I have a bit of a dilemma. I have a dear friend who is elderly and thinking of parting with his 12 gauge Powell SLE.
I would like to make him a reasonable offer for the gun and would want to be sure I was being fair to him. Unfortunatly I'm not sure what that offer should be as I've seen no examples lately to give me some idea. I know this is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is without photos but hopefully I can give an accurate enough discription to formulate a close approximation as to the guns value.
The barrels are 28" and retain 95% blue. The ribs appear tight and the engraving looks good. The bores look good without dents or bulges. I have not had an opportunity to measure the barrels but certainly would before making an offer or deciding to pass. For the sake of this exercise let us assume the bores are as proofed and barrel wall thickness is a minimum of .025" with a useable amount of choke.
The stock retains most of its finish with a few light marks from normal use in the finish and checkering. It has fairly standard dimensions and fits me nicely as is. There are no cracks or repairs to the stock.
The action is nicely covered with English scroll engraving and retains some case colors in protected places. It has not been polished so the engraving remains crisp. The floor plate and trigger guard show blue wear from carrying with sharp engraving. The screws remain in good shape. The gun locks up tight with no problems.
The gun is not a self opener. It comes in a nice leather case.
All in all it appears to be a solid gun which has seen careful use. I would very much enjoy being its care taker for the next 25 or so years. Thank you for your help, Don.
