The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores Is this overpriced??Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
It is only $53,500 too high. | |||
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One of Us |
yes, but consider what you get, and this is a heirloom that could suit my safe very fine if i had cash for it. | |||
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| one of us |
To each his own, but I think that price is ridiculous. Personally, I don’t really associate Elmer Keith with African safaris, rifles, and cartridges. I know he went on safari a few times (or only once?) and that he fooled around with some double rifles but that hardly makes him a big deal nostalgically when it comes to African rifles and cartridges. Yeah, it’s a big bore rifle, but not in a caliber I would normally associate with Elmer. When I think of Elmer Keith, such things as .44 Special handguns and rifles chambered in such cartridges as the .333 OKH and the .35 Whelen come to mind first. To me, Finn Aagaard’s .458 Win Mag rifle would have far more romance and nostalgia attached to it than Elmer Keith’s .458 Win Mag. Just my opinion...... -Bob F. | |||
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I have to agree with 500 grains, he's got it right! The guy is more than proud of it, he has either got to find a real sucker or take it to the cemetary with himself. | |||
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| one of us |
Of course the price is very high but it's worth more than just wood and metal to someone because Keith was a famous person. The rifle has a Williams Foolproof receiver sight on it which is close to landfill in value. Those sights will not hold zero as they are sloppy and when they are tightened in the locked position they will move also and should be double checked then of course. Worse the sight is made from aluminum and is weak and may not take a small handling bump. Overall it's a nice gun but one should check the LOP as Keith was short. If you have $45,000 of extra cash then donate it to the NRA. Join the NRA | |||
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Yes.   Thad Scott still has that Rigby Mauser 22HP once onwned by WDM Bell for "only" $27,500US. | |||
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My own view of this particular rifle is not very generous. For a pre-'64 Model 70 .458 with the original stock,I MIGHT pay $800-$900, IF the rifle's condition warranted it. With a Bishop replacement stock, I'd pay $150 LESS, no matter if God himself had owned it and used it to chase Adam and Eve out of the garden. In 1960 when I was working as a stockmaker, a Bishop blank of that quality would have sold for $10-$12 as a semi-inletted piece of wood. It obviously appears to be a usual Bishop product, by its lines, so I doubt Elmer had anything to do with the "design" of this stock. More likely to me is that he just asked whoever finished the stock to leave the rear of the comb as high as the semi-inletted blank allowed, and to more fully "round" and "cap" the pistol grip. Other than that, it looks pretty run-of-the-mine for the day. Elmer seems to have fairly often confused that sort of request with having "designed" something. (Sometimes I suspect it was part of a "6'-5" syndrome".) I particularly dislike what looks to me like a replacement front sight on this rifle. Looks more like the keel on an upside-down sailboat! Was probably necessary to get the POI low enough at short range with that particular rear aperature sight. Either that or the front sight height is exaggerated by the perspective of the photos. My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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If one were a really hard core Elmer keith collector I am sure the price is OK..  I like Elmer and some of his stories..a great entertainment, but even in my wildest gunfightdream, wouldn`t grasp 55K for his rifle ..maybe for "last ditch shoot-out" I know Elmer is or has become an Icon, and I will admit that he has inspired me for the 45-70(do you read this boomstick?) in the 1886 Winnie. Today, I stick with the litterature of the old "gunbuffs" which is very enjoyable to read. I have yet to buy Ed McGivens book and Skeeter Skeltons...but`ll come one day  DRSS: HQ Scandinavia. Chapters in Sweden & Norway | |||
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yes....and a lot. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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When you get down to the "nut cuttin" all the guy has to sell is a pre-64 short Mag. action. Everthing sle is altered or missing, including the Winchester sling and super grade swivels. | |||
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Jack O'Conner's Brevex magnum 416 Rigby with provenance was for sale a couple years ago in Tulsa for $7K. I like Elmer too but his 458 seems overpriced. Maybe his 476 WR would bring $55K. NRA Life Member, Band of Bubbas Charter Member, PGCA, DRSS. Shoot & hunt with vintage classics. | |||
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IMO way over priced by about $52K. | |||
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One of J.A. Hunter's .500 N.E. doubles sold a couple of years ago at Champlins for $19,000. I was about 5 minutes late to buy it. | |||
