question about 1873 springfield trap door carbine...value/ethics?

[Guest]

k,
so there is a model 1873 trapdoor carbine in my family. its in excellent functional condition with the exception some one a while ago had the butt plate not coated in grease and the butt plates pitted pretty bad but its damage from who knows when.
now no one has said "here this belongs to you now." but i am hoping that happens some day soon. the serial number is 53,000 some thing. its missing a sling swivel and the stock was coated in lacquer around 1900 and some thing.
so not to jump up and down but i saw one on a website that had the sling swivel but the metal is in worse shape and the stocks about equal quality. that one was listed at 8,450.99
if i get this should i sell it? granted the butt plate needs replacing ($125) and the stock would need some tlc, 8,000 or 7,500 would go along way for me....i can just picture the mosins... any one have any idea what i would have to go through to sell it? get some appraisal and get in check by a smith?
i am not a buffalo/cowboy fan so i would rather trade it for a dozen arisakas or a few cases of mosins.
any input appreciated.

[Haggar85]

the bore is shiny too, but not sure that has much $$$ value

[Nodda Duma]

Listed at 8500? Maybe you live in an alternate universe, but on gunbroker most of them are listed around $1k, and the only one which actually has bids on it is right at $400.

BTW, as a rifle that the American military used in the past, the 1873 Springfield will appreciate in value much better than a barrel full of communist or Japanese guns. Additionally, it is a family heirloom. No offense, but I'd hate to be the one to sell a rifle with family history in it, and I'd be pissed as hell if I gave a family heirloom to one of my kids and they turned around and sold it. There's some things which are worth more than money... If I were in your shoes, I'd check with other family members to see if they'd be more interested in keeping it in the family.

[Haggar85]

sorry i was looking at a certified custer used super duper carbine...

i found the pics and its not a cavalry carbine, its a cut down long rifle but the serial is not 53,000 its 27,500., no cav sling swivel, not cleaning rod in butt. infact im not sure what it is. its marked 1873, hell might be a bannerman hack job, lord know that guy jacked up a bunch of mil surplus.

[Haggar85]

like bannermans 30.06 mosins.
the 44 webley (mine personally) went to a hock shop as did the savage 30.30 bolt action (my dads) by the hand on an uncle. a .45 has gone missing (grandpaps from korea) and the 1912 pump action was also taken (great grandpaps.) and used as a wall hanger some where in the mid west my another non blood uncle. all of this done with out permission, not like i think that justifies what i might do, but theres no honor among thieves or family.

[Haggar85]

i got a word on the carbine for the guy at trapdoor carbine collectors, its not a carbine. some one chopped the rifle down, the serial number is not a Springfield number, i has 1 more number than a normal serial number. value is about 300-450. its a cowboy mod gun...now if i get it i have to sell it, its modified LOL.