bolt faces. I have 2 of these that I rebarreled with Adams & Bennett 7 X 57 barrels from Midway and put Boyd's stocks on them. They shoot well enough and are lighter than the 98 Mausers to carry.
I would think $200 would be close to top dollar for an average condition 93.

[bedbugbilly]

The Springfield sounds like it was well worth the $200.00. If the barrel was still full length and in good shape - it can be lined. Or, it'd be a good rabbit gun with shot. "Parted out" you could have more than recouped your $$ on it. Although most dedicated "rifled musket" folks would like to find them un-cut, un-bored . . . and I can understand why . . . these rifles after the war were nothing but "surplus". Bannerman, etc. sold tons of them and they made good shotguns on the farms, traveling across the country in the west-ward movement, etc. The "sporterized" ones actually have a "niche" of their own if a person wanted to collect them as they are still found at fairly reasonable prices.

And . . talking abut "surplus rifles" . . . I have a late 45/70 barrel w/breech, etc. that a friend gave me that he picked up one time when exploring "Bannerman's Island". Deeply rusted, etc. but still neat. The 45/70s were so abundant that Bannerman used the barrels from many as "re-rod" when they poured their cement piers on the island.

[Multigunner]

The Springfield Trapdoor converted to 20 ga smoothbore is a pricey item. They converted around 1000 rifles to shotguns for use in foraging small game. These run to several thousands of dollars.

I once ran across a muzzle loader springfield bored smooth and cut way down for use by a Plains Indian warrior on horseback. It was decorated with copper tacks in a nice pattern and still had remnants of feathers hanging from a sling swivel. It was very rusty but could have been put in shooting condition. Wish I'd bought it.

[merlin101]

$200 just doesn't go as far as it used to and with that in mind just about any complete firearm is worth 200. I know people that have spent more on a wall hanger and then invented a story to with it.

[John Allen]

I would have bought that Springfield if it functioned. The locks and trigger are worth almost that much to the right person.

[bob208]

for about $300 that Springfield could have been turned into a issue rifle. bob hoyt has done a lot of them. the barrel is cut under the middle barrel band and bored out then a replacement part is made is made then slide in the old barrel. there is a place making the front part of the stock. many n-ssa shooters use rifles fixed just that way.

[Battis]

I called the seller the next day right when he opened, and that's when he told me that he sold both of them, which is amazing since I was there the day before at just about closing. I would have (might have) bought at least one of them, probably both. We were staying at a hotel in NH, and that night I was trying to research the Mauser on my flip phone with the teeny screen, but that ain't gonna happen (we got a smart phone yesterday). Oh well, some get away.

[rondog]

Ya snooze and ya lose. Lord knows I've seen many great deals slip past me. Most notably, a bone-stock 1957 Harley Panhead in running, riding condition, for 6K from a friend of mine. Couldn't raise the cash, and some other guy came along with 8K in his pocket. Losing that one still hurts. Gun deals, I'll just jump on 'em if I can. If I don't like it, I can always resell it later.

[Battis]

After researching a little, and asking here, I don't think I missed out on a whole lot. They were probably worth what he was asking. I'd need a second look to be sure but he wouldn't let that happen. At the time I figured that the Mauser was the more valuable, but it doesn't look that way now. The 1898 Krag that I bought for $150 as a wall hanger was in the same area (ten miles away), but that was a no-brainer, buy on the spot kinda thing.