doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Need help on potential Farquharson buy

3.278 to be exact. When you set a price it's marketing. When I set a price it's gouging. Or is it the other way around?

I do not see the rifle bringing anywhere near the reserve price. Not on gunbroker, non-original or missing sights, no case, plain un-engraved action. This is not a best grade gun. Gibbs rifles are some of my favorites and I have bought and sold a bunch of English singles, Gibbs included, but this rifle will be on GB years from now if that reserve is kept and the gun is only offered on GB. Good luck on the sale.

SKB: Thanks. I happen to agree with your assessment but the owner nees to learn it for himself. If it were my gun I'd be very happy with $10-12K. But it isn't the kind of gun that inspires me. I can't see myself shooting it at all. However, it has plenty of provenance and is very unusual. There isn't another like it anywhere. Someone may have to have it and be willing to pay the price. Time will tell.

With rifles like that, and many others that have been shown on this forum, there just isn't enough comparables to really establish a price in my opinion.

Not too long ago, I had such a gun that I got to thinking about selling. I didn't know what it was really worth, but I decided simply what amount of money would make up for not having it in my safe. It may have been worth a lot more or a lot less, but for me, 6500 portraits of George Washington, or the equivalent thereof was enough to be a fair trade in my book. Someone out there agreed, and so a bargain was struck.

I'm still happy with that price and I hope the new owner is too. Someday, someone will tell me that Joseph Lang double rifle was worth 3 times that to him, or maybe only 1/2 of that, and I'll just shrug because it won't really matter to me. I had my value and so did the buyer. We were happy and the rest of the world??? doesn't matter one bit.

I know a few gun buyers/collectors that are more interested in the deal that the gun. I feel sorry for them actually.

Having used an original Gibbs-Farquharson-Metford match rifle in Long Range matches for quite a few years, I thought that I would comment. A replacement for the missing foresight can probably be found or made; the lateral adjustment screw on these tend to become sloppy with use, and it would probably be a good idea anyway to fit an oversize fine-thread replacement.
Having experimented extensively with cast, lubricated bullets, as well as with a supply of original Metford swaged, paper-patched bullets - there was simply no comparison in performance; Metford's bullets were the only way to go.
I was astonished at the accuracy of Metford's calculated range tables, of which I had a set. Setting elevations exactly to his figures I usually found that my first sighter was very often on target, even out to 1,000 yards.
I had a problem forming the .461" Gibbs No. 1 cartridge cases at that time, but now such cases are available from Bertram.
Competing with an original rifle against modern-made rifles, even those which complied with the "spirit of the original" rule, was not at all easy, and would be frustrating for anybody determined to bring home trophies; however, I found it a very worthwhile experience. My rifle was equipped for both the back-position, and for head-to-target shooting. I experimented with both methods, but finally settled on the conventional head-to-target; I just could not get comfortable in the back-position. The reserve is a bit high, but these original long range match rifles are getting pretty few and far between, and hopefully this one will be preserved, and not cut up to be made into another sporting rifle! Jonathan Kirton

I think that a person buying this rifle at the posted cost would be insuring that the gun stays as it is and that is a good thing.
As to the reserve it is a perfect example of the statement "first you get to choose, then I get to choose"
The seller has chosen and if a buyer exists he will get to choose.

Jonathon, when I designed and built my "Fraser" I used your book extensively for the details of my design, I want to take this oppurtunity to thank you for writing the book.

To LRF: Thanks for your comment about my book, glad it was useful.
One point that is worth mentioning about these old rifles for anybody who is intending to shoot them. I found and purchased my Gibbs-Farquharson-Metford best quality match rifle in the UK quite a few years ago now. It was in excellent condition but had seen quite a bit of use, and the Metford barrel was clearly a later replacement by Gibbs, and not the original fit. When I took it to pieces all seemed to be well, but being cautious, and having access to a Non-Destructive Testing Lab. I had the action and breechblock magnafluxed. This immediately identified that the breechblock had two radial cracks running out of the firing pin hole. With access to an approved aircraft welder these were soon heliarced, and after being fully dressed and refitted, another magnuflux confirmed that both cracks were now sound. I than took the breechblock to the local Rolls Royce
Aeroengine lab., who heat treated the breechblock to some astronomical tensile strength, giving it a black finish, and I never had any further problems, even tho' I put a few thousand rounds through the rifle in matches, including 5% smokeless duplex loads, which were then allowed, without ever having any signs of excess pressure.
It does pay to be cautious with these old rifles.
Jonathan Kirton

UPDATE: After realizing that the market will not support his dream price, the owner has agreed to drastically reduce the price to $9995. I think that at that price there might be a buyer. The gun is listed on Gunbroker at:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=248767031