Mike Irwin
Staff
Most of the 1889s, and the 1896s that weren't converted, were surplussed and used in competitive shooting events.
Helping Inlaws Settle an estate - Need Help ID'ing 5 long guns
- Thread starter laxin213
- Start date
First of all, thank you - Second, Looking for opinions on value
First of all thank you everyone for the replies and all the knowledge.
Time got away from me a bit, my basement flooded twice and I redid the sump pumps, the check valves, re-piped some did lots of clean up. We had a vacation that was already scheduled and paid for so we went on that and found out then that the wife is pregnant with our first child!. So helping out my uncle on this project to sell these guns took a big back burner.
I have a list going of what we have. I'm attaching it, and links to a photo gallery of almost all the guns. If anyone wants to chime in with valuation opinions, I'd be grateful. I looked down nearly all the barrels and they all look good. I realize that I it's really hard to put a value on a gun without seeing it so even a range of say "Gun X is about $100-$175" something like that would be great. I have sold on Gunbroker in the past some of my guns, but with these I have no real idea of a starting point in value since I didn't buy them to begin with so I can't say what I had into them. I will definitely ask my uncle to consider selling on this forum because the GB fees are kind of high. The only one my uncle might hold onto is Firearm 14 - Winchester Semi Auto Shotgun, Winlite.
Thanks guys, and see attached photo of the inventory list and the link below for all the firearms in their respective gallery.
Photo album Gallery of all the Firearms
First of all thank you everyone for the replies and all the knowledge.
Time got away from me a bit, my basement flooded twice and I redid the sump pumps, the check valves, re-piped some did lots of clean up. We had a vacation that was already scheduled and paid for so we went on that and found out then that the wife is pregnant with our first child!. So helping out my uncle on this project to sell these guns took a big back burner.
I have a list going of what we have. I'm attaching it, and links to a photo gallery of almost all the guns. If anyone wants to chime in with valuation opinions, I'd be grateful. I looked down nearly all the barrels and they all look good. I realize that I it's really hard to put a value on a gun without seeing it so even a range of say "Gun X is about $100-$175" something like that would be great. I have sold on Gunbroker in the past some of my guns, but with these I have no real idea of a starting point in value since I didn't buy them to begin with so I can't say what I had into them. I will definitely ask my uncle to consider selling on this forum because the GB fees are kind of high. The only one my uncle might hold onto is Firearm 14 - Winchester Semi Auto Shotgun, Winlite.
Thanks guys, and see attached photo of the inventory list and the link below for all the firearms in their respective gallery.
Photo album Gallery of all the Firearms
Attachments
Wts - #5 , #6 , #11
Hi Guys,
I'm prepared to offer for sale (through an FFL) firearms 5 , 6 , 11. I will work to ship with the FFL accross state lines, or if you're local to Buffalo, NY (or willing to travel to) you can view in person. In my state even an in person sale requires an FFL, and buyer pays FFL fee for in person FYI.. I'd like to list in the buy / sell / trade sub forum here, but I lack the required 25 posts. You can look me up for reputable trading feedback on eBay (Laxin213), I have over 1300+ positive transactions and 100% positive feedback. I am also on GB under the same name, but I only have 2 trades, both positive.
So in the coming week or so they will be listed on GB (unless someone contacts me here first). I am going to heed the advice and get much better pictures when posting on GB.
Asking prices:
#5 - $1200 or best offer
#6 - $700 or best offer
#11 $1400 or best offer
Hi Guys,
I'm prepared to offer for sale (through an FFL) firearms 5 , 6 , 11. I will work to ship with the FFL accross state lines, or if you're local to Buffalo, NY (or willing to travel to) you can view in person. In my state even an in person sale requires an FFL, and buyer pays FFL fee for in person FYI.. I'd like to list in the buy / sell / trade sub forum here, but I lack the required 25 posts. You can look me up for reputable trading feedback on eBay (Laxin213), I have over 1300+ positive transactions and 100% positive feedback. I am also on GB under the same name, but I only have 2 trades, both positive.
So in the coming week or so they will be listed on GB (unless someone contacts me here first). I am going to heed the advice and get much better pictures when posting on GB.
Asking prices:
#5 - $1200 or best offer
#6 - $700 or best offer
#11 $1400 or best offer
Just curious, how did you come up with your prices? Unless there is something big I am missing, that Schmidt-Rubin is priced over double what it should be.
I am not trying to crap on your thread, but Military rifles in particular lose a lot of value if they are modified from the original configuration. Schmidt-Rubin rifles (while excellent rifles and extremely well made) are sort of an oddball and not really known out of collector circles (and Switzerland), and frankly most folks wanting one willing to pay that much will want one that is original.
There is a complete examples of that model, with accessories listed for about the same price you are asking that has been relisted at least 8 times before it finally sold: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=529710489
There is a rifle similar to yours that has been relisted 4 times, with no reserve and a starting price of $195: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=534763334
Here is one similar to yours with a starting price of $109 that ended with no bids.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=513533796
Sorry if this is not something you want to hear.
I am not trying to crap on your thread, but Military rifles in particular lose a lot of value if they are modified from the original configuration. Schmidt-Rubin rifles (while excellent rifles and extremely well made) are sort of an oddball and not really known out of collector circles (and Switzerland), and frankly most folks wanting one willing to pay that much will want one that is original.
There is a complete examples of that model, with accessories listed for about the same price you are asking that has been relisted at least 8 times before it finally sold: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=529710489
There is a rifle similar to yours that has been relisted 4 times, with no reserve and a starting price of $195: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=534763334
Here is one similar to yours with a starting price of $109 that ended with no bids.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=513533796
Sorry if this is not something you want to hear.
kilimanjaro
New member
For $150 I'd sell to the local shop for sure. Might as well support your local businesses, he must feel he needs these rifles for his inventory or has a buyer waiting.
