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Winchester 1886 Trick or Treat?
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mrcvs
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October 31, 2025 - 2:17 pm
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Takedown in .33 Winchester.

Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.

Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.

But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.

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Glshuck
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October 31, 2025 - 2:49 pm
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Treat in my opinion. I am a long ways away from having gray hair, and I just bought a very similar take down 86 in 33 wcf.

45-70 brass always going to be around. Brings some stability to the equation. 

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mrcvs
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October 31, 2025 - 2:52 pm
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Glshuck said
Treat in my opinion. I am a long ways away from having gray hair, and I just bought a very similar take down 86 in 33 wcf.
45-70 brass always going to be around. Brings some stability to the equation. 
  

Let’s see yours, and details.

I’ll eventually share what this one cost me.  Less than I was prepared to pay.

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Glshuck
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October 31, 2025 - 3:07 pm
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Never uploaded pictures before, so hopefully come through. 

1907 with assumedly after the fact era correct swivel eyes. Great bore, totally standard configuration. 

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Bert H.
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October 31, 2025 - 3:35 pm
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Fellows;

Please send me a scanned copy of the CFM letter (or research sheet) for both of those rifles so that I can add them to my survey spreadsheet.

Bert

WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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Zebulon
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October 31, 2025 - 3:57 pm
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Gentlemen,  I think those are both mighty fine examples of the breed. Opinions on horses and redheaded women can vary but the “lightweight”  in 33 WCF is the Model 86 that went the whole distance. Note well production ceased only because the Model 71 replaced it. 

There was a reason so many were built — they had the power, the balance, and you could carry it your ownself.

As our 450 Fuller [or is it Fuller 450, Ridge?] has pointed out in his Collector article on Ben Lilly, the 86/33 is a serious bear and elk rifle. Serious but not overwhelming, a good definition of “practical.”

- Bill 

 

WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist

"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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TR
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October 31, 2025 - 4:57 pm
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mrcvs said  of a model is
Takedown in .33 Winchester.
Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.
Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.
But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.

  

  I use the Tulsa show to stay abreast of prices. I see what’s available, price tags, and the money counted. Most guns at Tulsa are sold wholesale unlike auctions and online sights. The old saying at Tulsa is if only one of a model is in the room it sells, if two are there neither sell. If it’s not there it’s rare.

 I was to a local show two weeks ago and heard the same statement as your “trick” comment from several old gun dealers that weren’t selling common guns. The buyers were young by my standards, had money, and were willing to pay serious money for nice old stuff. Maybe the market is changing? But these young guys have money and are buying nice old stuff. T/R

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mrcvs
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November 1, 2025 - 4:59 am
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TR said

mrcvs said  of a model is
Takedown in .33 Winchester.
Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.
Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.
But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.
  

  I use the Tulsa show to stay abreast of prices. I see what’s available, price tags, and the money counted. Most guns at Tulsa are sold wholesale unlike auctions and online sights. The old saying at Tulsa is if only one of a model is in the room it sells, if two are there neither sell. If it’s not there it’s rare.
 I was to a local show two weeks ago and heard the same statement as your “trick” comment from several old gun dealers that weren’t selling common guns. The buyers were young by my standards, had money, and were willing to pay serious money for nice old stuff. Maybe the market is changing? But these young guys have money and are buying nice old stuff. T/R
  

What would something like my rifle bring at Tulsa?

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mrcvs
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November 1, 2025 - 5:03 am
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Zebulon said
Gentlemen,  I think those are both mighty fine examples of the breed. Opinions on horses and redheaded women can vary but the “lightweight”  in 33 WCF is the Model 86 that went the whole distance. Note well production ceased only because the Model 71 replaced it. 
There was a reason so many were built — they had the power, the balance, and you could carry it your ownself.
As our 450 Fuller [or is it Fuller 450, Ridge?] has pointed out in his Collector article on Ben Lilly, the 86/33 is a serious bear and elk rifle. Serious but not overwhelming, a good definition of “practical.”
  

I believe the Model 1886 in .33 Winchester was the rifle of choice for use on bear in the Adirondacks from its inception throughout the first quarter of the 20th Century.

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TR
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November 1, 2025 - 12:37 pm
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mrcvs said

TR said

mrcvs said  of a model is
Takedown in .33 Winchester.
Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.
Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.
But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.
  

