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Gent brought me a rifle he is looking to sell and wanted to know if i may be interested. Of course i am but have a few reservations in regards to what it is currently worth in todays market.
Winchester Pre64 SuperGrade manufacted in 1947 with a 109xxx sn.
Rifle was hunted but not abused.Everything looks proper to my eye EXCEPT the fact the bolt handle has had some metal removed and the action has been bedded at some point in its lifetime.
Obviously both of these concerns alter the value. My question is to what extent? Not sure what a fair price would be but hoping you gents have a few ideas.
I have plenty of pictures but best i can tell is i dont have the permissions to post them.
Appreciate any info and thoughts on this one.
TNTBR
TNTBR said Everything looks proper to my eye EXCEPT the fact the bolt handle has had some metal removed and the action has been bedded at some point in its lifetime.
Actually, these “defects” constitute evidence that it’s legit, not faked, as a perfect specimen might be. Would guess that the bolt handle was altered to clear a scope, as was often done.
Unfortunately you’re right about posting photos; for “guests,” it’s a tribulation.
Value, I’m not competent to assess, but others who are more knowledgeable should be able to assist
S/N 109,xxx was actually serialized in mid-1949. The gun is factory d&t and the only reason to grind on the bolt handle would be scope mounts that weren’t high enough? What can one say about the bedded SG stock? In original factory trim the gun would be worth $7,000 – $8,000, possibly more. With the modifications the value took a BIG hit.
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
Tedk said
What can one say about the bedded SG stock?
Seemed like a good idea at the time. An expert welder could restore the bolt handle, but the bedding would be difficult to remove. However, I’d rather pay a modest price for this gun, if I was looking for one to shoot, than have the price of a good used 4X4 tied up in a safe-queen.
Appreciate the comments guys. Obviously the 2 mods made to the rifle has a high impact on value but to what extent…50%, 75% of one unaltered that would bring $7k?
I guess the simpliest question would be, if you were presented with this opportunity what number would you feel comfortable at that down the road you don’t take a hit or simply pass on the purchase?
Again, thanks for the replies.
TN
TNTBR said
Gent brought me a rifle he is looking to sell and wanted to know if i may be interested. Of course i am but have a few reservations in regards to what it is currently worth in todays market.
Winchester Pre64 SuperGrade manufacted in 1947 with a 109xxx sn.
Rifle was hunted but not abused.Everything looks proper to my eye EXCEPT the fact the bolt handle has had some metal removed and the action has been bedded at some point in its lifetime.
Obviously both of these concerns alter the value. My question is to what extent? Not sure what a fair price would be but hoping you gents have a few ideas.
I have plenty of pictures but best i can tell is i dont have the permissions to post them.Appreciate any info and thoughts on this one.
TNTBR
It sounds like you are well aware that this is not a collector rifle. Are you interested in it as a rifle to hunt with?
November 5, 2014
Offline
Hi TNTBR-
Some general comments, mostly echoing what’s already been said. S/N 109XXX would be a 1949 polishing room date receiver, likely a type III-1. 1949 was the last year the 250-3000 SAV was cataloged, but that being said, information I have would suggest that a significant number of 250-3000 SAV rifles were made in the 109XXX range. Specifically, as in not 108XXX or 110XXX. So there’s an excellent chance that the subject gun is a legit factory 250-3000 SAV rifle, which is the first big hurdle in determining value. One would want to check all the internals (magazine box, bolt stop extension, ejector) to be sure, but it’s likely to be legit…
Now… A convincingly original/unaltered 250-3000 SAV Super Grade these days could sell for upwards of $10K. Dave Morris (Frontier Guns) recently sold one (a legit one) for more like $12K. The big factor, of course, is that collectors will pay those premium prices for (what they perceive as) premium goods. Your rifle, as you describe it, has two major detractions. The altered bolt handle and the bedded stock.
Let’s assume that everything else checks out… What would it take to “restore” such a gun would be a new bolt of the correct vintage, fitted and renumbered to the gun AND (worse) a new late 1940s vintage SG stock (close to an impossibility – you’d probably have to sacrifice a “donor” gun to fix up the rare one). Lots of money AND it wouldn’t be original (though maybe undetectably non-original). Is it worth it??? Probably not…
So what’s it worth? If an otherwise legit 250-3000 SAV Super Grade, probably about 50% of the above value??? Still not chicken feed, but the market would have to decide…
FWIW… If you would like some pics posted here, you can e-mail them to me ([email protected]) and I will post for you, or you can use a third party photo hosting service and post the URL… If you send to me, my e-mail server will gag on anything more than 20MB of attachments, and the WACA site does best with photos around 1MB (each) in size.
Best of Luck!!! 
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Louis Luttrell said
Now… A convincingly original/unaltered 250-3000 SAV Super Grade these days could sell for upwards of $10K. Dave Morris (Frontier Guns) recently sold one (a legit one) for more like $12K.
Lou
Mother of pearl!
Assuming the bolt handle has merely been scalloped to clear a scope, I’m just about certain an expert metalsmith could make that “let it never happened,” which to me would be far preferable to a non-original bolt.
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