Black Powder Only???

[davelarue]

I can't find my Blue Book. My Standard Catalog of Firearms says deduct 50%. for Grade B. What's you guys feelings about that. I've got a chance to trade a friend out of a pair of pretty decent 32-40 SRC's. One's a B Model. He thinks they're of equal value. We both want to be fair . I'm well aware you can't appraise guns sight unseen. Seems to me the Standard Catalog's pretty hard on the B value wise. It's the only one I've ever seen for sale.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Davelarue;

The main reason most price guides deduct value for the Grade B guns is because the Grade B guns have a blued receiver instead of a case-colored receiver. Most collectors prefer the case-colored receiver over a blued receiver. Many people will tell you that blued Marlins just do not sell. (not true as nearly all 1881's, 1888's and 1889's are blued)
Frankly, the Grade B guns are rather scarce, and especially if they have any condition left. But, the softer steel barrel is a slight deterrent to those that like to shoot their guns too. They cannot use jacketed ammunition in them.
I think 50% is a bit high to deduct, especially if the gun is in excellent or better condition. Nice Grade B guns do not come along all that often, and should be treated nearly as well as a gun with Special Smokeless Steel barrel. But, for those that live and die by the price guides, when it comes time to move a Grade B gun out, you will take a slight hit in the value department if you pay a slight premimum.
I hope this helps.

[davelarue]

Thanks Regnier, My price guide would value a good condition standard 1893 B at $275. Now thats what we'd call a 'Buyin book'. I'm going to have to come up with alot more than that in trade. I have no problem with having to shoot cast. Here's a SRC I was watching. http://www.auctionarms.com/Search/Displ ... =7881220.0 Dave

[marlinman93]

I'd agree with Regnier. The Grade B guns are too rare to fall into that 50% deduct range. That 50-60% deduct that the Bluebook states is silly. Especially if the Grade B is in nice shape. It's even rarer to find nice Grade B Marlins, as most seem to have been used up.
From what I've seen the Grade B guns will go a bit less, but more in the 10-20% range at the most.

Vall

[davelarue]

I'm guessing a decent B model SRC would be pretty rare. I've only seen a couple SRC's here in the North East. Both 30-30's Well used , with the rings long gone. He wants to sell them as a pair. I'll probably be out some decent Winchesters and won't look back. Old saying, They're worth what makes a willing buyer and seller happy.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Davelarue;

The Grade B guns were not offered in .30-30 caliber, only in .32-40 and .38-55 calibers. If these SRC's are .30-30, then they are not Grade B guns.
I have seen the Grade B SRC on the internet site, (Collectors Firearms of Houston, Texas) and that is a very nice gun. I would also say it is rare to find one in that shape and in a Grade B.
I hope this helps.

[davelarue]

I see why that was confusing. What I was trying to say, was that before I found this pair, the only 1893 SRC's I had seen were 30-30's. The ones I'm looking at now are both 32-40's, one of them a Grade B. Dave

[marlinman93]

For quite some time I thought that all Grade B 1893's were std type configuration, either 26" octagon or round. I just never saw anything else with the "For Black Powder" markings.
Then I saw a deluxe pistol gripped, checkered, half octagon Grade B, and even a takedown Grade B. Over the last 5-10 years I've seen Grade B's in all sorts of configurations, and it's puzzled me why a gun that was sold at a reduced price would be offered in so many special order configurations.
Just thinking out loud.

[davelarue]

I often wondered if there was always a difference in the steel. Like if someone ordered a B bbl, they might just stamp a regular bbl. Kind of like friends that worked at Budweiser used to let us know when they were putting Michelob in 16 oz. Bud bottles. Dave

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Davelarue;

The B grade barrels are the same steel as the early guns made prior to 1895 when the Smokeless Special Steel barrels came along. It is a cold rolled steel and will not stand the all the pressures of the SSS barrels can and will wear out much quicker if you use jacketed ammunition in them.
As far as special ordered B Grade guns, I know of at least 1 Number 3 engraved B Grade 1893. So anything is possible with the B Grade guns.
I hope this helps.

[marlinman93]

Another one to add to the list! Haven't seen an engraved B! Pretty much covers all the bases for B models.

[Don Anderson]

I bought a Model 1893 grade B, Black Powder Only, rifle at the Kansas City show either in the late 80's or early 90's. It was a .32-40 with a 26" barrel. Very standard except it really had some condition. The fellow was asking $600 for it and we settled for $550. As Rick stated, back then there were not the number of Marlin collectors that we have today and the ones that there were, considered the Black Powder Only Grade B's as somewhat of a "second class" citizen for the very reason Rick stated, they did not have a case colored receiver. This particular gun that I purchased, had it been case colored with the same percentage of condition, would have been at least twice as much. Through the years, these models have dried up and also the number of Marlin collectors has greatly grown, which now accounts for them bringing a higher percentage of dollars today when compared to the case colored receivers. I would say closer to 75% rather than 50%. The blued receiver Model 1893's still do not bring the dollars or have the disireability that the cased colored Model 1893's do. Note that I said Model 1893's. I believe Rick stated that many say the blued receiver Marlins do not sell nearly as well and this is untrue as can be seen by the Model 1881's, 1888's and 1889's which are nearly all blued. This is true. However, if you can find one of these models such as an 1889 with a case colored receiver, it will definitely command a premium. To be honest, a main part of that reasoning would be Marlin did not make a great deal of those models with case colored receivers, so naturally they would command a premium.

Don

[oodmoff]

I remember seeing one 1888 rifle that was case colored at a show in Cody and perhaps again the following year in Denver, beautiful gun. Not nearly the case of your 1893, Don a bit subdued if I remember correctly but clean and nice none the less...I think he had somewhere around 20k on it. Thought about walking home but the car I drove still wouldn't have fetched me enough!