Value of 92 with DL # hand engraved

[Milsurp1]

This rifle has unfortunately been hand engraved with a driver’s license number. I’m trying to estimate a fair price for it so I can decide whether it is worth buying. I will be asking for more details like bore condition and lockup but assuming the answer might not be perfectly accurate. Supposedly early 1920’s serial number.

[MajorSideburns]

TRAP55 is the guy to ask! Where's that ol' curmudgeon?

[DirtyRussianAmmo]

Some very knowledgeable guys over on the Winchester Collector Forum. You should ask over there. Better photos would help.

https://winchestercollector.org/forum/

[kendog4570]

In its condition it is a shooter. What caliber is it? That and bore condition has more impact on value for this particular gun. 38's and 44's bring more $$.

[Milsurp1]

25-20. The rifle is two hours away from me so I can’t get better pictures yet.

[TRAP55]

TRAP55 is the guy to ask! Where's that ol' curmudgeon?

Telling kids to stay off my lawn, and trying to stay a step ahead of bills. Stop by and visit, I'll tell ya about it.
Milsurp1, Just what I can see in the pics, that one has been rode hard and put up wet. Ken nailed it, at best it's a shooter. Any value it had as a collector, was borked when bubba used the receiver for his DL number billboard.
As mentioned, chambering plays in the pricing. A .44 at the highest, .25 at the lowest, and 25/20 is scarce at best, so you better want to reload for it. As a shooter with no collector value left, it "might be" a candidate for a complete refinish. That's only if:
The bore is good
The engraving and rust pits are not too deep to polish out
The wood isn't cracked, chipped or broken
And how bad you want it.
JMO, $300 tops, "maybe" $400 if it meets the criteria above. Close up clear pics would help. Get pics of the damage to the wood, and pits/engraving on the hardware.

[Milsurp1]

Thank you, I’ll see what the seller is willing to accept.

[Milsurp1]

Looks like I am going to pass on this rifle. The seller apparently is equating his attachment to it with financial market value.

[TRAP55]

I hope I didn't sound like I was raining on your picnic, I try to give the facts the same way I would want to hear them. I think you made the right choice passing it up, it would have led to frustration and disappointment, and a lot more money. There's a few I kick myself for passing on, and quite a few more I kick myself for buying. On the bright side, the ones I passed on, eventually a better deal came along.

[Milsurp1]

No, not at all. I appreciate your advice. It isn’t often that an original 1892 enters the market under $800, but considering the damage this one is priced much too high.

[bigbossman]

No, not at all. I appreciate your advice. It isn’t often that an original 1892 enters the market under $800, but considering the damage this one is priced much too high.

Just to add to what Trap said - if you want to shoot it, 25-20 brass and bullets are impossible to find. I used to shoot mine regularly in silhouette competition, and switched over to 32-20 because the 25-20 components are very, VERY scarce. Nobody makes the brass anymore, and you're pretty much relegated to cast lead bullets - which brings up the next point...

Almost every older 25-20 I've seen has a rough bore as a result of shooting black powder cartridges, and that means lead bullets won't shoot worth a damn out of them. A shiny 25-20 bore is a relative rarity. If that gun is as rough on the inside as it is on the outside, it ain't even a shooter.

[Milsurp1]

^^^ Good to know, thanks.