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Hmmm….You never know what might be in the box. I would be fine buying an old sealed box of ammo (and actually have a few), but buying an old Winchester rifle “sealed in the box” is only asking for trouble in my opinion. Hard to believe this box resisted the temptation of anyone taking a peek over the last 61 years. Could be the real deal or could be a pig in a poke. Anyone here willing to bid and find out?
https://www.wardscollectibles.com/auction/91/viewitem.php?item=4156
Don
November 7, 2015
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I wonder if a heat gun would soften 60 year old tape adhesive. Of course, who can say how old that tape is? Ever had someone drive up to you in a parking lot with a sealed box that was supposed to contain a big screen TV? In my day it was top end 6X9 speakers. I’ll pass, I’ve got plenty of boxes.
Mike
TXGunNut said
I wonder if a heat gun would soften 60 year old tape adhesive.
No, that’s gummed paper tape, the kind that was attached to a dispenser that fed the tape over a wet sponge. But I think it’s absurd not to cut the tape; even in an unopened box, it’s possible rust could have formed if stored in a humid environment.
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
TXGunNut said
I wonder if a heat gun would soften 60 year old tape adhesive.
No, that’s gummed paper tape, the kind that was attached to a dispenser that fed the tape over a wet sponge. But I think it’s absurd not to cut the tape; even in an unopened box, it’s possible rust could have formed if stored in a humid environment.
I’ve used one of those dispensers, maybe steam would loosen it.
Mike
This and another one are on Don Groves (The Winchester Grove) web sight for $6,500 each. I’m not sure they are authentic or not, but on every other boxed 61 end label of this era that I’ve seen, the word Trademark is under Winchester. I sure wouldn’t pay $6,500 for a standard model 61 in the box just because it was never opened. So what happens when a new owner opens it, the worth drops by $3,000?
January 26, 2011
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Don
I was going to post the exact same thing, but you beat me to it. The answer is a big no for me. I just can’t stomach the Winchester “grab bag”. Owning something like this makes no logical sense to me. But for those that like this kind of gamble, you can buy both of them Grove has and double the mystery. To each their own.
~Gary~
A small hole and you could look it over with a borescope, even look down the bore. If the bore is not mint you know what you got.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
RDB
TXGunNut said
I wonder if a heat gun would soften 60 year old tape adhesive. Of course, who can say how 9mm that tape is? Ever had someone drive up to you in a parking lot with a sealed box that was supposed to contain a big screen TV? In my day it was top end 6X9 speakers. I’ll pass, I’ve got plenty of boxes.
Mike
That used to happen in Houston all the time!!
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
tionesta1 said
This and another one are on Don Groves (The Winchester Grove) web sight for $6,500 each. I’m not sure they are authentic or not, but on every other boxed 61 end label of this era that I’ve seen, the word Trademark is under Winchester. I sure wouldn’t pay $6,500 for a standard model 61 in the box just because it was never opened. So what happens when a new owner opens it, the worth drops by $3,000?
My bet is that there is a pretty good reserve on the item and if it is not met it will be back at Grove’s. I have seen numerous guns go from Grove to auction to Grove to auction to Grove…!
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
Regarding the description of the condition of the rifle, I loved the phase, “should be” and “maybe”
I’ll state bluntly this is plain Stupid!!!
This isn’t like an original box of ammunition from the 19th C. It’s a box containing a firearm from several decades ago.
It would be worth more to me opened than unopened.
mrcvs said
I’ll state bluntly this is plain Stupid!!!This isn’t like an original box of ammunition from the 19th C. It’s a box containing a firearm from several decades ago.
It would be worth more to me opened than unopened.
So would it be to anyone else with a lick of common sense. But Grove is counting on luring a fat-cat with more money than he knows what to do with looking for a “conversation piece” that nobody else has; he’s no doubt met many of them.
clarence said
mrcvs said
I’ll state bluntly this is plain Stupid!!!
This isn’t like an original box of ammunition from the 19th C. It’s a box containing a firearm from several decades ago.
It would be worth more to me opened than unopened.
So would it be to anyone else with a lick of common sense. But Grove is counting on luring a fat-cat with more money than he knows what to do with looking for a “conversation piece” that nobody else has; he’s no doubt met many of them.
Anyone who pays more than what the box alone is worth is a fool! There’s no proof a rifle is even within the box. It could be an object of similar weight equally distributed within the box, another firearm, the firearm that is supposed to be in there, but with surface rust, or worse…
The rifle of course is not an antique. If the rifle has to go through a transfer dealer (say it is shipped to another state), I can’t imagine an FFL dealer not insisting the box be opened so he could directly verifying the serial number on the gun.
steve004 said
The rifle of course is not an antique. If the rifle has to go through a transfer dealer (say it is shipped to another state), I can’t imagine an FFL dealer not insisting the box be opened so he could directly verifying the serial number on the gun.
Exactly Steve. An FFL is not going to just trust the serial number on the box. He will need to verify the serial number of the gun itself.
I’d sure like to know the story on these two unopened boxed 61’s. Were they hiding in someones closet all these years?
tionesta1 said
steve004 said
The rifle of course is not an antique. If the rifle has to go through a transfer dealer (say it is shipped to another state), I can’t imagine an FFL dealer not insisting the box be opened so he could directly verifying the serial number on the gun.
Exactly Steve. An FFL is not going to just trust the serial number on the box. He will need to verify the serial number of the gun itself.
I’d sure like to know the story on these two unopened boxed 61’s. Were they hiding in someones closet all these years?
Al,
And did the guy with the closet drive them to Grove’s so they didn’t go via an FFL And did he BUY them sight unseen?? Lots of weirdness here for sure.
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
Maybe they have been stuck in ground hog day. Just like the 86 in 50-100 that the damaged stock is suddenly like new!
One solution;
a friend and I had this very similar conversation about a sealed picture box model 62A he bought several years ago. I told him I had no interest in box collecting, etc., etc. He then took it to his local vet’s clinic and had it x-rayed.
I’d say it removed any doubt about contents matching the label. He had no issues with transfer at all. Question never came up.
Darrin
Darrin Smith said
One solution;a friend and I had this very similar conversation about a sealed picture box model 62A he bought several years ago. I told him I had no interest in box collecting, etc., etc. He then took it to his local vet’s clinic and had it x-rayed.
I’d say it removed any doubt about contents matching the label. He had no issues with transfer at all. Question never came up.
Darrin
This method established it was not just a piece of scrap steel. In fact, it established it was a Winchester slide action hammer .22… but as far as amount of finish, original finish, possible pitting… I wouldn’t think the X-ray would shed light on those factors. And I’d say those are important factors. Even if the rifle was never out of the box, things can happen inside a box over the decades (such as the impact of some condensation/moisture). I realize the novelty of a rifle in an unopened box has some intrigue but I would never be interested.
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