in 300 H&H easy 95%.. BUT barrel has been ported!

Is value loss about 25%?

Thanks,

Bill
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Easily. It's one thing you can't fix. I would say it is a shooter now.

Rich

i'd guess more like 40-50%

A .300 H&H pre-64 that's been ported? You gotta be kidding. What an abortion & the guy that did it should be shot with it.
I'm no expert but I wouldn't pay more than about 50% regardless of condition.
Bear in Fairbanks

I've read here of ways to fill the holes. Jeff wrote of one??!

True of all calibers? eg, 338 , 375, 458??

I have to agree with those who have already commented. For me at least, porting the barrel takes it out of the collectible class entirely.

A lot of sellers have a hard time accepting loss of collector interest due to alterations. Recently I looked at a pre-'64 Featherweight .243. Metal was very good, hardly any stock dings.

Seller said it was 95%+ and wanted $1,300. I pointed out the butt stock had been cut and a recoil pad installed. I said once it has been altered that way there's no point in talking 95 or 98% condition because it isn't collectible.

To have any value (at least to me) as a collectible I'd have to buy an unaltered stock which would cost at least $400, if it could be found at all.

Didn't argue with the guy, we had an amicable discussion, if a buyer comes along who is willing to pay his price that's their business. But personally the most I'd pay is $800 or so.

And remember this is something that at least has a chance of returning to original condition, if an unaltered stock can be found (it would have to have the plastic butt plate to be correct for this rifle's s/n by the way).

But as others have said already a ported barrel can't be fixed, and good luck finding a pre-'64 .300 H&H barrel.

Pre 64 Model 70s fall into one of two categories; flat mint, the ones that dyed in the wool collectors want, and shooters. Once it has been altered in any way, it falls into the second category. Of course, overall condition then comes into play too, but the alteration, no matter what it is, hurts the value as a collectable piece. It can't be put back and filling the holes won't help; you can not restore the rifling. So, say the value is reduced by 25 percent from an equal condition, non altered one.
Remember that once, like when I was a kid, Pre-64 Winchesters were just rifles, so it didn't matter what you did to them; you could always get another one. We should not treat our ancestors so harshly.

It's still a viable action for custom builders.

What condition is it overall?

If its 80% and would only be $800 anyways I doubt porting the barrel would affect it much.

I have seen two pre-64 300 h-h's for sale this year, the better one was asking $900.

What type of porting? The magna-port is the least obtrusive but still detracts from the value. What are you asking for it?

I wouldn't pay anyone a dime for any rifle that was ported regardless of calibre, except to rebarrel. But that's just me.

Or I guess a cut would also be a possibility, depending on what you have.

I was just getting into center fire rifles about the time they made the change. Sporting Goods stores were discounting the old models up to thirty percent just to move them to make way for the new and vastly improved model. Too late, people found out they were basically a piss-poor copy of a 700.

There are fourteen or fifteen OM's up in a gun shop in Lewiston, ID. He had them at the Boise gun show. All of them had had 1/2" or more cut off the butt stocks, and those cheesy orange ventilated pads installed. Neat calibers like a first year 264 Westerner, 300's, 375's, even a 95+% 35 Remington. Ruined by cutting the butt stocks. I could have bought any of them, except the 264 or 35 Rem for $750-800 cash money. $900 for either of those. The good news, none of the barrels had been cut or ported and the metalwork all looked original.

Still, a replacement stock, like Chris has at WGG would turn any one of them into a nice semi-custom.

This one, you're buying the action...

Rich

My thanks to each of you who took the time to reply. I've decided to consider buying a 375H&H instead of a ported 300 H&H because I'm trading today seven guns for a Corvette. One of these is a new Winchester in 375, and I'd like to always have two 375s, two 416s, and two 458s. So I need a replacement in 375.

I would like to have a pre 64 375 even if it is not a collector!

Certainly I understand that porting reduces value as no one would pay collector prices. But I am not a collector. I'm 73 and like older stuff. Nostalgia, I suppose.

If one searches porting here, one will find different view points on the practical value of porting. However, IMO, 375s do not need porting. But I personally would not refuse to buy a gun just because it is ported. To each his own.

I realize too that asking prices are not necessarily selling prices. But here are a few examples of asking prices for pre 64 375s currently for sale on online auctions:

1. Supergrade with 21"barrel: $5749
2. restocked with muzzle brake $2700
3. rebarreled to 376 Steyr $2400
4. compass installed in stock $2400
5. 3"crack behind tang $2850.
6. refinished wood new pad $2975
7. and a 300H&H, rechambered to 30 ILC $2500.

and two more 375s with no issues stated, but likely not collector quality either:

8. $3650
9. $4099

As you see, there is no pre 64 375H&H here for under $2400 regardless of defect. So possibly if I can find a non collectable one for a reasonable price I'd be OK. I always lose $$$ on guns when I sell them anyway.

Thanks again,

Bill
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Bill, I saw a good deal on a pre-64 375 the other day. Let me check around and find it for you.

Jon

Thank you!

Bill
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quote:

...But here are a few examples of asking prices for pre 64 375s currently for sale on online auctions....
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online prices mean little, unless they sold at that price. gunbroker allows a search of completed auctions if you have an account. that is the real market price, IMHO.

I said above that asking prices are not selling prices. If one looks at past listings on GB, one sees very few pre 64s that have been sold. Were ALL the others overpriced? BUT two which did sell were: (1) a decent, unmolested one for $1300 and (2) one rebarreled & restocked for $1675. But I think one should neither conclude that an unmolested one is only worth $1300 or that a modified one is worth 20% more than a decent original. There are such events on GB as great bargains being snatched up and guns worth the asking price not bid on.I know; I've bought and sold cumulatively over 200 items there. Yet I'm always ready to listen to advice ; that's why I ask here. So,

Thanks,

Bill
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I mean only pre 64 375H&H--sorry.

If it was a 95% gun that was ported, I would probably pay $700 or more if I wanted a 300 H&H to hunt with..still better than a new mod. 70 or whatever..besides I have a 300 H&H barrel thats super accurate.

A collector is a 98 to 99% gun, all original and not many of those out there, otherwise they are a shooter, nice shooters and just shooters. Same with rare coins, only the better ones count. This collector stuff is way over played. real collectors are hard as nails to deal with.

I am with the other folks here who say $700 or so. I wouldn't give you that much for it but I'm sure there are some who would. IMO it needs to be rebarreled with a period correct barrel.

I'd say 95%, but no major dents or dings. I would buy it for up to $800 just because it would make a really neat anything on the RUM case.

Rich