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I am very impressed with what this rifle brought. Refinished M1886’s are generally not considered collectable. .33’s -referring to the non-refinished specimens – are generally not considered very collectible (except by me). And for whatever reason, this rifle brings a collector price:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/910297056
Do I need to send all my .33’s out to be refinished? None of my .33’s are refinished and I didn’t think any of them would have brought this price.
Wow. I have a “nicely refinished” 1886 in .33 that I got for a song, so I bought it in spite of the refinish as a shooter. Maybe it’s time for a flip!
Steve
WACA Member. CFM Member. NRA Lifer.
Not only refinished, but with the plugged scope mount holes still as obvious as if they’d never been plugged. Unbelievable.
clarence said
Not only refinished, but with the plugged scope mount holes still as obvious as if they’d never been plugged. Unbelievable.
Clarence –
Thank you for making that observation. I’ll amend my question: Do I need to have my rifles refinished and three tap holes added to command this kind of value?
That was simply a Faux Wiener Wagging contest. Both of the active bidders in that auction are Rookies.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
That was simply a Faux Wiener Wagging contest. Both of the active bidders in that auction are Rookies.
Products of the wonderful new world of on-line gun buying; why travel to gun shows, learn from dealers & experienced collectors, or even read books, when your computer-screen is your 24/7 gun emporium? If Austins Guns had more than $500 in that gun, I’ll evacuate & fall back in it.
November 7, 2015
Offline
Good looking gun.
Mike
TXGunNut said
Good looking gun.
Mike
You really do need new spectacles… 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there that want shooters for the the range / woods, not every wants a collectible piece going for a small fortune just to sit in the safe. When your dead your not taking it with you. To each his own.
Steven Gabrielli said
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there that want shooters for the the range / woods, not every wants a collectible piece going for a small fortune just to sit in the safe.
Of course that’s true, but they aren’t usually willing to pay twice or more what that gun is worth to get it. The buyer of this gun paid a collectible price FOR a shooter! Otherwise, there’d have been nothing said about it. But I’ll bet that far from being used in the woods, it’s going to become the buyer’s most precious safe-queen.
Steven Gabrielli said
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there that want shooters for the the range / woods, not every wants a collectible piece going for a small fortune just to sit in the safe. When your dead your not taking it with you. To each his own.
I don’t think anyone here is disputing the joy of owning a good shooter. There are many shooter grade 1886’s out there in 33 WCF to choose from at a fraction of the price that this one sold for. This one has had the receiver drilled in 3 places, plugged, then reblued/refinished. The buyer paid a collector price for a “shooter” that shoots obsolete ammo. If I were looking for a shooter grade 1886, it would likely be a well-worn (but original finish) 1886 chambered in 45-70. At least you could still buy ammo and not have to reload your own to shoot it. Just my take.
Don
I with Don on this. Even if a refinished rifle can be purchased inexpensively and the intent is to use it as a hunter/shooter, you still have to look at. If you take a rifle out in the woods all day, that’s a lot of time to look at it. The advantage of a refinished rifle is you worry less about scratches and nicks. But as Don implies, a rifle with worn finish would fit this bill as well.
I enjoyed Don’s statement regarding a .45-70 as you don’t have to reload your own ammo to shoot it. My reaction is with my .33’s, I get to load my own ammo for it 
I own .45-70’s, .30-30’s and other similar. The fact that factory ammunition is available is almost irrelevant to me.
steve004 said
The advantage of a refinished rifle is you worry less about scratches and nicks. But as Don implies, a rifle with worn finish would fit this bill as well.
That’s a logical attitude, but I think most folks with a newly refinished gun just can’t help feeling over-protective of it–any tiny blemish is going to show up like a sore thumb, as it would not on a blueless, well-used & knocked-around piece. I repeat: the wienie-wagging buyer of this ’86 probably believes he’s bought a museum piece; his rude awakening will come if he ever tries to resell it.
And to point out the obvious, though there is a good resale market for top of the line restoration work, such as Turnbull’s, this gun is NOT in that category! Whoever plugged the holes did not know what he was doing, or it would require a magnifying glass to see them.
I guess you guys know much better then me, but I dont see many 1886 un-touched collectable pieces at @2,800? That seems to be the price for shooters LOL
deerhunter said
I don’t think anyone here is disputing the joy of owning a good shooter. There are many shooter grade 1886’s out there in 33 WCF to choose from at a fraction of the price that this one sold for. This one has had the receiver drilled in 3 places, plugged, then reblued/refinished. The buyer paid a collector price for a “shooter” that shoots obsolete ammo. If I were looking for a shooter grade 1886, it would likely be a well-worn (but original finish) 1886 chambered in 45-70. At least you could still buy ammo and not have to reload your own to shoot it. Just my take.
Don
Steven Gabrielli said
I guess you guys know much better then me, but I dont see many 1886 un-touched collectable pieces at @2,800? That seems to be the price for shooters LOL
Agreed! If anyone has an untouched 1886 for sale at a “fraction” of the $2,800 price, please PM me at once!!
Fox
November 7, 2015
Offline
Bert H. said
You really do need new spectacles…
True. It’s not collectable IMHO and obviously not original but I like it. I’m at a loss why someone would pay $2875 for it but that happens. I’m wondering if there may be a growing group of collectors who aren’t as concerned with originality as the traditional collector. I believe that time may come, maybe it already has.
Mike
foxfire said
Agreed! If anyone has an untouched 1886 for sale at a “fraction” of the $2,800 price, please PM me at once!!
Fox
Here’s a few untouched examples in the same price neighborhood. Lots to choose from if you like 33’s:
Don
deerhunter said
Here’s a few untouched examples in the same price neighborhood. Lots to choose from if you like 33’s:
Don
Didn’t look at them all, but the last on the list is a FAR better gun for $1000 less! None of the those I checked was anything approaching a “beater,” just well-used but clean guns that I’d be proud to own & carry, & as Steve said, even a gun bought as a shooter is something you’ll spend more time looking at than shooting. Even if I wasn’t constantly gazing at those three holes, I’d never be able to forget they were there.
Thanks Don!! I’ll peruse further, but upon cursory review not seeing many offered much lower that the op gun.
Here’s a couple shooters that recently sold for a fraction of the price of the op gun:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/907487782
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/908172840
Here’s a couple more with no takers:
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