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| Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94. Photo by Larry Lucier. |
When I bought my Winchester 94 in 2019, it was in good shape with some wear here and there. The bluing, for the most part was nice with just one long scratch. It was made in 1962.
It appears that collector firearms that show some "honest wear" are possibly more valuable than those supposedly in mint condition.
That's the crux of an article in The Avid Outdoorsman.
They begin it with:
Not every collectible firearm needs to look untouched to feel valuable. In fact, some of the most appealing collector guns are the ones that show they actually lived a life. Holster wear, thinning blue, softened edges, a darkened walnut stock, and small marks from real use can make certain guns feel more authentic, not less. There is a big difference between abuse and honest wear. Abuse feels careless. Honest wear feels earned.
That is especially true with firearms tied to military service, law enforcement use, hunting camps, ranch work, or the kinds of ownership stories collectors still care about most. A gun that looks too perfect can sometimes feel distant, almost frozen. A gun with the right wear often feels more believable and more connected to the role that made it collectible in the first place. These are the firearms that often wear age well, because age looks right on them.
To read more, go here.
