Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Let's compare -- My Bob to the Bob that just sold

My Bob



The Bob that just sold for $2,900


Link to the Bob that just sold

I think your Model 70 in 257 Bob is as every bit as clean as the one that sold! If you are deer hunter I wouldn't get rid of the Bob you have, it will do all you ask and more. Plus it is a classic cartridge and rifle!

I don’t hunt, and the members of this subforum have been respectful of that.

I am in it for the guns. I like guns.

I enjoy shooting the 257 at the range. Let’s see if reduced recoil rounds are comfortable with the 270. Full power 270 and 308 is more than I want to deal with.

Total understand. The 257 is a very pleasant to shoot, all the ones I ever had shot well and were very comfortable on the shoulder.

My Bob is not pristine, for example, the ball on the bolt handle is worn and there are the two similar horizontal dents behind the bolt handle.
My guess is that the horizontal dents are bumps from the bolt of another rifle.

The darker color of the wood near the but is in the grain of the wood itself. It’s not fro being covered by a slip on recoil pad for 60 years.

The solid Weaver rings are kind of neat. The rear ring must be put on before the occular piece.

Must have been some auction fever between two egos determined to have that rifle. While really nice the price realized was in my opinion top dollar +.

Even though it's my gun in the OP and I would like to think it would also sell for $2,900, I too think that $2,900 was a bit much for the gun that sold at auction.

I didn't see the auction listing or the rifle description, but from the photo you posted, that rifle appears to have had the stock refinished (wrong color) and the metal reblued (too black). That's fine - I don't mind a restored rifle, but it does dramatically reduce the value of a pre 64 model 70. If the auction rifle was near-mint and all original, then I'd say $2900 is a fair price. Maybe even a good price. However, if the rifle was refinished as I suspect, I'd say the buyer overpaid by $1000 or even $1500.

By contrast, your rifle - although used with perhaps a few more bumps and handling wear - it appears to be all original. For most model 70 enthusiasts, your rifle would be preferred and valued higher than a "restored" one.

I have no material interest in the auction gun pictured above, but as someone who has handled
hundreds of origional pre and post war Winchesters ,I am a bit amused by your claim that the stock and metal was refinished. All based on a distant side view pic.

What is exactly is "wrong" with the stock color? What makes you so sure that the metal was refinished?

I would like to hear some facts to back up your statement because looking at that pic- it looks every bit as legit as the OPs rifle.

Hi jk16.

As I noted in my post - I did not see the original auction listing, which presumably included a description and better photos. Also noted in my post, the stock color looked off to me (a bit too orange) and the bluing looked too black, where the pre-64 rifles have a decidedly blue tint. It is impossible to say anything definitive from a single photo viewed on my phone, as the photo and/or my phone may not be reflecting true colors. This is why I said "IF THE RIFLE WAS REFINISHED..."

I'm not trying to desparage the auction rifle. It may be all original. I was merely pointing out it didn't strike me as being clearly original finishes in the one photo which was provided, and if it wasn't original , this would pretty dramatically affect the value.

For what it's worth, I did find the link above to the original auction and take a look at the full rifle. I does appear the finishes were all original, based on the other photos. The bluing looks correct, even with some patina on the buttplate and there are some photos taken in sunlight where both the stock and bluing looks just as they should.