Incredibly sad to see guns valued like this.

[holloway]

I saw this on the net for £225  £245 delivered , now I don’t need it but the pictures looked to show a gun in nice condition and I love the old Winchesters so unseen I bought it from a shop in Kent,

a lot of you will know it’s a Winchester lightweight game 3 inch chambered multi choke from the 80s.

I have had several of these over the years super reliable little magnum ,I even had one proofed for steel in the early days I wouldn’t bother today .

so when it turns up I half expect it to have a hidden problem ,stuck choke ejectors sticking etc ,but it is immaculate hardly used ,I know people will go on about new gun warranties and spare parts availability but I have never had a problem with any of the old Winchesters that I have had.

surely this is better value than any of the new Turkish breeds with as yet unknown longevity admittedly you would avoid one that has had a hard life.I just feel a little sad that a dealer clearly would value it so cheaply .

Anyway glad I took the risk.

just a quick correction bought from an Essex gunshop not a Kent one .

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by holloway

[TIGHTCHOKE]

But a Dealer will only sell it for what he can get. If sales of old O/Us are now following the static SxS market, so be it.

[Smokersmith]

Make the best of it 😉

[Old farrier]

Nice gun enjoy shooting it 😊🤔

was tempted in the week by the same gun but it was a 3 barrel set 20/28/4.10 all bored skeet 

then reality kicked in so I didn’t buy it 

[Whitebridges]

Built like a tank and years of reliable use. Such values were what shooting men wanted when it was built, no longer the case these days. 

New 2022 guns are pretty perhaps and catch the eye but I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. OP you have bought a bargain !

    

[Scully]

Very very nice. I agree with what you say, and a good 101 will easily compare in quality of parts and build to any mass produced gun of today. Yours looks like a sleeper, and I’m constantly amazed to find that they're still out there in such condition.
I’m a big fan of the old 101’s, and over the years have owned many different variants. My first was a loose and well used lightweight with a plain black action, 3” chambers and a wide beaver tail for-end. It had its original Winchokes but was a tad short in the stock for me and I sold it on. I sometimes wish I’d kept it as I all I needed to do was add a thick pad or whatever, but never thought of that at the time. 
I still own a mint Field model, a 8500 and a Grand European, all fixed choke, but that doesn’t stop me buying Winchokes when I come across them! 🤷‍♂️
I should sell the GE as it’s a cabinet queen, but each time I get it out to look at I know I’ll regret it if I do, and I doubt anyone would be willing to pay what I paid for it anyhow. 
All mine have had steel through them; more than capable. 

[Dave at kelton]

44 minutes ago, holloway said:

I saw this on the net for £225  £245 delivered , now I don’t need it but the pictures looked to show a gun in nice condition and I love the old Winchesters so unseen I bought it from a shop in Kent,

a lot of you will know it’s a Winchester lightweight game 3 inch chambered multi choke from the 80s.

I have had several of these over the years super reliable little magnum ,I even had one proofed for steel in the early days I wouldn’t bother today .

so when it turns up I half expect it to have a hidden problem ,stuck choke ejectors sticking etc ,but it is immaculate hardly used ,I know people will go on about new gun warranties and spare parts availability but I have never had a problem with any of the old Winchesters that I have had.

surely this is better value than any of the new Turkish breeds with as yet unknown longevity admittedly you would avoid one that has had a hard life.I just feel a little sad that a dealer clearly would value it so cheaply .

Anyway glad I took the risk.

 

I have had a couple of these. Last one had a straight hand stock and I paid £450 at best ten years ago. As you say super reliable.  Wish I still had them but hey ho.

[holloway]

43 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

But a Dealer will only sell it for what he can get. If sales of old O/Us are now following the static SxS market, so be it.

Yes I don’t disagree.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, how light is it, I remember having a 101 20 bore, when cartridges were cheap 🤔😁

[holloway]

13 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, how light is it, I remember having a 101 20 bore, when cartridges were cheap 🤔😁

Not weighed it to be fair ,I will later.

