I just can't hunt anymore. Too old, too gimpy and, after the illness last year, too weak to handle a dead deer. My old deer rifle is just setting here and I really have no use for it. It's worth too much to just set when I could be using the money for something I could shoot.

Jack Haugh did the metal, stock, bluing, engraving, etc, sometime around the early 90's. It's a .243 Win.

What's it worth today?

What's the best way to sell it?

I'll post a couple of pics.

Thanks,

The cheek piece side of the rifle. This is an early gun with a four digit serial number.

The RH side showing engraving.

The schnabel with ebony.

This has always been a lucky rifle for me. It shoots very well with 85 gr. Nosler Solid base bullets. I have load data I will pass along.

The scope (3 X 9 Kahles) can go with the gun.

I wrote a couple of articles about this rifle in Precision Shooting years ago. One was on load work-up and another on hunting with it.

I haven't tried to sell a rifle of this quality in a long time. I know Jack's guns are valuable but have no numbers.

Any help would be appreciated.

First off that is a beautiful rifle.

His guns run the gamut, and like all of his work I think it depends on did he do the complete rifle, just the stock, or just the metal work. You do not see very many falling block rifles he did come up for sale.

Depending on the buyer, $4-6K is my guess.

As stated above, Jack did everything on this one.

My apologies, I missed that.

I do love the rifle and good luck with the sale. He did an awesome job rechambering a pedersoli 45/70 double rifle to 4 and 3 1/4" ne a friend of mine has.

I'll pass this along to people I know who have had his guns.

A very nice rifle no nicks or bluing wear.

My number one shows all kinds of wear from use.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
A very nice rifle no nicks or bluing wear.

My number one shows all kinds of wear from use.

I shot an antelope with it back in 1980 in Buffalo, WY. Other than that, I have only used it for deer in MI. We hunt in deer blinds and my guns don't get beat up.

Glorya's and my blinds are carpeted, have windows, office chairs, heat, etc... They've been in the same place for years and the wildlife is used to seeing them.

It's candy-ass hunting but much more productive than thrashing around in a foot of dead leaves.

But uncle Dick - you always said that would be mine when you were done with it!!! WOW what a nice rifle.
Aaron

Depends, Jack Haugh was the best gun maker in history IMO..I would value that gun at $10,000 minimum in a class auction..

I sold my .338 Haugh for $13,000 and it was well used and no engraving by the master. I sold my 35 Whelen for half that, but it was a double square bridge and not scope mountable except for a side mount. I was builty strictly as an iron sighted 35 Whelen and Jacks boy did the metal and Jack did the stock, so that changed the picture somewhat. In today world being not scope friendly is a no-no except on really big bores..I could have sold it for more, but it would have taken forever to find the right person, so I took a lick'en and let it go for about what I paid for it...

You have a wonderful gun, rare, and will continue to go up and up in value, Think twice before you part with it, its a slow seller because most have no idea what it really is, but sooner or later it will sell..Id put $10,000 on it and just wait. or sell it in auction if you want your money quickly, but auctions can be risky but you can put a bottom sale dollar on them..Just some ideas that might work for you.

Ray,

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the good advice.

What auction company would be best to sell it for me? Do any of them allow you to have a reserve price?

I just checked twice... I never mentioned...

It's a .243.

James Julia is the best auction house, most of their stuff in no reserve.

Check around there are a lot of auctions going on..Find gun auctions on the internet..I would be inclined to have a refusal to sell at a set price and the option to PO my gun..Most will do that, some will want a comm. on your bottom dollar if that's not met, some will not, so get it right when you deal with them..

You could auction it on GunBroker, you can decline sales on them Im told..California has some good auction houses btw..I used to do that but have not in a number of years..I usually just put high dollar guns on Guns International and wait sometimes up to a year on high dollar guns, but they seem t sell sooner or later..If not then try the auction houses, they send out brochures if you request them..