Testing the waters....

[cwlongshot]

Not a for sale add, Just wondering if there is interest in a 38-55 cowboy.

 I have one and haven't used it in a couple years. Contemplating selling, but it doesn't cost anything to sit in the safe either .....

What are they going for and have you seen many for sale out there.

Again, its not for sale... yet just wondering.

CW

[Graybeard]

Yes I admit it is a rifle I've long had some interest in. I had a Marlin .45-70 Cowboy and it just kicked too danged much for my shoulder. I let it go and got a .45 Colt Cowboy and it was so inaccurate that pretending I was gonna shoot something with it was a joke. It too went away and I began thinking I might like a .38-55 as the lighter bullets from it should recoil less than the .45-70. I hoped accuracy might be better than the .45 Colt Cowboy but I've heard a lot of rumors on both the Marlin and the NEF rifles not being so very accurate due to grossly oversize bores yet with chambers that prevent you from loading bullets large enough to fill the bore.

I have no clue what the truth of the matter is regarding these rifles so had kinda lost interest in them and have not really persued buying one. I've not seen one locally else I likely would have bought it and found out first hand.

I have no clue what they sell for likely more than I personally consider them to be worth. Used Marlin rifles in .30-30 and .35 Remington are generally to be had locally for $250 or less used in excellent even nearly as new condition. For some reason most seem to think the straight wall cartridge rifles are worth far more why they think that I'm not sure. It doesn't cost Marlin anymore to make a straight wall cased rifle than a bottle necked one I'm sure so all should cost about the same from them new but often they don't. Demand or more properly supply and demand generally determine the price an item sells for.

I think the supply of them must have been too great as Marlin discontinued them cuz they weren't selling and now that they are no longer being made some think they are gold plated and worth a small fortune. If such an owner can find a buyer so inclined they might sell at a princely sum. I'm not such a buyer and so likely will never own one but then who knows some day I might come across one in a local store at a decent price and decide to take it home and see if it can be made to shoot. I sure don't need one as I have more guns now than I use but it is an itch I've not yet scratched.

[howdy doody]

I have just such an animal myself. I paid $650 for it some 7 or 8 years ago. It shoots really sweet, but some things had to be done.
I slugged my barrel and found it at .3785. I needed to fill that bore, but I couldn't until I had the chamber reamed. I started with .380 lead bullets and settled on .381 bullet. I added a tang sight and a globe to the front and it shoots some really good groups. In fact it shoots a lot better than I do.
So, I would say an out of the box 38-55 Cowboy would be worth right at $650. I wouldn't take any less myself.   

[cwlongshot]

Thanks for the honest and candid replies. KEEP THEM COMING!!! This is what I wanted and didn't expect anything less. 

 I was also worried about the bores and read all the hype. Guess I was lucky as mine slugged about the same as yours HD. I have only shot it a couple doz times all with my lite hand-loads and + - 250gr lead bullets. I also added a Lyman tang site but kept the  factory front site. It shoots very well with .379 bullets. On my local indoor range it will shoot in one hole, but it should as its only 25 yards. 

I just bought a W&H 38-55 BC form another member and after a thorough shoot-a-thon I will decide on which one stays in my safe.

[Lloyd Smale]

id say a real world price would be 650 if it were new in the box and 500-550 used. You see them listed for more then that but you will notice there still listed and not sold.

[dpe.ahoy]

I paid 500 for mine a year and a half ago.  Mine seems to shoot fine with all I have run through her.  Even the factory Winchester which is really slow does good.  Mine isn't for sale.  I have had more trouble with my Handi 38-55, still need to work on getting it to shoot better.  Haven't slugged it yet and in all fairness, haven't shot more than 30-40 rounds through it.  To many toys, not enough time.   DP