Over the past few years, I've cleaned out about three quarters of the guns I owned. I didn't think I'd be buying any more. However, one came along that I'd kinda wanted for a long time and I bought it.
Specifically, I've admired Winchester Model 70 Featherweights made by USRA in the 1980's. Yes, I know, these are the push-feed design, not that popular with collectors. But I like the design of the wood (checkering and schnabel fore end), they have a nice blue finish, called the XTR sub model. This one is in 7mm Mauser, 7x57, whatever you want to call it. They made a couple of other interesting chamberings around the same years, 1981-82, those were in .257 Roberts and 6.5 Swede. Many years ago, I had the short action version USRA Featherweight in .223 Rem., very nice and accurate rifle.
These came with or without sights. It's been my impression that those made without sights are more numerous. When the chance came up for me to buy this rifle, it was an auction venue of estate goods. There were two such rifles in the auction, both looked unfired, one with sights and one without. I like to get rifles that have open sights on them from the factory, if possible. So that is the rifle that I bid on and bought. It turns out that the two rifles sold for the same amount, $550 each. But that isn't the all of it. The state sales tax is a little over 10%, plus the auction company gets a 13% buyer's premium. Then the guns had to be transferred through a local FFL dealer, who charges $60 for the transfer. So the bottom line is a rifle that costs over $700. Which fully realized at the time, and was a solid reason why I didn't bid on a couple of other items that I was interested in but did not. \
The money thing. These guns typically sell for more money on Gunbroker. Still, I wouldn't pay more for one than what I had to shell out through the auction. I simply didn't want one that badly. But in perspective, these originally priced in the early 1980's for about $300. In my former neighborhood, sometimes you could find them on sale at Gemco or similar for about $275. If you put $300 in the inflation calculator and plug in 1982 to 2022, the equivalent value today is $900 something, so I guess paying $700 isn't that bad.
The auction thing. Pre-Covid, the auctions at this firm used to be live. During Covid, they went online. They aren't going back. They have determined through experience that online bidding is way, way more lucrative than live auction venue. Same thing with their vehicle auctions. I don't like online auctions like this now.
The auction premium thing. Complete and total rip-off. But they can get away with it because buyers will put up with it. Interestingly, their buyer premium for vehicles is only 3%. I think they realize that vehicle buyers are more resistant to a higher premium than gun buyers. The main difference being between need and want. People need vehicles, but they want guns. The auction company says they charge the premium to defray costs of holding the auction. Wait a minute, what about the 20% sales commish that they charge the seller???
The $60 transfer thing. Entirely too much to transfer a rifle, but those were the auction rules. Rifle transfer is pretty simple; in Everett, it's done for $15 at Sound Loan. There were many single shot shotguns in this auction. I might've been interested in one of those but for the 10% tax, the 13% buyer's premium, and the $60 transfer fee, that made a $100 shotgun actually cost closer to $200. No longer a bargain. I called the FFL, asked if there were any quantity discounts. I said, "If I buy ten guns, the cost to transfer is $600?" He said yes.
In this same auction, there was a very clean M1 Rifle ("Garand"), it was an original piece, had never been through a rebuild, was as made, original 1955 dated barrel, late production in early 1956. Acceptance and proof stamps on the wood stock were crisp, still had little hairs of wood sticking up around the edges, obviously stock had never been sanded. It went for $1,550, plus the 23%, etc., but I thought it was a relative bargain compared to what a similar rifle would sell for on the CMP web site auction. I think most bidders in this auction didn't realize what it was. I already have a couple of nice M1 Rifles, I would've liked to have had the one I've described but that would really go against my down-sizing program.
The Winchester Model 94's, regardless of era, all sold very well. Many of the rifles in this estate auction looked like new, I suspect many were unfired, some tags said "with box." One such that interested me was a Marlin Model 375, that was their offering in the Winchester .375 Win. cartridge that came out in 1978. This one was from 1982. It brought over $600. The Winchester Big Bore version example that was in the auction brought about a grand.
I don't have the Winchester Model 70 in 7x57 yet; it won't be available at the transferring FFL dealer until Tuesday. I don't have anything for ammo or reloading stuff for it either, that's all been gone for many years. I may just buy a couple of boxes of factory ammo to keep on hand. I probably won't shoot the rifle, I just want to own it for the heck of it. I have in mind that I will save it for my son, who isn't a gun guy. One of my daughters likes .22's, I have guns with tags on them for her. For a non-gun guy, the Winchester would be a nice piece to own, yet still handy in an emergency. Especially with the open sights. Oh, and as yet, it isn't on the contraband list.