[Wylye]

A bargain!

[Krico woodcock]

It amazes me too, a old Winchester is unique to any other gun. And its only when you handle them can you appreciate them. I have a 23 supergrade xtr bought it in mint condition 17 years ago.  It  has done serious work since that. In that time  only right ejector has given trouble.  Ultra reliable, shootable guns, old winchesters are very up there with the best for their handling abilities. Anyway to the OP best of luck with your light weight,  and I'm sure there'll be no hidden problems.

3 hours ago, Scully said:

Very very nice. I agree with what you say, and a good 101 will easily compare in quality of parts and build to any mass produced gun of today. Yours looks like a sleeper, and I’m constantly amazed to find that they're still out there in such condition.
I’m a big fan of the old 101’s, and over the years have owned many different variants. My first was a loose and well used lightweight with a plain black action, 3” chambers and a wide beaver tail for-end. It had its original Winchokes but was a tad short in the stock for me and I sold it on. I sometimes wish I’d kept it as I all I needed to do was add a thick pad or whatever, but never thought of that at the time. 
I still own a mint Field model, a 8500 and a Grand European, all fixed choke, but that doesn’t stop me buying Winchokes when I come across them! 🤷‍♂️
I should sell the GE as it’s a cabinet queen, but each time I get it out to look at I know I’ll regret it if I do, and I doubt anyone would be willing to pay what I paid for it anyhow. 
All mine have had steel through them; more than capable. 

Why don't you use your grand European  Scully? There ment to be cream of the crop when it comes to Winchester.  A friend of mine has bought  a pristine  in original condition,  with original grand european case.  Lucky *******...!!  He has purchased in uk, has to wait for paper work etc.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

14 hours ago, Old farrier said:

Nice gun enjoy shooting it 😊🤔

was tempted in the week by the same gun but it was a 3 barrel set 20/28/4.10 all bored skeet 

then reality kicked in so I didn’t buy it 

I bet that came in via an American Serviceman, we used to see them at Lakenheath last century!

[Old farrier]

9 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I bet that came in via an American Serviceman, we used to see them at Lakenheath last century!

It did apparently 😊👍

[Scully]

11 hours ago, Krico woodcock said:

 

Why don't you use your grand European  Scully? There ment to be cream of the crop when it comes to Winchester.  A friend of mine has bought  a pristine  in original condition,  with original grand european case.  Lucky *******...!!  He has purchased in uk, has to wait for paper work etc.

I really don’t know! I yearned for one for years, and then having found one I used it for everything! 
A mate has one and his gets used each time we’re out, and each time I see it I think I really should use mine more. Then when we go shooting I pass it over in the cabinet in favour of something else! 🤷‍♂️

[Krico woodcock]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

I really don’t know! I yearned for one for years, and then having found one I used it for everything! 
A mate has one and his gets used each time we’re out, and each time I see it I think I really should use mine more. Then when we go shooting I pass it over in the cabinet in favour of something else! 🤷‍♂️

Its funny how it goes with guns sometimes! The lad that I know that has bought grand european has no real passion for one, but has found one immaculate so has purchased,  now this could all work in my favour because if he doesn't get on too well with it, I'd get first refusal on buying it off him 🙂.. but it would be too good a gun to be dragging through briars and bogs,the crack i do be at, but I'd obviously buy it all the same. It's a "field" game  version, is yours a field, skeet or trap? Its ment to be a bit low in comb, that's what man from gunshop told him.

[wildfowler.250]

I’ve come to the conclusion that you’ll generally lose money on guns. At one point I thought that if you buy second hand and sell down the line, you’ll break even. Now I still think you’ll end up taking a bit of a loss just to move things on at a reasonable rate.

 

Guns are 1) hard to sell online 2) the paperwork can be a faff and 3) everyone generally wants a new gun. Added to this that people seem to be going semi auto, or o/u 3” or bigger and older guns just don’t seem to shift.

