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I have an opportunity to pick up a Mauser Model 1896 in 9MM. I know nothing about them and have never handled one. The internet helped a little, but I have zero experience with vintage firearms.

The seller is a friends Dad in Michigan. I'm told it is in great shape - considering the source, I believe him. He wants $350 for it.

I'm not a gun collector but I don't want to pass up a deal if it is one.

Let me know what questions I should be asking.

Thsnks for your help.

yukonjasper wrote:I have an opportunity to pick up a Mauser Model 1896 in 9MM. I know nothing about them and have never handled one. The internet helped a little, but I have zero experience with vintage firearms.

The seller is a friends Dad in Michigan. I'm told it is in great shape - considering the source, I believe him. He wants $350 for it.

I'm not a gun collector but I don't want to pass up a deal if it is one.

Let me know what questions I should be asking.

Thsnks for your help.

Buy it, buy it now, buy it before he changes his mind Buy... buy...buy.

Sorry did I get carried away.
If it's in 9mm and the barrel isn't a sewer pipe, Chinese or German, it's worth at least double the price.

P.S. If you don't want it, I'll take it

Even for parts its worth more than that. Buy.

OK, I'm looking at a couple of other guns he has like a Winchester model 94 - (1894) which he mentioned had a serial number in the 2000's - its a .32 special caliber - if he is right, I think that is a collector also. He wants $275 for that with 10 boxes of shells.

He also has a Winchester Model 9410 that I think would be intersting. I have a model 94 in 30-30 that I think is pre 64. He is going to look up the price for a new one and charge me 2/3rds the price of the new.

I may need to buy them all. I guess I'm stuck with an ethical dilemma, should I tell the guy what they are worth, if I know? At this point I don't have any idea because I don't have enough information and have not seen them. But if I knew, am I honor bound to let him know? Or, is it seller beware and I take them and run.

Thanks for the input.

There are some broomhandle clones out there too. Beware.

Ah, it comes down to an ethical dilemma... Make him a decent offer and feel good about your purchases.

Knowing my conscience, I'd say...

How good is the friend? If you pull a sweet deal off of his dad, and they eventually find out, will that drive a wedge between you? Will you care?

Other people may not know as much during the transaction as you, but people get curious, and eventually anyone determined enough can find fairly accurate information on the value of a gun.

If its a good friend, I'd spill the beans a bit. Maybe not buy the guns at 50% value, but if it truly is a good friend, he might go 70-80% of value with you. Thats still a good deal for both sides. You get a deal, and the seller gets more than expected.

yukonjasper wrote:I guess I'm stuck with an ethical dilemma, should I tell the guy what they are worth, if I know? At this point I don't have any idea because I don't have enough information and have not seen them. But if I knew, am I honor bound to let him know?

Only you can answer that. I'm facing the same issue with several long guns. He sent them home with me and told me to look them over and make an offer on anything I was interested in, otherwise he's going to the gun shop to see what he can get for them.

I've decided I will determine what the buy and sell values are as accurately as I can, present him with the information and make him an offer right in the middle of those two figures. If I decide there are some I don't want to buy, I'll sell them here.

Thanks for the advice. The way I left it was he was going to look up the price of a few of the guns he hadn't researched. I'm assuming if he is going to blue book the as yet unpriced items, he'll probably also look up the price of those he thinks he already has a value on. I suspect that when Winchester Model 9410 comes up worth $600-700 and he was thinking more like $250, he'll begin to question his other assumptions as well.

I've determined to also not rush the sale. He isn't openly marketing these and should he decide the Mauser is worth $1000, he'll be doing that on his own and if he still wants to sell them I'll have to decide if I want it or not. Chances are I wouldn't see the guns until after Thanksgiving unless he comes out to do some pheasant and duck hunting with us. Either way, I'll back off and let him have some time to understand what he has and what they should be worth.

The link to GunBroker.com may make its way to him also. As was mentioned by EJSG19, I don't want to pull a fast one and ruin a long friendship.

yukonjasper wrote:OK, I'm looking at a couple of other guns he has like a Winchester model 94 - (1894) which he mentioned had a serial number in the 2000's - its a .32 special caliber - if he is right, I think that is a collector also. He wants $275 for that with 10 boxes of shells.

He also has a Winchester Model 9410 that I think would be intersting. I have a model 94 in 30-30 that I think is pre 64. He is going to look up the price for a new one and charge me 2/3rds the price of the new.

I may need to buy them all. I guess I'm stuck with an ethical dilemma, should I tell the guy what they are worth, if I know? At this point I don't have any idea because I don't have enough information and have not seen them. But if I knew, am I honor bound to let him know? Or, is it seller beware and I take them and run.

Thanks for the input.

As far as I'm concerned, it's only an ethical dilemma if you are trying to lowball him. If he has come up with these prices, and is an avid collecter of firearms, (which it seems like he knows what he is talking about) and he is stating the prices he would be happy with taking.......... well then, I guess there isn't an issue. I know I have let a couple of firearms go for much less that they were worth, because I knew what I had into them (or better yet, what I wanted to get out of them) and I wanted to move them quickly. What's to say that isn't the case here? But if you think it's a case of him not knowing what they are worth, well.......... use your judgment.

Now, if it's the little old widow down the road, who just stubmled across her late husband's gun safe, and you offered her $10 for the contents, well then, that's a different story, and you're a jerk.


Like Dinky has mentioned, make sure that you aren't getting the short end of the stick here...... Wouldn't it be ironic if he was trying to pull a fast one on you?

.02 and all that.

spoke to seller last night. German inscriptions all over it and a big red 9 on the grip. Comes with a leather holster and the stock. $400.

Winchester 9410 also available. $375.

He has a Browning break down .22 that seems interesting, but not sure it has any particular value beyond the price quoted. Also a TC Contender and a Model 94 in .32 special that seem to be a bit overpriced.

He did in fact take both of these to a gun shop to get a price on what a new one would be and then fixed the price at about 2/3rds of that price. He had time to research and do his own due diligence and will again after I call him today to say I'll take both. I won't see them until November- I'm guessing.

Thanks for the feedback, I think I'll be moving forward with the 1897 and the 9410.

a first year of production with a fairly low four digit serial number '94 in great condition might fetch ten grand at the gun show in Cody. Add the right options and $25k is not out of question.

The 9410's aren't made anymore, and that's a pretty good deal. I always thought they were neat, but could never figure out exactly what I'd do with one.

He may be selling them cheap to get rid of them without a hassle. You're still probably giving him more than he'd get at a gunstore/pawnshop. He doesn't have to advertise the stuff, meet strangers etc. Sometimes selling stuff to people you know is worth it.

The browning break down semiauto 22's are damn nice rifles.

OK, the transaction is complete and I'm in possession of the Model 1896. What is my best route to getting a valuation?

Is there an appraiser that you would recommend or is there a resource that I could consult to figure out what I have?

Here's some good info on your "new" 1896.

http://www.northwest-denture.com/mauser1896/
http://home.comcast.net/~gunspotz/c96_9mm.htm (great photos)
Do a google search you'll find lots of info.