I have found a J.P. Sauer Drilling, Two-Barrel Set, 9.3x74R/16 ga. and 7x57R/20 ga. Seems to be in very good condition. Highly engraved, produced in 1930. What is something like this worth and would it be good for safari?

Thanks.

Do you have any Pictures? Hammer or hammerless? Sidelock , boxlock or back action locks? Engraving,
cheek plate. Colour case hardening? Need details
m4220

J.P. Sauer Drilling, Two-Barrel Set, 9.3x74R/16 ga. and 7x57R/20 ga. rifle/shotgun combination. Serial #3782, mfg. 1930. Excellent condition. Tremendous high grade drilling with TWO barrels. Highly engraved on receiver. Family estate gun that has been wonderfully cared for over the decades and brought to the U.S. with the German family. Wood has wonderful figuring and burl with left cheekpiece. Selection switch for the barrels on left side of frame. Flip-up express rear sights when rifle barrel is called upon. Bores are bright and shiny. Locks up tight. Family will write detailed letter as it its history. Please call if interested - we can provide more digitals and more details. Extremely high quality piece custom created by Sauer for a German gentleman who hunted extensively and had a large game preserve. Great gun! The link below will take you to the page for the picture. Scan down until you find it.

http://www.gunrunnerauctions.com/store/index.cfm

As a sidelock, it is worth a bit, for sure. It is also in good rifle calibers. The 16ga chamber will probably be 65mm, and these were struck thin to keep the inherent weight of a sidelock down, so you might not have a gun you could ever shoot 2 3/4" ammo in. Still, it is a great combination and a sidelock. . If I were buying drillings now, I'd pay about $6,500-$7,000.00 for the set. Knowing the seller's prices, he will want about double that, I'll bet.

luv2safari, man that is a nice rig but with the ecomony the way it is I would agree with you on the pricing, a couple of years ago they may have been in the neighborhood.

Ok the price is $12,425. Thats a realy nice gun although they don`t tell wether its a side lock or only long sideplates. For a sidelock I think in germany $10,000 would be realistic if its only long plates 4000 less.

Would be a nice combination for hunting in Africa.

That is a nice gun, but I think Gunrunner always has prices 20-30% above mkt. As for the 65 MM chambers, It's not a problem at all to lengthen them Takes @ 15 muinutes and removes a minute amount of metal. You should go ahead & lengthen the forcing cones at the same time, it also lower chamber pressures.
As for the economy & gun prices, I don't see them going down. On the contrary. I think the current administration and its anti-gun cabinet & record has driven prices up.
If this gun is as nice as they claim, it's probably @ 8-9K gun IMO. Hard to say, but if they put that price tag on it, I'd bet it would be out the door in a heartbeat.
Greg

I'm seeing a lot of drillings advertised, but I don't see any selling right now.

Too many sellers think they have something real rare, because they've never seen one except theirs. They don't want to sell them too cheap and advertise them at easily double to triple their value.

The high end dealers are presently deluding themselves, also. Drillings have a small market, and there are more around now than I've ever seen before. Prices should go down drastically, IMO. I watched one Bozo on GB auction go from $8,000.00 down to $3,000.00 over the last several months...still not one bid for the gun!

If you want to know what a drilling is worth, look at what Dale Nygaard is selling a similar one for. He is spot on!

I think drillings have held their own in value and even appreciated if you bought them at market price. You are right about many people thinking they are worth their weight in gold. But, that said, many are realizing what a bargain they are compared to what you get in other guns. I bought my wife a Benelli 20 ga. last month, and you really don't get much gun for 1300 bucks, these days . I wouldn't even guess what it would take to build one of the old drillings at todays prices. The good old drillings are IMO, better made than the new ones. I also see more interest in older classic guns: doubles, drillings, single shots etc than there has ever been.
As for the supply, I think much of the increase is due to the internet and an aging ownership. Most of the drillings in the US came home as war souvenirs with returning GI's. Many of tose old guys are passing on to the big hunting lease in the sky, and their estates are putting them up for sale. The internet is also a great equalizer in prices. It exposes the guns to a huge market and evens the playing field at the same time. I've sold 2 in the last 2 months at the asking price, almost immediately, and had many people asking about them right after the sales. In fact, I'd consider a good drilling, carefully purchased, as a much better investment than stocks right now.... actual selling prices have been steadily going up. See how easy it is to justify a new drilling to your wife .

Greg,

A bunch are getting here from Germany right now, also. Most are in pretty darned nice condition, too.

I think drillings are about the most under priced fine guns around, considering the complexity and workmanship. Good ones at realistic prices will sell; the loose junkers will sit.

quote:

Originally posted by luv2safari:
Greg,

A bunch are getting here from Germany right now, also. Most are in pretty darned nice condition, too.

I think drillings are about the most under priced fine guns around, considering the complexity and workmanship. Good ones at realistic prices will sell; the loose junkers will sit.

I agree they are the most underpriced goodies in the gun mkt, If you think about what you're getting. A gun that can do it all, accurately and a work of art; not to mention holding its value as something to be passed to subsequent generations.
Yes, there are some coming in from Germany, but many have bad bores and/or outside corrosion damage. They were forbidden to have firearms, right after the war, and many were buried in the back yard, to avoid turning them in. Those that were coated well with grease & wrapped in oilcloth etc, came out pretty well, but too many fine guns were totally ruined. Some corrosion in the bores is acceptable and deosn't hurt them at all. I have a couple with slightly rough bores that shoot MOA.
I'm also afraid the current administration may put a halt to firearm importation, as a bone, tossed to their left wing supporters (along with other gun control measures).
I see a lot more folks using drillings than I used to. Once anyone hunts with one, they won't be without a drilling in their battery. And, as you guys well know, you can't have just one . It's a contagious and incurable affliction... I'm happy to say.
Was out in the woods yesterday with my old 9.3 hammer drilling. The pigs weren't moving, but I shot a mess of squirrels with the 22 insert, for dinner. Wish duck season wasn't over. I was covered up with wood ducks...

Greg,

The new German gun laws are forcing many to sell Papa's drilling at his death, and a fair amount of these are post-war guns in good condition. I bought several of these recently, and the prices were not at all bad; they weren't giving them away, however, but they were excellent guns at the same prices many uninitiated are asking for klunkers. Most have late 1950s and 1960s scopes in various types of mounts.

If you have some cash, this is a good time to buy that drilling.