got a 1901 or 1903 wichester thumb triger

[desire3339]

can anyone give me any info please on how much its worth? it shoots short or longs

[DigginThePast]

Lets get some better pics.

Looks like a Winchester Model 99 -Thumb Trigger-

There is no trigger or trigger guard. Correct? Kinda hard to tell from the pics.

77,584 produced from 1904-1923. No serial number. Post 1898 so would require FFL transfer for state to state transfer (just an fyi, I have no idea of your intentions).

Has some decent value to it. If you can post some better photos we can help out a little more. And in case you don't know, please don't start cleaning it.

[desire3339]

the gun is in great condition. this is what is on the barrel.

manufactured by the winchester repeating arms co- thumb trigger- winchester
new haven conn u.s.a pat. aug 29, 1899. pat pending/ 22 short and long/ trademark

my phone has died and dont have a charger at the moment. ill post more pics a.s.a.p

[DigginThePast]

Okay. You confirmed that your rifle is indeed what I thought as stated in my first post. The patent indicates that it is fairly early in production but since the gun is not serial numbered there is no way to give an exact date.

The photos are not good enough to really assess the condition but it does appear, as you say, to be in great condition, especially when you consider its life. These rifles were produced for youths to shoot, hence the overall size being small. As such, these guns were put through all sorts of use and abuse by their loving owners. Most of this model and other youth model guns are not in very good condition.

I'm quite excited to see some further photos that truly show how nice of a rifle you have.

Do you have history on this piece?

[desire3339]

no i dont. it is my friends and we are trying to fig out how much its worth. or a round about what its worth.

[DigginThePast]

Well I'm not an appraiser and it is difficult to value something when not actually being held but in your close photo the rifle does appear to be in pretty nice shape. The metal pieces would have been "blued" and the color looks like it has started to turn to somewhat of a plum color. The stock looks to have taken on a nice patina over the years.

If you could:

-Get a closeup photo of the lettering on the barrel. You want to make sure the lettering is "crisp". If it appears to be rounded over, it could indicate a possible re-blue which would detract from the value.

-Get a closeup of the butt plate. That is the portion that would be placed against ones shoulder when firing. That plate should be essentially even with the wooden stock. Should the plate be proud of the wood, that would indicate the stock having been sanded and refinished which would detract from the value.

-Look over the stock for any cracks or splits. Remember, these guns were used primarily by kids and did not always receive the best handling. Obviously, the fewer splits or cracks would only enhance the value. While on subject of the stock. Look at the finish, it should simply be an oil finish on a walnut stock. If it looks shiny then it most likely was refinished at some point with a finish such as polyurethane. Sometimes you will see this finish "spill" over onto the metal parts when done in a particularly poor fashion.

-Examine the metal surface and the finish. When original but used the rifle should exhibit an overall similar look to the finish with additional wear at certain areas. Wear areas would be where the bolt gets cycled and where one places their hand of the their support arm when firing. Sometimes you will see additional wear at the muzzle end of the rifle. This happens when a careless shooter is laying on the ground shooting and allows the end of the barrel (muzzle) to dip into the ground.

Guns of this sort are not in the best market for sellers right now. Value, as with anything, is dependent on originality and condition thereof. You could have a $250 rifle or a $1,500 rifle. My guess is that your rifle would be somewhere in the middle of those two values (retail value) but better photos and a closer examination are necessary to pin it down.

[markmopar]

here's one for 1k, been for sale quite a while:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=205239074

[NHBandit]

here's one for 1k, been for sale quite a while:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=205239074

GunJoker is almost useless for figuring our real world values. It's 90% people like this guy fishing for suckers who are willing to pay way too much for stuff. The one on the auction has a cracked stock and it's not hard to figure out why it hasn't sold for that price. Maybe doing a search on there of "ended auctions" only would give a better indication. Update.. cancel the "ended auctions" idea. I tried it and all that came up were several tries by the same guy to get a fish to bite on the same gun...

[DigginThePast]

Desire - Did you lose your desire concerning this fine rifle? Any updated pics?