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This site was suggested to me and in advance, thank you for your replies.rnMy dad has spent years collecting different guns. He is older and wants me to help sell them. I\’m not familiar with any of this and before I list them I need help knowing what to ask for what he has.rnHe has the complete set of parts for 4-5 1876 rifles and 8-10 1886 rifles. These are not put together. I am struggling thinking this is enough information but I don\’t know what else to list as information. Again, thank you for any help.
April 15, 2005
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Pete,
Because what you have is essentially a batch of parts, there is no “collector” value in them. While I do not know, I suspect that the parts are random pieces that belonged to separate rifles. The good news is that if the parts are in decent condition, they are worth a fair amount of $$$$. Unfortunately, we cannot even provide an approximate value number without first knowing exactly what you have. You will need to provide a detailed list of everything you have.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thank you Bert,
I wondered if I would need to list all the parts. We have every part of at least four 1876 rifles and eight 1886 rifles plus some. They are all in good condition. I asked why we wouldn’t sell them as complete rifles and he said the individual part would be worth more. Is this right? Thank you for your reply and I apologize for my ignorance where guns are concerned.
April 15, 2005
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If the rifles were not in good condition when they were disassembled, then yes, it is possible the parts could bring a higher $$$ amount if sold separately. That stated, that assumes that you can successfully sell all of the parts. Selling individual piece parts is a very time consuming endeavor, and it requires properly identifying and labeling all of the parts before you list them for sale. Quite frankly, it is much easier to sell a “whole” fully assembled rifle than it is to sell all of its pieces individually.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
March 31, 2009
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Post the list of parts and see what the Members think.
June 4, 2017
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Pete,
To market your parts for what their worth you first have to make a list with model, configuration, condition, serial number range of the gun, and correct name of the part. Then take good pictures of each item that can be emailed coded to each part. Then set your price, that’s what takes expertise. This is done by sellers on EBAY. Just search Winchester Parts and do what they do.
If you sell everything in a pile on top of a table you will only get pennies on a dollar. The single buyer would have to do the work and the average collector would not be a buyer. Some parts are in high demand like good stocks, barrels, sights, and set trigger parts, the rest depending on condition are hard to sell and take time. Parts in poor condition have little value to a collector. Sales to collectors will be one at a time.
You could simply post an ad and have people contact you but you still have to go thru the work described in the first paragraph.
T/R
November 8, 2011
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It might be helpful to study Homestead Parts pages. They list most parts and have their pricing on them. As said earlier, selling parts can be quite time consuming if you’re attempting to get “retail” prices.
April 30, 2023
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Take a few nice pics of them and post them up for us to look at…
November 19, 2006
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A complete parts set for somewhere between 12 and 15 rifles… that is several hundred parts. Selling them (to bring what they are worth) will be a long, slow and tedious endeavor. They are many collectors and shooters out there looking for parts, but they only want a part that is going to fit their rifle. As there can be part variations based on different serial number ranges, they will need to know precisely what you have.
There are many sellers (e.g. Ebay) who will take an entire rifle and break into parts. They do this as they can get more total dollars than selling the complete rifle. This scenario is an easier task than what you face. When tearing down a complete rifle (unless it’s a Frankenchester), it’s easy to identify the parts. They are all the same serial range, year made etc. In your case, if these parts are from different rifles, identifying some of them is going be a challenge.
Then comes the challenge of actually selling the parts. Describing the item, photographing it, listing it, waiting for the money to come in, packing and shipping, dealing with buyers and potential returns… and doing this hundreds of times over… sorry to paint such a negative picture. However, I don’t know you situation. For guys that are retired, much time on their hands and looking for something to do, it can be just the ticket.
June 4, 2017
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l_Pete_l said
Thank you Bert,I wondered if I would need to list all the parts. We have every part of at least four 1876 rifles and eight 1886 rifles plus some. They are all in good condition. I asked why we wouldn’t sell them as complete rifles and he said the individual part would be worth more. Is this right? Thank you for your reply and I apologize for my ignorance where guns are concerned.
If these parts came from just four 1876’s and eight 1886’s somebody took them apart for a reason. Was it a gun law? Is that why the parts are in good shape? Can’t you hire someone to put them together? Can you search the serial numbers on the lower tangs to tell what you have? T/R
WACA Guest
March 31, 2024
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I’ve been looking around for a “shooter” 1876 in 45-60. Kinda tough to find brass for other calibers in repros or originals these days. It would be interesting to see what parts you have and if they’re from complete rifles.
June 4, 2017
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The 1886’s has the serial number is on the lower tang. On the 1876’s it’s on the lower tang which is part of the receiver. The searches from the Museum will give caliber, magazine length, barrel length, barrel type, butt plate type, trigger type, finish, and all special features. With that in hand you can quickly sort the major parts into individual guns. Then and only then will you know if you have individual guns or just a pile or parts. The cost of joining the Museum is a cheap first step compared to the value of your parts. If you have no knowledge of these types of guns get help with the sorting. A serious Winchester collector could sort the piles in a couple hours. If you have a puzzle put it together. T/R
