doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Prices Flat for ~10 yrs?

You are correct that the two my friend picked up had some issues. But nothing that you can't overlook for the price he paid.
The 12 bore had been restocked but what I saw very nicely done. It was a 1906 I believe so was not stocked to the fences. Had a Boss single trigger installed at sometime with a double trigger guard left on.. Still a Boss 12 bore in an oak and leather case for under 10k.
A deal.
The 16 bore, a mid 20's gun had a replacement stock with lot's of drop. He is having it bent up and will decide about what to do with the plain American walnut stock. Still at a little over 10k for a 16 bore Boss there's room left for having a new stock installed. A gain it was in it's oak and leather case. Another deal.

You are correct about 26" guns being a orphans. And as an upland hunter I consider them to be the queen of the coverts. I just don't understand the current fashion for longer barrels unless it is that fewer and fewer shooters are actually hunting wild birds.

I think clays are much more popular now, where O/U and 30-32� barrels rule, Joe. Not much bird hunting anymore unless you pay, at least prolonged hunting during the season. For target shooters, 26� is antiquated. Skeet shooters, the skilled ones, are shooting at least 30� barrels, and many have gone to 32�. Seems sorta nutty, doesn�t it??

Maybe so, but for me the last 10 years have been pretty good. Many nice guns available for good prices. Out standing Greener 10 ga. very nice Abbey 10 ga. Hammer guns for much less that well worn Parker and L C Smith. Excellent condition English side lock ejectors for less than mid grade Parker's, Smith's and Fox guns. Stunning box locks and hammer guns for equal cost of American doubles. One has to research available guns, compare costs and condition, make a educated decision and then buy nice clean, quality, beautifully engraved English guns. It works well for me!

I have 30" barreled smallbores that I would not want to handle any quicker. I actually shoot my 30" Dickinson too quickly at woodcock, I think, causing me to miss with the first shot entirely too much. So often overlooked is the length of the shooters arms. A man with 34"-35" arms will bring a 30" gun to bear just as quickly as a shorter man with a 26" gun. It's a simple matter of leverage. Remember what Archimedes said about a long enough lever moving the world?

It's not just the gun, it's the whole package ................man and gun.

SRH

In a word...no. Even 12 gauge field grade guns in average condition were typically selling for less 10 years ago than they are now. Smaller bores and higher grade guns have appreciated even more. Even beaters, projects, and parts guns are more expensive now than they were a decade ago. Too bad we can't access actual Gunbroker completed sales listings from that far back to finally put this myth to rest.

But I am somewhat concerned about rising oil prices, and the effect that will have on the price of hinge pin grease.

I hope you are right Keith. I just bought a 2-barrel set that I clearly don�t need, but couldn�t pass it up, even though it was a 12 bore. It�s a quality gun, something that would cost an absolute fortune to have made today. I�m happy with it....I guess that�s what matters most.

Local place has wonderful 12ga hammer gun in very good original condition with fluid steel barrels made prior to 1900. I might actually find space for that one. It would make a wonderful library room wall ornament that could actually be shot with modern ammo. Never owned shotgun with external hammers.

The problem will be more and more guns coming to the market w/o buyers to absorb them. Please be careful with lot of buying you would not want to have huge collection to unload at golden age status or worse yet leave your family with the burden of having to do so.

The exchange rate is also reasonable with countries like Switzerland, the Euro Zone, and UK. I am finding nice, high grade guns in Europe and importing them for less than they can be sourced here. I will admit that the cost of importation precludes importing lower grade guns and boxlocks, especially when done one at a time. Also, the dollar has strengthened in the past few months...the window may be closing.

I think NOW is the time to buy high grade guns.....roll the dice, so to speak. I can�t see quality depreciating into the gutter. Maybe, I�m wrong??. But, doubtful. I�m willing to roll the dice, but NOT on beaters.