original 1861 Springfield for only $475

[KPavia]

Hey all
I was just looking around at guns for sell, not being serious to buy one, and I came across this. It seems a bit suspicious to me seeing as how this "original" is cheaper than repros and was wondering what you all think.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIte...Item=105221167

If its true blue, then its quite a deal, I think.

[benjaminmcgee]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Kenny,

That price is actually about right. It shows heavy pitting, missing the rear sight, and the stock is beat. Bore looks like a sewer pipe. It would be worth more parted out. It would make a nice wallhanger in a pub though.

Benjamin McGee

[13thnhv]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Benjamin stole the words right out of my keyboard. A beater, not worth wasting your money on. Keep looking Kenny!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Hallo!

Yes, it appears legit.

While it is easy to self-destruct the metal with pits and rust induced by boliing in bleach, deleting the rear sight, hammering the cone- the stock appears to be Black Walnut and shows fungus damage, etc.,.

One finer point though. It is likely not a "$475" gun.

The starting bid is set at $475. You may find the seller has the Reserve set at $1,000 or $2,000. ;) :)

Curt

[KPavia]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Yeah, I noticed the damage to the rifle and wondered if that was what had brought the price down, but I didn't notice the reserve amount! Anyways, I'm not looking to buy an original, at least not that one.

[rogue]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Herr Schmidt has hit the mark square, once again.
"Reserve not met" does indeed mean that $475.00 is merely a starting point in an attempt by the seller to clear his credit card debt in a single sale.
If you watch any internet gun auction this seems to be the norm. Listings are running forever, and very little sells, though some prices are coming down, in small increments. My granddaughter is nearly a year old, but I swear she will drive before much sells on these sites.
So look, but the sites are poor barometers to the actual selling price.
Steve Sullivan

[red]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

a better place to find prices like that on weapons would be a show, either a gun show or civil war show. I have to echo the previous statements that internet auctions are often too pricey, people don't know what they have, in the bad way, or think they can get far more than it's worth simply because it's an auction.

Ian B.

[NC5thCav]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

If you are looking for an original here are two nice ones. The prices for their condition aren't bad.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(cl10m5uv2opc3o454lirrr45))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=12&subId=78&styleId=266&partNum=AAF-040

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(cl10m5uv2opc3o454lirrr45))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=12&subId=78&styleId=266&partNum=AAF-717

[weed]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

The best place to purchase an original is at a Cilil War Show. Take what the dealer is selling it for, divide that by at least 1/3 and you have a good idea of the actual price. Then offer that price. Basically all you have to say is "this is what I am offering, if you do not accept the offer, most likely you really do not what to sell the gun and are taking it home with you at the end on the show".

John Wedeward - Collector Before Living Historian

ps. check any weapon out for correct parts, replacement parts, correct markings and inspector's marks.

Steve Sullivan is correct. Gunbuyers.com is not a good place to purchase a firearm. Unlike eBay, they use a "real time" auction tchnique. So there is really no st time for an auction to end. It could go go for hours or days past the ending time.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Hallo!

"If you did not have ordinance, you would have to throw rocks!"

Unless you have an ordinance against throwing rocks.

;) :)

Just-a-funnin'...

IMHO, EBAY and on-line auctions were a great invention until two things happened:

1. Sniping as required to Play The Game, and worse yet
2. The artifical rise of prices beyond any market value because there may be a fish, or a fool with more money than knowledge or sense, who will pay high or higher prices for things. (and letting an auction run for a longer period, or run forever is just a fishing expedition waiting for the fish or the fool, and hoping for Bid Fever and Lads Who Do Not Like to Lose At Any Cost).

Others' mileage, and ordnance, will vary...

Curt

[Clsinclair]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

I have purchased 2 muskets and 2 rifled muskets from Auctions. The two muskets were M-1842 Harpers Ferry. I got them for $600 each from two different dealers and I sold one for a profit and kept the other. Got an 1861 Springfield that was in decent shape for also $600. I used it doing reenactments and L.H.'s and someone offered me $800 and now it is gone. I then purchased an 1863 Type 1 for $500 and used it until someone wanted it better than me. I took my profits and purchased a P-1853 Enfield 2nd Edition which is in excellent shape from the Horse Soldier in Gettysburg. Not an import but worth more than the $1000 that I paid.

Every once in a while a good buy will come along. Antique Arms was once a good resource for period arms. Auction Arms can be OK and so is Gunbroker.com but there are really some junk dealers on each. The advice on gun shows was good.

Claude Sinclair

[weed]

Re: original 1861 Springfield for only $475

Hallo!

"If you did not have ordinance, you would have to throw rocks!"

Unless you have an ordinance against throwing rocks.

;) :)

Just-a-funnin'...

IMHO, EBAY and on-line auctions were a great invention until two things happened:

1. Sniping as required to Play The Game, and worse yet
2. The artifical rise of prices beyond any market value because there may be a fish, or a fool with more money than knowledge or sense, who will pay high or higher prices for things. (and letting an auction run for a longer period, or run forever is just a fishing expedition waiting for the fish or the fool, and hoping for Bid Fever and Lads Who Do Not Like to Lose At Any Cost).

Others' mileage, and ordnance, will vary...

Curt

Curt does thar show our age???? