Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Thoughts on this Pre-64 .300 Win?

Hey BSA,

http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...od-70-std-220-swift.cfm?gun_id=100847358

Wondering about that Echols. When you read the fine print:

Barreled action metalwork completed by D'Arcy Echols. Cold rust and fire-blue finishes, glassbedding and stock finish by Competitive & Custom Firearms, Inc. With documentation. Completed 2017 and new condition.

Based on what Echols' rifles, parts, or work command in $, even at $3800 I wonder how much Echols was involved?

I first assumed that this rifle, having been in Echols' hands, would function slick as butter on ice and drive tacks to boot. I am not so sure that was a good assumption.

Thoughts?

Certainly not a full custom Echols.

Based on many financial interactions, it's been my experience that Morris Hallowell is a man of integrity.

I judge that rifle as well worth the asking price.

I like that 220 Swift! That's something I'd like to have one of these days.

Yeah, that 300 Win might not be a full Echols but man, it's a damned good looking hunting rifle. I'd bet a paycheck it probably shoots and functions just fine as well.

To be fair, I never meant to imply the "Echols" wasn't worth the asking price. I did mean to point out that if you read a bit more closely it might not be the smokin' hot deal you might take it to be if you just skimmed the top.

As nyrifleman noted, "Certainly not a full custom Echols", and you might get that idea if you weren't paying good attention.

No worries Gundoc. I understood your point.

If it were a full custom Echols the selling price would be five figures!

I wouldn't want to bet a pay check against that statement. Or at least wait until I'm on unemployment... I might bet my 338wm would outshoot it if you wanted to bet a dollar though..

That's making my rethink, WHY THE HELL I DIDN'T BUY THAT supergrade the other day!!!!!~ The SG is a much nicer rifle than that one, I don't really care about the collectability aspect of it though...

Don, I think you did great with your purchase. You better hang on to that one. It's only going to go up in value..

I understood what you were getting at, but you have to consider how much a "full on" custom Echols sells for too: Damn near 4 times as much as this one. Current prices on a legend custom is $15,500.00, if you can believe that!!!!!.. I'm like beretzs on this one, I'd buy it and hunt it and enjoy the hell out of it and know I did pretty damn good on the deal... Also keep in mind D'Arcy builds a lot of classics and this one is a pre 64. To me, that's icing on the cake...

BSA, to be fair, before you enlighten me on Echols' pricing, to at least a small degree you contributed to what led to my composing the "read the fine print" post. Earlier in this thread, you wrote:

That is a beautiful rifle. Looks to be a good price too. A full on custom by D'Arcy Echol's, with documentation. What's not to like? Well, I still don't like those Leupold 2 piece mounts that hang over the ejection port. A fine rifle like that needs some conetrol's or S/K's... Those are easy enough to change though... wink (Bold above added by Gun Doc)

I suspect you wrote that in a bit of a hurry, but just sayin' . . . .

LOL, yes, if I somehow managed to own a queen, I'd send that prima donna beech down the road and buy a hunt somewhere.

I contacted Hallowell to purchase that Echols .300 this evening.

I waited too long

That's too bad may, that would have been a damn fine rifle to add to the collection.

I stand by what I said too. How much more "full on custom" do you want?.. Just sayin.. That rifle was WELL worth the asking price..

BSA,

I don't believe I ever said it wasn't worth the asking price. That is something someone inferred from my posts. Please show me where I said it wasn't worth the ask.

What I was trying to point out is that there is a difference between a custom rifle Echols had something to do with and "A full on custom by D'Arcy Echol's with documentation." It's not the "full on" that is the issue. That is a vague term, but I will concede a different barrel, bottom metal, and stock, all being well known premium parts, pretty well constitutes "a full on custom." The point I was trying to get to concerned "by D'Arcy Echols with documentation." If you read the fine print, considering it states Echols didn't completely finish the rifle, it is not exactly clear what is being documented.

What's the difference? First there is the cachet of Echols' name on a rifle "completely" done in his shop. But the real difference is a rifle that appears to be one that should function flawlessly and drives tacks compared to one that is virtually guaranteed to do so. Should this rifle have issues, to whom do you turn? I'm not sure it is D'Arcy Echols.

So, those differences and, as you and nyrifleman have noted, apparently about ten to twelve thousand dollars.

I think similar things have happened to every one of us! And thinking about it usually doesn't help much, because you can now imagine it was perfect, even if it wasn't and you never discovered that fact. Hopefully, something else as good or better will come along.

Ha! Safe Queen! I'll hunt all of them. Let the kids sort out how much I depreciated them.

[/quote]Hopefully, something else as good or better will come along. [/quote]

One always does!