Saves you the bother of packing, shipping, insuring, sweating payment, etc., etc., for 3 separate buyers. That $150 above your offer is going to pay for the expense of sale, so you're making no money and performing labor to do it.
Saves you the bother of packing, shipping, insuring, sweating payment, etc., etc., for 3 separate buyers. That $150 above your offer is going to pay for the expense of sale, so you're making no money and performing labor to do it.
I sold off my Dad's firearm collection (around 50 shotguns/rifles) using online auction sites Gunbroker and Auctionarms. We got 5x the amount of money Cabela's offered. If you really want to sell the guns, best is to start with $0 bid and no reserve. List a fixed shipping price. I used $40 but the local FFL would have handled the packaging/shipping for $50. Would have been easier using the FFL but I didn't feel comfortable trusting my reputation to another's packaging.
There are so many firearms for sale that your listing will be buried many pages back in a short time. The main thing that grabs a buyer's eye is an item with bids on it. The way to get bids is start at $0. There are millions of buyers that will determine the actual value of your firearm. No one will let a $1000 firearm get by for $.01. It can get scary for the seller but if you must sell, the online auctions have proven to work best for us.
If I knew back in 1970 what I know today, I would have bought Microsoft stock and all the military surplus rifles I could get my hands on.
There are so many firearms for sale that your listing will be buried many pages back in a short time. The main thing that grabs a buyer's eye is an item with bids on it. The way to get bids is start at $0. There are millions of buyers that will determine the actual value of your firearm. No one will let a $1000 firearm get by for $.01. It can get scary for the seller but if you must sell, the online auctions have proven to work best for us.
If I knew back in 1970 what I know today, I would have bought Microsoft stock and all the military surplus rifles I could get my hands on.
"The GP11 was never authorized for use in the Model 1889 rifle, and can only be used in adapted rifles, the Model 1896/11, although I've seen more than one recommendation that 1896/11s really aren't up to a steady diet of GP11 rounds. "
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#6 is indeed an 1889. IF it was converted, it would have been to the common 30/30 conversion. easiest way to tell if you have no other........ try to chamber an inert round of 30/30.
The receiver of the 1889 is indeed strong, however........ the locking lugs on the bolt are at the rear, and the cartridge head is NOT supported enough by the bolt face to fire the more powerful GP11.
Mike, the 96/11 will, indeed, take a steady diet of 7.5x55 since the 96/11, the 1911. the k11, k31 and zfk55 were actually designed "around" the GP11 cartridge, making it the only military series of rifles to be designed around a cartridge instead of a cartridge being designed for a rifle.
I wrote this response maybe 25 or 30 years ago for a gent enquiring.
" Good day Erwin.
The k31 and it's mates, the 1911, k11 and the rare (in the US) zfk55 Swiss Sniper Rifle are a rarity in another category. A Military series of rifles designed around a specific cartridge for accuracy and performance.
The intent of this cartridge/rifle mating was to hit a human in the kill zone at range and they performed as intended. Not many production rifles are capable of doing that. The very great majority of these rifles perform
Are there rifles that outperform it? Of course there are, but none of them are a standard military issue firearm designed around a dedicated production cartridge for that rifle."
The most common of the conversions were of 96/11s and 1911s converted to .308 by Golden State Arms in the 70's. Those receivers are, indeed, more than strong enough for the 50,000+cpu of the .308.
Haemmerli manufactured the k31 in 7.5x55, .308, 30-06 (as a single shot) and 300 Winchester magnum. The steel in the receivers and barrels of those rifles is of a Rockwell hardness that it's an insane chore to drill. Far harder than any other military rifle manufactured. How do I know this? Because my company, for the past 17 years has manufactured after market accessories for Swiss Rifles. We're very involved in the metallurgy of these rifles.
__________________
#6 is indeed an 1889. IF it was converted, it would have been to the common 30/30 conversion. easiest way to tell if you have no other........ try to chamber an inert round of 30/30.
The receiver of the 1889 is indeed strong, however........ the locking lugs on the bolt are at the rear, and the cartridge head is NOT supported enough by the bolt face to fire the more powerful GP11.
Mike, the 96/11 will, indeed, take a steady diet of 7.5x55 since the 96/11, the 1911. the k11, k31 and zfk55 were actually designed "around" the GP11 cartridge, making it the only military series of rifles to be designed around a cartridge instead of a cartridge being designed for a rifle.
I wrote this response maybe 25 or 30 years ago for a gent enquiring.
" Good day Erwin.
The k31 and it's mates, the 1911, k11 and the rare (in the US) zfk55 Swiss Sniper Rifle are a rarity in another category. A Military series of rifles designed around a specific cartridge for accuracy and performance.
The intent of this cartridge/rifle mating was to hit a human in the kill zone at range and they performed as intended. Not many production rifles are capable of doing that. The very great majority of these rifles perform
Are there rifles that outperform it? Of course there are, but none of them are a standard military issue firearm designed around a dedicated production cartridge for that rifle."
The most common of the conversions were of 96/11s and 1911s converted to .308 by Golden State Arms in the 70's. Those receivers are, indeed, more than strong enough for the 50,000+cpu of the .308.
Haemmerli manufactured the k31 in 7.5x55, .308, 30-06 (as a single shot) and 300 Winchester magnum. The steel in the receivers and barrels of those rifles is of a Rockwell hardness that it's an insane chore to drill. Far harder than any other military rifle manufactured. How do I know this? Because my company, for the past 17 years has manufactured after market accessories for Swiss Rifles. We're very involved in the metallurgy of these rifles.