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The value will be determined by the final sale price. The percieved worth by some "expert" on AR will be meaningless.  Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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If that's what you want to call "value", trhen you are correct. Depending on what it yields, though, that MAY be the result of a lot of ignorance, status seeking by owning the cast-offs of some more or less famous person, and how much money some person has to throw away. That is not how I determine how much I will pay for things, or their inherent value, even though I COULD write a check for this particular rifle. But I sure as heck wouldn't unless the price was knocked down to at most $650. What was asked for here was opinions, and what the rifle eventually brings, or how, will not validate or invalidate any of the opinions expressed here. My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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Hey, If any one finds any of Bob Hagel's Rifles for sale please point out it's direction.. AK | |||
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Just my opinion but I would buy all of the pre 64 M70s that they made today for $900. Then the price would go up even higher as I had all of the supply. Seriously they were all Super Grades and very nice guns and today I would think would bring more than that.  $4,250.00 Link Join the NRA | |||
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Like everyone else says YES | |||
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| one of us |
I bet that rifle will be double in 20 years.Elmer Keiths family sold alot of his stuff cheap when he was in the hospital.I see a few writters guns on GA from time to time.I would not mind at all having one of Elmers guns. | |||
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Can someone do an ROI on this.....I bet it's a very poor investment at that rate!!!!! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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Not to start a pissing contest,and I agree the guy has way over priced this rifle,but this is not just a Bishop stock as most of us would use that conotation.Nate Bishop is the son of the Bishop Gunstock family who moved to New Mexico in the 50's and built custom guns for many famous and not so famous people.His stockwork is highly regarded. The metalwork,accorging to Elmers letter of authentication was done by Russ Hightower who though not wellknown outside New Mexico was a fine gun builder for the time, although professionally he was an electric quality control engineer. I am personally aquainted with both these fine gentlemen,although Russ is long dead. Both were ahead of their time and should be remembered for what they gave the sport. Bravo five one | |||
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Now that would be worth every penny! | |||
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Off the top of my head, it would be less than 4%. Cheers, Canuck | |||
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So....Say if I become famous for the current prototype action I'm building, can I sell one of my Ruger 10/22's for $12,000 just because it was mine?! "Molotov Cocktails don't leave fingerprints" -Dr. Ski | |||
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I don't think I'd pay that kind of money for a rifle of any type, simply because it belonged the GUN WRITER. Now if I had the money to buy TR's H&H double, or one belonging to Corbin, or Col Patterson,or Pondoro, that would be a different story. However, anyone who thinks a pre-64 Mod 70 is only worth $600, is going to wait a long time to get one that is worth more than the action, in fact, the action, in good shape is worth more than $600! The rifle pictured in the origenal post is simply a simi custom rifle with a pre-64 action, that happened to have belonged to Elmer, a $50 premium over the value of the rifle had it not belonged to Elmer! ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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However, anyone who thinks a pre-64 Mod 70 is only worth $600, is going to wait a long time to get one that is worth more than the action, in fact, the action, in good shape is worth more than $600! QUOTE] Maybe in your area, Mac, but certainly not in this area. In fact a person can still get the whole rifle for that amount around here on occasion. Sure we get guys who ask $900-$1,100 for the rifles at gun shows, but you don't see them selling for that...at least not easily or quickly, unless they're something not too usual, and in awfully good and completely original condition, or just the right sucker walks in the door...and frankly this rifle we're discussing isn't in that great shape as far as orginality goes. Pre-war guns go for a premium, but just a pre-'64 Model 70 is pretty common here in the West. I don't buy too many rifles any more....maybe only 6-9 a year. Probably have as many as I'll ever, ever want. but, I flat guarantee you that if I wanted a whole pre-'64 Model 70, in all original condition, I wouldn't have to pay more than $700 to find one by going to 3 or 4 gun shows and doing some dickering and using cash or gold (no checks). But basically, for that particular rifle, as mucked up as it is, I would NEVER pay over $650. To me that's what it is worth. If someone else wants to pay some other amount, well, that's their choice. I've found a little deferred gratification (fancy words for "patience"), knowing what it is I am looking for, and keeping adequate cash in my pocket, makes pretty much anything available in time, at a decent price. My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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I bought a ratty pre-64 in .375 H&H last year with Griffin & Howe mounts for $650. It's not too ratty, but the stock shows use and had a recoil pad, the stock was cut away to make room for the G&H mounts, and the screws on the mounts are mildly buggered. It has been glass bedded, and any collector appeal is gone. But still a useful rifle even though it is not exactly a best quality gun. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores Is this overpriced??
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