craig joseph said
What year of manufacture would you say a Winchester Model 1894 .32 cal /special S# 511298 ? And what would it’s value be? about mid grade condition, scratches dings no rust.

Thanks for any info  

Craig,

August 1911.  

We need to know which variation of the Model 1894 it is, and its exact configuration.  We prefer to see several clear detailed pictures of the gun before postulating a value.

Bert

iskra said
Re “xxx”, etc.  The downside of living in an interconnected world, the variety of malicious occurrences spring-boarding from the wealth of Internet information.  I’d not wish someone to input one of my gun serial numbers as a stolen weapon.  Such along with all the other descriptors frequently offered up in a particular gun blog, nailing a particular, unique gun! 

To analogize gun serial number with a social security number.  Rounding out a picture of an ‘often’ unique gun or owner, respectively.  Nowadays, I try to limit the profile data of self & of guns. From my military career:  “Need to know.”  Where cogent, display full SN or PM relevant trusted .  For most purposes full SN… Not crucial! 

I also took the Pfizer vaccine, others not!  All about choices!  

Best & Stay Safe!

John  

John,

I find myself in disagreement with your thoughts on posting serial numbers of any firearm.  These are my specific points for you to consider;

1.  A firearm serial number cannot be traced to a specific person… whereas a SSN specifically does identify a person.

2.  Auction houses nearly always post or provide the serial numbers on the firearms they are selling.

3.  The serial number provides legitimate potential buyers with the ability to research the firearm in advance of spending their hard earned $$$.

4.  Based on my limited understanding of the criminal element out there, the odds of one of them reporting a serial number on a high-end or rare firearm as being stolen is extremely unlikely.  Most criminals have a strong aversion to dealing with law enforcement, especially when it comes to firearms.

5.  In the very unlikely situation where somebody did illicitly attempt to report a firearm as stolen, a lot of unanswerable questions would be asked by law enforcement, e.g. the “where”, “when”, and circumstances of the alleged theft, all of which could be easily exposed in a competent investigation.  Again, I sincerely doubt that anyone with half a brain would expose themselves to the scrutiny that such a felonious claim would bring to them. 

6.  I cannot speak for you (or most others), but I personally have documented all of the firearms in my collection, to include the date that I acquired them (something a potential scammer or thief does not know).  Imagine what would happen when a basic investigation clearly proves that I (or anyone else) has owned the purported stolen firearm for the past XX number of years, but the idiot trying to steal it from me reported it stolen at a completely different time & date…