Specifically, I've admired Winchester Model 70 Featherweights made by USRA in the 1980's. Yes, I know, these are the push-feed design, not that popular with collectors. But I like the design of the wood (checkering and schnabel fore end), they have a nice blue finish, called the XTR sub model. This one is in 7mm Mauser, 7x57, whatever you want to call it. They made a couple of other interesting chamberings around the same years, 1981-82, those were in .257 Roberts and 6.5 Swede. Many years ago, I had the short action version USRA Featherweight in .223 Rem., very nice and accurate rifle.
These came with or without sights. It's been my impression that those made without sights are more numerous. When the chance came up for me to buy this rifle, it was an auction venue of estate goods. There were two such rifles in the auction, both looked unfired, one with sights and one without. I like to get rifles that have open sights on them from the factory, if possible. So that is the rifle that I bid on and bought. It turns out that the two rifles sold for the same amount, $550 each. But that isn't the all of it. The state sales tax is a little over 10%, plus the auction company gets a 13% buyer's premium. Then the guns had to be transferred through a local FFL dealer, who charges $60 for the transfer. So the bottom line is a rifle that costs over $700. Which fully realized at the time, and was a solid reason why I didn't bid on a couple of other items that I was interested in but did not. \
The money thing. These guns typically sell for more money on Gunbroker. Still, I wouldn't pay more for one than what I had to shell out through the auction. I simply didn't want one that badly. But in perspective, these originally priced in the early 1980's for about $300. In my former neighborhood, sometimes you could find them on sale at Gemco or similar for about $275. If you put $300 in the inflation calculator and plug in 1982 to 2022, the equivalent value today is $900 something, so I guess paying $700 isn't that bad.
The auction thing. Pre-Covid, the auctions at this firm used to be live. During Covid, they went online. They aren't going back. They have determined through experience that online bidding is way, way more lucrative than live auction venue. Same thing with their vehicle auctions. I don't like online auctions like this now.
The auction premium thing. Complete and total rip-off. But they can get away with it because buyers will put up with it. Interestingly, their buyer premium for vehicles is only 3%. I think they realize that vehicle buyers are more resistant to a higher premium than gun buyers. The main difference being between need and want. People need vehicles, but they want guns. The auction company says they charge the premium to defray costs of holding the auction. Wait a minute, what about the 20% sales commish that they charge the seller???
The $60 transfer thing. Entirely too much to transfer a rifle, but those were the auction rules. Rifle transfer is pretty simple; in Everett, it's done for $15 at Sound Loan. There were many single shot shotguns in this auction. I might've been interested in one of those but for the 10% tax, the 13% buyer's premium, and the $60 transfer fee, that made a $100 shotgun actually cost closer to $200. No longer a bargain. I called the FFL, asked if there were any quantity discounts. I said, "If I buy ten guns, the cost to transfer is $600?" He said yes.
In this same auction, there was a very clean M1 Rifle ("Garand"), it was an original piece, had never been through a rebuild, was as made, original 1955 dated barrel, late production in early 1956. Acceptance and proof stamps on the wood stock were crisp, still had little hairs of wood sticking up around the edges, obviously stock had never been sanded. It went for $1,550, plus the 23%, etc., but I thought it was a relative bargain compared to what a similar rifle would sell for on the CMP web site auction. I think most bidders in this auction didn't realize what it was. I already have a couple of nice M1 Rifles, I would've liked to have had the one I've described but that would really go against my down-sizing program.
The Winchester Model 94's, regardless of era, all sold very well. Many of the rifles in this estate auction looked like new, I suspect many were unfired, some tags said "with box." One such that interested me was a Marlin Model 375, that was their offering in the Winchester .375 Win. cartridge that came out in 1978. This one was from 1982. It brought over $600. The Winchester Big Bore version example that was in the auction brought about a grand.
I don't have the Winchester Model 70 in 7x57 yet; it won't be available at the transferring FFL dealer until Tuesday. I don't have anything for ammo or reloading stuff for it either, that's all been gone for many years. I may just buy a couple of boxes of factory ammo to keep on hand. I probably won't shoot the rifle, I just want to own it for the heck of it. I have in mind that I will save it for my son, who isn't a gun guy. One of my daughters likes .22's, I have guns with tags on them for her. For a non-gun guy, the Winchester would be a nice piece to own, yet still handy in an emergency. Especially with the open sights. Oh, and as yet, it isn't on the contraband list.
