Helping with the estate of a deceased friend.
Any estimates on the value of this old gun case?
Thank you,
Dale


x400/][/URL]

Good straps, good interior, nice condition label, keyed locks, normal handling marks outside................ I'd say $400. Not much more, IMO.

For a later canvas case in good condition...$250 tops.

Yup, $250 or less if negotiating.

I agree with Stan. My reasons are this, obvious $250 is the price you would want to pay not what it is worth. The case is the type from the 1960's 70's that commonly held Webley 700 series shotguns that where sold on your side of the pond. The case label I am sure it is genuine and hard to find, yes you can get copies but that is not the same as the real thing. I have seen genuine case labels go on ebay here for just under a hundred pounds. IMHO I would take the odd cleaning rod out give the canvas a wipe over with a mix of a little Baby oil and Alcohol to bring some colour back to the canvas and advertise it as a Vintage Webley & Scott 700 series case. There is always a gun owner looking for a genuine case for their gun and prepared to pay a premium.

The presence of the original label, and the condition, is why I estimated it as I did. Many buyers (including myself) will actually pay a little more for a used case, in this good a condition, than for a brand new one. A vintage gun just looks much better in a case that has some "honest wear". Takes years to get that good used look on one.

SRH

I have a case identical to that one. It’s probably my favorite case even though I have better ones. Nice and light, but secure. Mine came with a Hussey. I sold the gun but kept the case.

If you want to advertise it and wait $375. If you want to sell it $295.

PL

I just can't help comparing that case to the brand new canvas case Jeff's Outfitters has on sale for $129.95...Geo

There really is no comparison. Vintage English made cases are just the best. Modern discount cases are just that.

PL

It's just a box to put a gun in...Geo

Modern discount case peddlers love that attitude...

PL

[quote=damascus]I would take the odd cleaning rod out give the canvas a wipe over with a mix of a little Baby oil and Alcohol to bring some colour back to the canvas


How would you mix the 2 50/50 or ..?

Thank you,

It's probably worth the $400 to the person with the (a) Webley & Scott.

I would lean more toward their case for $199.95 George, but I agree with your idea. The case pictured simply looks like one of those cases with a makers label applied to me.

In what way or ways are vintage English made cases just the best versus newer modern discount cases? I am not trying to start an argument here. I simply want to know what design or manufacturing feature make the difference you present here.

Just my opinion;
The leather is a better quality. The construction is solid, the interior baize is better quality, and the lock/latch is superior. There is a downside though. They often smell like a mix of some English castle dungeon and Rangoon oil. Buy what you think is best and what you can afford. The OP case is a nice quality case.

PL

FYI: The case is presently not for sale.
Thanks for the offers though.

I love the smell of Rangoon oil. I picked up a nice William Evans last year with an empty container of Rangoon oil in the case. It second only to Hoppes #9:

I dont own any all leather or canvas and leather gun cases so I can only listen to more learned individuals talk about them. I assume that an of these type cases that are worth anything are made of wood covered in either canvas or leather. What kind of wood? Oak? I have heard the word but am not thoroughly familiar with what "baize" is. Wool felt? I have often thought of getting a really nice one of these, probably leather covered - for a couple of decent pieces that I own. I presently have the Pelican-type cases or Cabela's Stainless steel or the SKB hard plastic for my doubles. I like them all, but if I really wanted to "show off" any of my nicer guns I should probably think about a more fitted one such as this one. Thanks for the education on English cases!!

I think the Rangoon oil is a bit more subtle, as compared to Hoppes #9. Rangoon has a very distinctive smell. Lovely.

SRH

PL you seem to be on your own here. So I will start at the beginning with a couple of photographs.



A slim brief history of Webley & Scott.



Take a close look at the gun case bottom left in this picture does it remind you of something? It is a very low grade photograph of a low grade book picture.

These cases where made by the Brady company (there is a company having the same name now though not the same).
The leather used for the straps handle and strap anchors is English Vege Tanned Bridle Leather straps fitted with solid Brass Military style buckles, not at all the like the thin poor quality Leather used on the $129.95 case manufactured to a rock bottom price in the far east.
The Canvas used on the Brady case is a quality product using a high proportion of Linen thread in its manufacture. The $129.95 offering is just Cotton Calico with a ware rating of a ladies handkerchief.
The Brady case fabric is manufactured from Deal a cover all name we Brits give to various Pine timbers. This is strong and light also used for the dividers and the case top and bottom.This is to make the case and gun lighter to carry when compared with an Oak framed version, but still giving a reasonably high level of gun protection. The Case lock is good quality Brass and lasts the life of the case.
The $129.95 has highly flexible plywood sides with hardboard top bottom and dividers.
The Brady case has real wool Baize, Perry Baize is a woven Wool Cloth, Felt is a felted cloth not woven with a ware quality of zero. In the $129.95 will have some man made fibre cloth with a nap made to look and feel like the real thing but it isn't.
Those low cost cases are sold on this side of the pond and I have been asked to repair a good number now, and I have turned every one down except the first where I gained the knowledge of how they are constructed, and never again do I want to do an other. I also used one of these low value all Leather cases that I re-constructed for a two barrel Webley & Scott 700 two barrel set posting here. George I take it that you keep all your guns in cardboard boxes with string handles "Well it is just a box to put a gun in" your remark was I hope as tongue in cheek as mine.
Finally Wanagohunting, 10 parts Alcohol to one part Baby Oil. This gives a temporary dressing the fabric it does not last a long time but it sure makes the canvas look good. Apply sparingly do not saturate the canvas.

