Antique ~ Marlin 32-20 Lever Action Rifle + 41 rounds/ammo ~ Octagonal Barrel

[special-k]

Antique ~ Marlin 32-20 Lever Action Rifle + 41 rounds/ammo ~ Octagonal Barrel ~ made in 1892

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[JohnyMac]

Is it a 32 rim or center fire? Is the rifle fire-able? What does inside the barrel look like? There were a lot of 32-20's still firing blackpowder  up into the 1900's.

The rifle looks rather beat up, e.g buggered up screws, battered stocks, etc. Normal wear by like your hands on/under the receiver are A-OK and to a degree preferable.

A 90% or better, shootable 32-20 (32 WCF) Marlin would go $900.00 to $1,000.00. My gut tells me without examining it, and in this economy, she would be more like $300.00 to $400.00 IF she was fire-able. Less than that if not.

[special-k]

It's a center fire.  Yes, it's fully functional.

I don't know exactly how to grade a bore on a rifle this age.  I do see the grooves and there is a small patch of pitting near the very end.  I can't see any further without a bore scope.

I've had some folks request more pics, and after they saw them a few of the people noted that the furniture was average for its age... but obviously nowhere near mint.  You can't really see it in the pics, but the most of the metal, especially the barrel, has taken on that classic "plum" color.

I've never been into the antique rifle market but I did do hours of internet research before deciding an asking price.  I mostly wanted to be sure I didn't let it go too cheap.  The cheapest one I saw on the web was asking $1100 and it looked to be in about the same condition as mine.  There were many asking $1600 - $2000+ that had only slightly better looking furniture.  Maybe you're right about the going price, but all I have to go by is what I saw.

[JohnyMac]

SK  :thumbsUp:I totally understand.

Just keep in mind if you do not get any bidding @ $900- the market is telling you to drop your price. If the economy was better you might get closer to what you want.

I was at a mom & pop a couple of months ago near the cabin and he had a shit-ton of some nice lever action rifles in from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I picked up a nice Savage 99 chambered in 303 Savage manufactured in 1917 - I would rate it 80-85%. The price tag on it was $800-. I pulled the butt plate off the rifle and the serial number matched the receiver - So far so good. I then pulled off the fore grip and the serial number did not match the receivers ss#.  Cannibalized hardware. Who knows what else was swapped out since 1917.

I asked the owner of the shop about the rifle and he told me that he took it in on trade for part of his asking price on an AR earlier in the year. He then proudly told me he gave the guy $400- credit towards the $1,200- AR he purchased. I smiled and put the rifle back on the wall.

When my buddy and I got back in the truck I told him that the shop owner made a bad deal. No collector was going to buy that rifle with miss-matched serial numbers. All it was worth now was it's hunting value - My guess was $200 to $250. Plus .303 Savage brass is tough to find. I have heard of folks reworking 30-30 brass but still...

Anyhow, to finish out this little lesson in buying & trading antique hardware. That rifle plus a few more turn of the century lever action weapons were still on the wall when I visited the shop over the Labor Day weekend. Prices on all had been marked down 25% or so. He needs to move 'em NOW to recoup some of his losses but what do I know. 
 
   

[JohnyMac]

Just a follow-up...Have you sold that rifle SK? Hopefully you have!

[special-k]

Nope.  Thanks for reminding me.  It's time to lower the price a little and re-list it on Armslist... rinse & repeat.

[special-k]

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