Newbie From NC

KerryM wrote: Sweet!

Thankya sir😁

Welcome MD,
Nice tractors, looks like you and your Dad are doing a fine job.
Musical talent is only a fantasy of mine, but here is my old Winchester. Model 37, my Grandpa bought this gun used in 1940. He only had one arm and he used to hunt rabbits with it. It's probably not worth much, but it's priceless to me. Thanks, I've been waiting for an excuse to bring up guns on the forum.

Happy to see more representation from North Carolina!   

Ranse wrote: Welcome MD, Nice tractors, looks like you and your Dad are doing a fine job. Musical talent is only a fantasy of mine, but here is my old Winchester. Model 37, my Grandpa bought this gun used in 1940. He only had one arm and he used to hunt rabbits with it. It's probably not worth much, but it's priceless to me. Thanks, I've been waiting for an excuse to bring up guns on the forum.

Oh WOW ,a 37!! Well I know guns can be a tricky subject but old Colts and Winchester especially are my passion.I’ve been collecting them since my teens,SAA Colts later. For those of our elders here that know Jimmy Stewart may remember a movie he did about David Marshall ‘Carbine’ Williams.Marshall was my grandfathers cousin..the Williams family is pretty big around the Godwin and Wade area. Anyway while @ Winchester he would send a few rifles back and I have 2 of them among a slew of other lever guns.

By the way I’m any given day a 37 Win is worth about $500,more if it’s a 16 or 410 and a Red letter will bring a tad more.But hang on to it.

Sugarmaker wrote: Ranse,  Folks, MD, I gave both my grandfathers and my Dad's Winchester Model 1897 pump guns to my son to add to his collection. I had restored these (stripped, sanded, polished and reblued, then re-finished the stocks) and had them for a long time. Thought they should go to the gun guy in the family. Both are 16 Gage. I Know the one that I grew up with (Grandfathers) was purchased in Erie PA from a pawn shop for $10 in around 1930 ish. The bluing was worn off. No pictures! Sorry. Regards, Chris

Chris ,I need some pics good sir 😬

Ranse wrote: MD, Sugarmaker, I was told Grandpa gave $3 for that gun in 1940. As for the value of one now, I've heard everything from 150 to 500 dollars. No offence Sugarmaker, but I've been told refinishing a gun actually diminishes the value rather than increasing it. I guess it depends, a bad refinish job certainly would I'd say. I think the wood on mine looks good to be original. The bluing is long gone, but if you hold the bottom of the receiver under a good light, you can still make out the red in the lettering. At any rate, I guess it will stay as is. It suits me and it's never used anymore anyway.

Absolutely,it looks too good to mess with.Really so far as value to something like these old Winchesters it really depends on the market and what a person is looking for but there is a baseline and at one time that really only pertained to the pre64 guns but even that now has changed.Since the factory closing and Browning/FN is over manufacturing ,the post 64’s to 2006 guns are holding a decent ground.Like land ,these aren’t being made anymore and there’s people out there willing to pay...but again don’t sell it,these will likely keep going up.Tip...boiled linseed oil is nurturing food for these old walnut stocks.😁

Dan Hauter wrote: Welcome to the Forum!  Good luck with all of your Allis Chalmers projects.  Dan.

Thanks Dan,glad to be here

Sugarmaker wrote: Ranse, Folks,  Yea I may have diminished the value of those old corn huskers. But they were not in good condition and I wanted to save them and have them in a condition that my great grand kids could take them out hunting safely. Both needed some smithing and I had both chambers bored deeper to use standard ammo produced today. So like a lot of my other projects the guns were refurbed, repaired, and refinished to be reused and enjoyed. Regards,  Chris

Sometimes in such situations when it comes to a point of having to save a certain item you have to take steps like this to keep it from just becomeing useless junk.Nothing wrong there especially when being kept and used.