Hello, I would like a little help with this rifle. According to the serial number it was made in 1902. What I am unsure of, is whether it is a "Fancy Sporting Rifle", or just the " Sporting Rifle ". I would also like some help in establishing a value, and a fair asking price. It is chambered in 32-40. The wood is in excellent shape with a few very minor nicks. It has checkering which is what makes me wonder if this may be the fancy grade. It also has a crescent butt plate. The barrel and magazine tube has thinning bluing, probably rate around 90%. The receiver is also thinning, and would rate about 50%. The butt plate is in the white, no sign of bluing.Bore is excellent. The worst flaw is shown in the pictures, a scrape in the barrel about ¾" long. Thank you.
I am no expert in much of anything, but I do have the 2014 Standard Catalog of Firearms. Looking at this, it appears that the checkering on the pistol grip (straight or curved) and forearm with crescent buttplate does make it a Fancy Sporting Rifle. If I am reading in the right place, the values according to this book are as follows:
The checkering on the stocks is not factory original. What you have is a standard "Sporting Rifle" that has been altered after the fact. Combined with significant gouge in the barrel, you should not expect to get more than $900 for it. If the serial number is > 168420, it was not manufacured in the year 1902. The vast number of Wincheser serial number look-up tables found on the internet are not accurate.
One other question. How can we know if the checkering was added later, and not by Winchester? I have questioned the checkering on this rifle, but I thought in early production rifles, Winchester did not do their own checkering, but sent it out? Since it was done by hand I would think there would be slight variations. Thank you for taking the time to answer.
Thanks again Bert. As to where I would have heard that Winchester did not do their own checkering, most likely on the same site that gave me the wrong date of manufacture. Can't remember for sure now.
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