75th Anniv.

[das]

     OK fellas, heres a tough one. I have an anniv. model 99 still in the factory plastic, with the tags attached, all paperwork, and still in the box just  sitting under my bed. I got this upon my grandpas death back in 1980. I don't know if I should leave it there, go shoot it and hunt with it,or sell it to a collecter and buy another hunting rifle for deer.
     This gun is as it left the factory. PERFECT in every way !!! I know the collecters will say to keep it as is, but it hase'nt gone up much at all. Yep, I know, it's a hard choice to make. Let the comments begin.

[Graybeard]

I'm not a collector of much of anything. I'd vote to either shoot it or let some collector own it and buy a gun to shoot. To me a gun is about useless unless I shoot it. Having said that there are still several around here I've not gotten around to shooting yet but the longer I go without doing so the more likely it will become trading material for something I feel I want more than it.

[das]

     Yes sir, that's about the way I'm looking at it. I know my grandpa did a lot of tradin' over the years. Maby that was why he bought it at a good price. I'm thinking an Encore in 35 Rem is sounding real good right now.

[Hairtrigger]

Shoot it and enjoy it.
YOU WILL REGRET SELLING GRANDPA"S RIFLE!

[Graybeard]

Shoot it and enjoy it.
YOU WILL REGRET SELLING GRANDPA"S RIFLE!

That's an assumption I see made on sites like this often but each person is different and only they can make such a decision. That a parent or grandparent owned a gun doesn't automatically make it a family heirloom. This one wasn't ever fired by the grandfather or even taken from the box so it likely had little personal meaning or value to him. So why automatically assume it should to the current owner? He states his grandfather did a lot of trading much as I do and to such folks most of the guns that go thru their hands aren't guns with a lot of sentiment attached. Now if it were one his grandfather had since he was a boy and hunted with much of his life and had taken a lot of game with I'd tend to agree with the idea but not in this case.

Still that's a decision that must be made by each person as to what value to place on who previously owned a gun and whether that means they should keep it to pass on down or not.

[ncsurveyor]

I assume you checked the current value on it?  What model 99 is it? caliber?

Second, have you ever shot one before?  You could find out you really like it.

[das]

     The Anniv. model 99 is a 308 with the medallion in the fancy walnut stock, gold trigger. There was only 999 of them made in 1970 and the books are saying it's worth about $550.00 in the box. I don't think it's gone up enough to warrent keeping it this way.
     I do by the way still have quite a number of guns that have been passed down; 10 ga. s/b/s Damascus circa 1852-1853 by the makers marks; 32 cal. rifle , octigon barrel, by M. R. Hixson from mid Ohio around 1840, and my Great grandpas first 22 made in Belgum, a Baird rolling block from about 1880 that my 12 year old daughter still shoots. Theres about 10 more but those are our favorites that will be passed down.
     Back to the 99, I'm sure that if I take it out and shoot it that I'll wind up keeping it. Just such tough choices to make.

[35Rem]

Well, if you're not married to it, it SHOULD be worth a little more "New In The Box"
You would probably get more for it on an Auction site...