Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Win Model 71 question

How much does the addition of a recoil pad hurt the value of a VG condition Model 71?

I've found a 1937 Model 71 with 24" barrel, peep sights and smooth stock for sale for a reasonable price. I mainly want it for future appreciation in value, but it has had a recoil pad added. Did that kill its desireability with collectors?

The pad probably works against the collector value, even more so if the l.o.p. has been shortened.

That would be considered a "shooter". Collectors normally demand unaltered specimens. Normal gentle use is less of an issue.

I had a 71 for a while, but found it really kicked more than I liked at the time. I doubled my money on it in a couple years and I was glad I didn't put a pad on it. Try a slip on pad.

I would guess that the pad, assuming the stock was cut and could not be restored to original by replacement of the buttplate) would reduce the value of a nice 71 by about $300.00 or so on a standard rifle in 90% condition and by at least $500.00 on a deluxe rifle in 98% condition.

Definitely hinders this.

Exactly. Even if it came that way from the factory.

Steel buttplate, bolt peep, no extra holes gets you into collector territory. Then condition takes over.





P

If you want it for a shooter, then just don't pay a collector price for it. I bet if you don't do something stupid to it, the value will go up anyway. Just count on selling to another shooter.

Or just buy one that already has a pad. I wouldn't pad mine...

It didn't kill it completely, but it did reduce it.

Jerry

Really or serioulsy reduced it. I mis-read your first note and thought you were going to add a buttpad. If it already has been, for collectors the damage has been done, for shooters it might be the right idea.

Thanks, all. I passed on the purchase. It also had a couple of extra holes in the receiver where a scope might have been mounted once.

Good on you if you were looking at collector prices.

Like I said earlier, extra holes are the particular kiss of death for collector grade model 71s.

P

for a shooter buy a Browning 71...they are more accurate than the originals but do not have the "collector" value as much as the New Haven ones....I have had both and shot many deer with the original I inherited from my fahter who boutght his in the early 50s as I recall...with the 200 Gr Rem Core Lokt it is a dead cold killer...but with the Silver Tips of that day it tended to ice pick...very poor performance...maybe better in a Moose but darn sure not White Tails...the Core Lokts were fantastic...too many deer one shot drops....

I once passed on a beautiful shooter priced at $700 only because I didn't have the money to spare at the time. It had holes in the receiver where a scope mount had been added, but the holes were plugged (welded) and the entire gun refinished to look quite beautiful. You had to hold it at just the right angle to the light to see where the holes used to be. It had the bolt peep too. One guy walked up and offered the guy $300 for just the peep, but the he wouldn't sell it. That was years ago and I still regret that pass.

Many "collectors" are a total bore. Many don't give a crap about guns other than what they can profit from the resale. Not my cup of tea. I shoot my guns.