[Motown7.62]

My uncle recently moved away and gave me several of his rifles, one being a Commemorative Centennial 1866 Yellow Boy that has never been fired. I had always heard about this rifle, how beautiful it was, and how my uncle bought it "dirt cheap" (with no box or paperwork) off a guy years ago who was down on his luck. It had never been fired and was, according to my uncle, worth a lot of money. Well, I finally get my hands on the thing and see that it's got some rust on the barrel, scratches on the stock, and the brass plating on the receiver has really gone to hell. My uncle, who is not a gun guy, apparently bought it and tossed it in a closet uncased for the past 20 years or so and never cleaned or inspected it.
My question is, since it IS unfired but in not so good of shape but is still an unfired Winchester Commemorative, should I shoot the thing? I'm guessing in it's current condition, it would be at a very generous 80-85%.


Motown out


ARMY1

 

[Wayne M]

I'd shoot it in the condition it's in AND minus the box the value will also go down. You've got a user, not a collector. Enjoy!

 

[ShootingSight]

I'd sell it, and buy a non-commemerative version.

Any incremental value it has over a standard model is because it is commemorative and unfired. Start shooting it, and that value goes down.

I have a couple of guns I'll never shoot, and I always look at them and think WTF did I buy that for? Money and safe space wasted. Make no mistake, beautiful guns (including four WWII US PROPERTY marked 1911s, 1 each from Ithaca, Colt, Remington Rand, and USS), but these are investments, not shooters.

Art