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BigJimP · August 22, 2012, 03:50 PM

You're going to need to have written proof / of who did the engraving and when ...from Winchester or some reputable gun dealer to establish provenance ---- and if you can't or don't do that ---its just a story. At the same time you establish provenance on the engraving ...I'd suggest you pay for an appraisal on the gun as well.

Once you have that documentation ...you might contact a big seller like Cabela's and see if they are interested in it - thru their Gun Library / or perhaps a large used gun dealer of higher end guns in your area ( not your typical pawn shop ) although some of them deal with higher end guns as well.

I'm not a big fan of engraving in general ...and the only thing I know of Fred Henderson as an engraver...was on knives / not that he couldn't have done some shotguns for somebody ...but I've never heard that...so, all the more reason why you need documentation.

Winchester today is owned by Browning ...and both are part of FN ...so it isn't like there are some high end "Winchester" dealers out there. I suppose it is possible this gun was engraved for Winchester ...or some chairty or something ...so maybe Winchester can help you with when the gun was mfd'd and what dealer sold the gun ..and in what year.../ and if they're still in business - maybe they can give you some info / or at least tell you if it was engraved when it was sold - or done later for someone else.

Value on a gun like this is truly in the eye of the beholder.../ you're going to need to find a "fanatic Winchester shooter" or collector to probably get much interest in it. Establishing a current value for insurance purposes is one thing ...getting it sold / is another.

Guns that are commonly engraved...are one thing / Win 1200 ...not so much ..../ and honestly I have no idea if this gun is really collectable - regardless of who engraved it ...or if its going to be a nightmare to try and sell it at any price. In and of themselves Win 1200's are selling for $ 150 - $300 probably ... / You'll need to show it to a lot of higher end dealers...and get a consensus based on what they think in person, in my opinion.

Good luck to you.

August 22, 2012, 03:50 PM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	You're going to need to have written proof / of who did the engraving and when ...from Winchester or some reputable gun dealer to establish provenance ---- and if you can't or don't do that ---its just a story. At the same time you establish provenance on the engraving ...I'd suggest you pay for an appraisal on the gun as well. Once you have that documentation ...you might contact a big seller like Cabela's and see if they are interested in it - thru their Gun Library / or perhaps a large used gun dealer of higher end guns in your area ( not your typical pawn shop ) although some of them deal with higher end guns as well. I'm not a big fan of engraving in general ...and the only thing I know of Fred Henderson as an engraver...was on knives / not that he couldn't have done some shotguns for somebody ...but I've never heard that...so, all the more reason why you need documentation. Winchester today is owned by Browning ...and both are part of FN ...so it isn't like there are some high end "Winchester" dealers out there. I suppose it is possible this gun was engraved for Winchester ...or some chairty or something ...so maybe Winchester can help you with when the gun was mfd'd and what dealer sold the gun ..and in what year.../ and if they're still in business - maybe they can give you some info / or at least tell you if it was engraved when it was sold - or done later for someone else. Value on a gun like this is truly in the eye of the beholder.../ you're going to need to find a "fanatic Winchester shooter" or collector to probably get much interest in it. Establishing a current value for insurance purposes is one thing ...getting it sold / is another. Guns that are commonly engraved...are one thing / Win 1200 ...not so much ..../ and honestly I have no idea if this gun is really collectable - regardless of who engraved it ...or if its going to be a nightmare to try and sell it at any price. In and of themselves Win 1200's are selling for $ 150 - $300 probably ... / You'll need to show it to a lot of higher end dealers...and get a consensus based on what they think in person, in my opinion. Good luck to you. Last edited by BigJimP; August 22, 2012 at 04:02 PM.