  I use the Tulsa show to stay abreast of prices. I see what’s available, price tags, and the money counted. Most guns at Tulsa are sold wholesale unlike auctions and online sights. The old saying at Tulsa is if only one of a model is in the room it sells, if two are there neither sell. If it’s not there it’s rare.
 I was to a local show two weeks ago and heard the same statement as your “trick” comment from several old gun dealers that weren’t selling common guns. The buyers were young by my standards, had money, and were willing to pay serious money for nice old stuff. Maybe the market is changing? But these young guys have money and are buying nice old stuff. T/R
  

What would something like my rifle bring at Tulsa?
  

  Your gun is modern, the buyers at Tulsa are the table holders. Most of the table holders are collectors without FFL making it necessary for a transfer if either of you is out of state. Your buyer would have to hold a C&R or FFL. Chances are your gun would not bring full value there.

 I only buy, sell, or trade antique guns when out of my state because it makes a transfer easy. My collection is almost all antique, I could not tell you what a particular modern gun might sell for at that show. T/R

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steve004
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November 1, 2025 - 12:55 pm
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TR said

mrcvs said

TR said

mrcvs said  of a model is
Takedown in .33 Winchester.
Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.
Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.
But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.
  

  I use the Tulsa show to stay abreast of prices. I see what’s available, price tags, and the money counted. Most guns at Tulsa are sold wholesale unlike auctions and online sights. The old saying at Tulsa is if only one of a model is in the room it sells, if two are there neither sell. If it’s not there it’s rare.
 I was to a local show two weeks ago and heard the same statement as your “trick” comment from several old gun dealers that weren’t selling common guns. The buyers were young by my standards, had money, and were willing to pay serious money for nice old stuff. Maybe the market is changing? But these young guys have money and are buying nice old stuff. T/R
  

What would something like my rifle bring at Tulsa?
  

  Your gun is modern, the buyers at Tulsa are the table holders. Most of the table holders are collectors without FFL making it necessary for a transfer if either of you is out of state. Your buyer would have to hold a C&R or FFL. Chances are your gun would not bring full value there.
 I only buy, sell, or trade antique guns when out of my state because it makes a transfer easy. My collection is almost all antique, I could not tell you what a particular modern gun might sell for at that show. T/R
  

I very much agree with TR on this point.  You’re not going to get a cash offer at the Tulsa show from a table-holder anywhere close to what a gunbroker auction would bring.  

As many here know, I am a .33 WCF fan and I enjoyed the rifles pictured in this threat.  But a .33 WCF is not going to create excitement at Tulsa.  It doesn’t have the rarity factor and the enthusiasm factor will be low.  Add in TR’s point that an FFL transfer would be needed and my opinion is it would have to be a very favorable price for a table holder to jump on it.

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mrcvs
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November 1, 2025 - 1:20 pm
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TR said

mrcvs said

TR said

mrcvs said  of a model is
Takedown in .33 Winchester.
Treat, because I think I got it at a good price, Winchesters are way down since the last election.
Trick, because maybe there’s no future, lots of grey haired folks out there, only the really high end stuff is of interest anymore.
But I was happy to get this relatively nice takedown .33 Winchester rifle, 1902 production.
  

  I use the Tulsa show to stay abreast of prices. I see what’s available, price tags, and the money counted. Most guns at Tulsa are sold wholesale unlike auctions and online sights. The old saying at Tulsa is if only one of a model is in the room it sells, if two are there neither sell. If it’s not there it’s rare.
 I was to a local show two weeks ago and heard the same statement as your “trick” comment from several old gun dealers that weren’t selling common guns. The buyers were young by my standards, had money, and were willing to pay serious money for nice old stuff. Maybe the market is changing? But these young guys have money and are buying nice old stuff. T/R
  

What would something like my rifle bring at Tulsa?
  

  Your gun is modern, the buyers at Tulsa are the table holders. Most of the table holders are collectors without FFL making it necessary for a transfer if either of you is out of state. Your buyer would have to hold a C&R or FFL. Chances are your gun would not bring full value there.
 I only buy, sell, or trade antique guns when out of my state because it makes a transfer easy. My collection is almost all antique, I could not tell you what a particular modern gun might sell for at that show. T/R
  

Yes, and why it’s probably better to stick to the  antique stuff.

I was trying to prove a point in this thread.  That price points are way down since the Election of 2024 for nice, but not extraordinary stuff.

Before I toss out concrete numbers, what would YOU pay for this rifle at the following two time points:

1.  A year ago, prior to the Election of 2024?;

2.  And today?

I have a number I think this rifle might have brought a year ago, and I’ll reveal what I paid for this one recently.  It fits nicely into my argument, as long as you agree with my hypothetical valuation a year or more ago.

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