doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Where Do Win 21 Trap Models sell at auction?

I have had this irrational desire for an unmolested Winchester 21 Trap Model F/F in factory original trap configuration for a number of years.

However, although I have bought two doubles in the past few months, my desire is not yet irrational enough for me to pay upwards of $8,000 to one of the "retail" dealers who seem to have a corner on the market.

I see guns like this on Gunbroker and Guns International at high initial bids or reserve auctions that never sell.

Where do guns like this sell at real auctions?

What is a ballpark price in good condition?

Thank you

Lou

What you want "unmolested Winchester 21 Trap Model F/F in factory original trap configuration " and what you are willing to pay are simply at odds with one another.
First. most of these Trap guns were used for just that, Trap, and an 'unmolested' gun is a rare breed and by now the province of a collector.
Collector guns do not trade at low prices and if you found a 'collector' gun, can YOU determine if not redone?
My personal opinion is that I NEVER purchase a gun at auction of this grade. If it's good, it's good enough to sell on it's own.
If your really serious, take yourself to one of the large double guns shows, bring CASH.
BTW not all Winchester Model 21 Trap guns were choked F/F.-Dick

I just sold a very high original condition 30" Deluxe Trap for a price you would have paid. Are you looking for 30" or 32"?

I sold three 21's in the last two years. All would have exceeded what I understand your desired buying price. Some gun names and models bring prices that exceed shooter prices and tend to be in collector price range regardless of condition. Browning superposed, Winchester models 12, 21, 42 and 70's bring top dollar both because they are sought after by collectors and shooters both who have money to spend.

On top of that 21's have been a custom shop gun for fifty years so the total numbers are modest. Take away the ones never shot and those used to be upgraded and your purchase pool is getting smaller. The flip side is that if you buy one and take good care of it it will never wear out and when sold would bring a modest return on investment. The ones I sold netted me about eight grand after 20 years

Bushmaster, I know that you like Ithaca's so you might consider a Grade 4E or 5E. There are a few nice ones around in your price range.

Here is the straight dope.

I would feel comfortable buying a Winchester 21 for $8000 if I thought I could sell it for no more than a 10% loss (assuming no change in the market).

However, when a dealer lists a gun for $8000 and and it gets no bids, I am concerned that I might see a loss of $3000 or more if I wanted to sell.

If I saw a real auction and the price got bid up to $8000 I would feel a lot better about buying that gun for $8500 or more.

Thus my question, where do Winchester 21 trap guns sell at auction?

May I suppose that you'll only buy a car that you can use for a lifetime
on the condition that when you sell it you'll recoup 90% of your original investment?

I'm not saying you have to take "the hit" on a Model 21 purchase yet we'll spend money on experiential things like a vacation where once the money is spent and the vacation is over, all that is left is the memories.

Isn't the purchase of a beautiful Model 21 a lot like a vacation. Amassing experiences, tons of memories yet the added benefit of acquiring a valuable asset in the bargain.

I run my cars into the ground, after 250,000 miles I do not expect to get much back.

I buy and shoot guns for a year or two, and sell them unless I really like them. I would not want to go into an expensive gun far above the "market" price.

In general, 21 traps do not get a lot of weird modifications, so they are not quite like the rest of the trap guns out there. If you break the 21 trap guns into original and nicely refinished categories, there is a relatively good selection available to you if you are patient (21s have a fairly high turnover rate). The availability of 32-inchers is quite a bit thinner than the 30 in. bbls.

I would expect to find them in the $6500-7500 range. At auction, reduce this by 20% or so.

Keep looking. You ought to be able to find one in the $5-6k range. I saw one sell for that not too long ago. It had a vent rib. Patience is a virtue. They only made about 30,000 Model 21's total, so they aren't like buses with one showing up every 20 minutes. They will likely go up in value IMHO.