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To sell or to keep - what would you do?


Hellbender

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Let's say you had an IAC CB 97 that you used in matches and kept an original Winchester 97 as a backup, and then you acquired another CB 97.  Now you use one of the CB 97's as your match gun and the other one as a backup (the original one is fine but the action is not quite as smooth as the CB models).  Would you sell the original Winchester 97 or keep it?  Is the fact that it's an original reason enough to hold onto it even though you'd probably never shoot it again? What factors would go into your decision of whether to sell or not?

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I have the same thing here with an older hammer SxS. What I decided to do was wait until a new shooter at my club would be looking for one and then work out with them for the same as what I paid for it. This way I can "pass it on" the same way an experienced shooter did with me.

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I may be the odd man out but if I don’t shoot a firearm I replace it with something I will shoot. An example is I sold my 36 caliber cap & ball revolvers because I had not shot them in over two years, three sets. I did replace them with one set of 44 caliber snubbies that I shoot at least once a month if not more. I don’t have enough wall space to just keep something I do not shoot. Just my opinion. DC

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Just wanted to provide a good home for an American made piece of art.....it would feel right at home with 32 others of the same upbringing!!

 

Just a thought....

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8 hours ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said:

The rule of 97.  One to Shoot , one as backup, one in the shop getting fixed

 

That is perzackly why Red Knee has 32 'Winchesters..... :lol:

And I only got about 13 IAC's..... ;)

 

..........Widder

 

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I'd keep the Winchester.

In my case, I have hardly ever sold a firearm that I did not, at some point, regret selling.

Also, I want to pass my stuff down to my son, and grandson. The prices I paid for my stuff, back when I purchased them, is super low, compared to the prices they get today. I paid $150.00 for my model 97, but I bet you could not even buy a parts-gun for that, right now. 

Yep, it is a seller's market right now...but...like land, they are not making any more Winchester model 97's. 

Keep it and pass it down to your heirs. They will cherish it, all the more, since it came from you.

If you can, never part with a: Colt, Winchester, Marlin (pre-Remington), Smith & Wesson, Remington, Ruger. They hold and increase in value, unlike the chi-knee reproduction stuff, which has no, and will have no intrinsic value. You want to pass down valuable things...not potential salt-water boat anchors!!! 

I use/work/wear-out my Italian repros, and my Rossi, but keep my good stuff to occasionally shoot and take care of, so as to pass down to my son, and grandson. By the time my 8-year-old grandson is big enough, and old enough, to purchase a firearm, who knows how expensive they will be, or even if you can purchase one, by then?....(if beto, and his marxist demorat companions have their way). 

 

I had rather inherit a Colt or Winchester, than an Armi-San Marco, or Uberti, or Pietta, or Pedersoli, or a chi-knee model '97...wouldn't you? 

 

My Two Bits.

W.K. 

 

 

 

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Thank you everyone who expressed your opinion on what I should do with my original Winchester 97.  I have decided to follow Waxahatchie Kid's advice and hold onto it to pass it on to my heirs.  Right now its 116 years old and I HOPE its a whole lot older when one of my heirs gets it.

 

Hellbender

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I've only sold a few guns in my lifetime, maybe 3-4 and always had sellers remorse so I have made it a policy to never sell any of my  guns, unless absolutely necessary!

Good Luck Pards!

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Never sell anything you can't easily replace, unless you really hate it and will never shoot it.

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i sell what i no longer want but i keep what i like even if im not currently shooting them a lot , regret and replacement can get seriously costly , that said there have been many that came and went over the years , i look at these as tools first and accumulation second , i like good tools and i tend to keep them even when im not currently using them for the job , having two is better than one as long as you like them both , 

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On 3/11/2022 at 10:18 AM, Hells Comin said:

I have a iac cb 97 that hasn't worked since day one! The  Hammer follows and know one as of yet can figure it out (5 years) to lite to be a boat anchor 

 

 

That is an issue with old, worn original Winchester 1897s as well. The "fix" can be approached in several directions. Usually changing one part in the chain will get her running again. Not simple to troubleshoot as about a dozen different pieces of the action come into play with that issue. 

 

Did the issue develop or was it an issue from new?

Can you cock the hammer after it follows the action?

Open the action fully, push down on the bolt, then slide the closed. Does the hammer stay cocked? 

 

PM me if you want some clarification, I don't want to hijack the thread. 

 

BB

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On 3/11/2022 at 4:37 PM, Hellbender said:

Right now its 116 years old and I HOPE its a whole lot older when one of my heirs gets it.

 

Hellbender

 

I hope it gets to be a whole lot older.

As for the CB 97s.

I bought #0017 and another I can't remember the number.

Anyway I always tell people you have to rack these babies like you stole 'em.

Ended up racking the magazines off both of them.

Now I have 2 Winchesters.

Are the IACs faster? If Widder says so. I can't get going that fast so don't know for sure.

I do know the mags have so far been able to take my abuse.

 

Shoot em like you stole em.

 

Waimea

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2 hours ago, Waimea said:

 

I hope it gets to be a whole lot older.

As for the CB 97s.

I bought #0017 and another I can't remember the number.

Anyway I always tell people you have to rack these babies like you stole 'em.

Ended up racking the magazines off both of them.

Now I have 2 Winchesters.

Are the IACs faster? If Widder says so. I can't get going that fast so don't know for sure.

I do know the mags have so far been able to take my abuse.

 

Shoot em like you stole em.

 

Waimea

 

Your words have iron, Waimea..... ya gotta shoot em like ya stole em.    Treat em like a rented mule.

 

There are many top notch 97 shooters that prefer the Winchester.  And some Pards use the IAC brand.

Beside being able to get a solid shotgun, ya gotta have it properly tuned and sometimes..... slightly rebuilt.

 

My IAC's have been worked over by Curly Bill Kelly in Tennessee.   His work impressed Red Knee so much, that Red Knee

has had 2 Winchesters set up by Bill and presently has a 3rd scheduled for some minor maintenance.

 

When you spend $400- $600 on a nice 97, and then add a couple 'C''s more for a good setup/tune job, you should expect some

reliable and reasonable lasting shotguns.   

YEP, some will break, usually at the wrong time.

 

Honestly, I have 2 set up just for dry fire practice.   The firing pins have been removed.

I have 2 set up just for side match speed events and normal week-end matches.

And I have two of the 'CB' models that I use just for big matches.

 

And of course, I got a couple that don't run to well in which I save for Red Knee, in case he want's to borrow one sometime..... :lol:

 

..........Widder

 

 

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I've got an IAC that has shot every match I've been to for over a decade, and only been down for part of a match once.

 

It needed one bit of serious work within the first couple of weeks after I bought it and then about 5 years ago at EOT it needed the trigger screw adjusted... because I just never looked at it before and didn't realize it started turning.

 

Other than that only the usual wear parts have been changed:  Ejector spring every year or two and the original slide hook screw sheared once.  Those are wear parts in any 97.  Replaced it with one of the nice aftermarket ones.  Still going.   Just doing some basic math It must have north of 15,000 shells through it by now.

 

I know it won't last forever.  Its day is coming... but today is not that day.  There has been a replacement for it ready to use for many years now but the original just keeps working.

 

How long is a firing pin SUPPOSED to last in a 97 anyway...? :ph34r:

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