That, homies, is why we hang around the doublegunshop board. If you can’t figure it out after that explanation, and believe this level of knowledge and experience is available anywhere else, then the Facebook gun boards are probably where you belong, anyway.
Many, many thanks, Damascus.

Best,
Ted

Thanks Ernie ... Very good information

You can enjoy both Ted. You might be surprised who hangs out on FB and the knowledge they contribute. I certainly appreciate the post by Damascus.
Steve

Damascus,
Thank you for that explanation! You answered every question I had on the difference in the two types of case. I thought I had heard before that oak and leather or oak and canvas was the ultimate in case materials but your explanation here makes perfect sense and clears that up for me. Also, thanks for educating me on Baize without having me go to Google to ask the question!! I may still go with a really good quality English case for a couple of guns I have, but for now I will probably just stick with the breakdown cases I have as I mentioned before of the Pelican type or the Cabela's stainless steel. And George, can you post some pictures of some of your "boxes with string handles" that Damascus spoke of!!! I had no idea that this string of posts was going to turn into such fun!! Thanks all for the education. Heck, I was ready to accept PL's explanation that it was just his opinion!!

You nailed it Ted!! That is precisely the reason I have been here for so long. I don't like some of the idiots who constantly try to upset everything posted here but I have most assuredly learned to simply ignore them.

Been to both. This one is better. It gets harder to find Klunk’s enjoyable posts, here, but he was never on FB.
So it goes.

Best,
Ted

It appears that you also enjoy the continuous free advertising that you do here Stevie. Have you tried doing that on Upland Journal yet?

I'm not sure I would use the word better Ted, different maybe. We have lots of knowledge here but this is not the only place you can find knowledgeable double gun folks. You see things here you do not see there and vise versa.

A couple weeks back a client asked me to find him a contact for sleeving a gun in the UK, within hours I had the names of four guys all recommended by top gunmakers in the trade through a FB group. You do not get that here any longer, maybe once long ago.

Perry, I'd be glad to post pics of my string handled cardboard gun box, but that idea didn't work out. The string cut through the cardboard and the box fell apart. Maybe I ought not to have used forty pound test monofilament fishing line?

If photobucket ever gets back to working, I'll show you my fine english canvas and dealwood box with the dealwood bent and falling apart and nails protruding through the felt. But it has leather handles, they're a little sticky though. I'm afraid someone mixed the alcohol/baby oil wrong before I got it with a Jos. Blanche & Son hammer gun. The seller did not charge extra for the case...Geo

But here we can see Bailey Bradshaw building a beautiful complete single shot rifle from scratch, while we see you making a front sight insert while wearing girls shoes... and doing free advertising at Dave's expense!


_________________________________

DON'T FEED THE FREE ADVERTISING GUNSMITH !

Gunman, Damascus, Lagopus, and a few others could likely get you the same thing, here. Then, we could have the debate about why sleeving sucks. There would be some personal insults, political commentary, and a suggestion or two for good craft beer.

Try that on FB.

Just sayin’

Best,
Ted

Try talking about a 3 dollar bill on fAce book...

I made a comment about whOOpy Gold'turd being from the Planet of the Apes and they gave me a time out.

fAcebook is a Safe Zone for fags, liberals and socialists....

Joe, Your racist comments here are sufficient. There's no need to brag about them elsewhere. Whatever grudge you bear against specific folks with darker skin doesn't justify your generalizations. It just makes you look like a redneck peckerwood.

So unfair that Facebook would give bigotry a time out!
I love vintage makers' cases and think they add a lot of value to a gun. The wood cases not covered in leather or canvas tend to be ML-era guns as with this Purdey 14 bore.

Bill I bet your waiting for Opie Winfrey to run for president so you can vote for her..

Wasn't she in the movie Planet of the Apes too ?

Excellent observation from one of our Canadian members. Bigotry is on full display here, most by two ignorant asses.