 

 

This is coming from someone who’s just bought a sbs boxlock non-ejector but really gun sales are a no win most of the time.

[Scully]

40 minutes ago, Krico woodcock said:

Its funny how it goes with guns sometimes! The lad that I know that has bought grand european has no real passion for one, but has found one immaculate so has purchased,  now this could all work in my favour because if he doesn't get on too well with it, I'd get first refusal on buying it off him 🙂.. but it would be too good a gun to be dragging through briars and bogs,the crack i do be at, but I'd obviously buy it all the same. It's a "field" game  version, is yours a field, skeet or trap? Its ment to be a bit low in comb, that's what man from gunshop told him.

Mine is a game gun, and the wood is glorious, which is why it doesn’t get dragged around the rough shoot, but I once used it exclusively on our syndicate and shot some fabulous birds with it. It is a tad low in the comb for me admittedly, but I soon compensated for that. 

[Lloyd90]

On the flip side, guns in America seem to be a fraction of the cost of the same models over here. 
 

It’s nice to see quality guns go for reasonable money. 

[Sweet11-87]

i dont think its sad at all,  its probably part ex priced to clear.

whats sad about somone who loves an old gun getting a clean example for what they consider a bargin?.

between ammunition prices, pressure on shooting and the iminent ban on lead the amount of people giving up or being priced out of shooting  the 2nd hand market is going to be flooded and youll pick up decent guns for peanuts.

[Gunman]

Its only sad if you are selling .Buying on the other hand is great .

Personally I have always thought that the second hand values put on 101's was on the high side but this one is really cheap and I would be very suspicious that something was amiss .

Either that or the seller was desperate or ignorant of values .Thats you good luck .

[Minky]

The thing being is that I've got a big store cupboard of trouble.  I've been told that I've got to many troubles BUT I'd still like to add troubles like this one.  The FEO might not be so happy though.  Worse thing is that friends of mine have cabinets full and either no one to give them to or No one that is interested.  Now that's really is sad.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Minky

[Weihrauch17]

On 12/02/2022 at 17:41, Old farrier said:

Nice gun enjoy shooting it 😊🤔

was tempted in the week by the same gun but it was a 3 barrel set 20/28/4.10 all bored skeet 

then reality kicked in so I didn’t buy it 

Have you a link?

[Minky]

Every  day / weèk there is a constant conveyor belt of guns up for sale, most of which dont sell and a lot don't even get a response.   A friend who has guns decided to move  some on and buy a new gun. Now his guns are well looked after and in good condition but the gun shop wouldn't entertain trade ins. And basically was shown The door.  We see so many good quality shooting guns that basically have very little second hand value.  Side by sides being a good example.  There are good AyAs on offer here but these dont even get a touch as the owner has placed a relatively  high price on thes items,  in relation these can be bought at next to nothing on auction sites.  When I was your everone started with a single barrel of some sort and save up for a double at some stage when they could afford one.  Nowadays most kids don't want anything to do with anything that's not connected to a mobile phone screen. The slow demise of country life as we knew it.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Minky

[enfieldspares]

The reality is that it seems that unless your O/U is threaded for screw in chokes then it's no longer wanted. It's a harsh reality.

In one way the clay discipline of "English Sporting" has caused this. In the 1980s and 1990s the popular disciplines were English Skeet and the many variations on Down the Line...Double Trap, Universal Trench and Etc.. So you pretty much either had a gun with fixed open chokes, or fixed tight chokes or if you were the then rare user of an over and under for game shooting maybe fixed 1/4 and fixed 1/2 chokes.

Simply put there wasn't a need to continually change chokes between stands as birds as there is in today's "English Sporting" where one stand my be a ten yard rabbit with on report a going away battue and next along a stand with two minis at thirty yards or more. Nowadays whilst there are people who soldier on with inherited guns with fixed chokes most newcomers to the sport want screw in chokes.

And don't even get into what's happening in the side by side marketplace! Webley 700 prices are half of even but ten years ago.

Edited March 4, 2022 by enfieldspares