Value of .25-35

[Buzzcook]

I'm posting this here cause I didn;t get much response in Art of the Rifle and the auction is tonight.

http://72.86.30.233/photos/01022010night/nextnight047.jpg

S/N 223xx

The ad says circa 1869, which of course is not quite accurate. The gun is in below average condition for its age with a home made stock repair and some guy named Sam scratching his name in the action. It is functional.


As far as I can tell the only added extra is the guns age. Am I missing something?

[Jim Watson]

Proofhouse.com says 1895, a first year .25-35.

Configuration is very strange with 3/4 magazine and short rifle type foreend. I would not bet on that being original.

[PetahW]

That serial number may have been made earlier, but not used until the .25-35 chambering was introduced in 1896.

The 3/4 mag config on a full-length rifle is exceedingly rare, since that combination wasn't popular due to the long/unsupported area between forend & mag tube cap prone to damage and/or mis-alignment.

If it's an original rifle, I would think it's value very high - if not, then it's just "interesting", IMHO.

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[Buzzcook]

The mag threw me for a loop when I saw it. I couldn't tell if it was factory or not.
I'm going to pass on it. Then feel like a fool when someone tells me it's a super valuable watcha call it.

There's also Stevens favorite in the auction that I'm hoping gets lost in the shuffle.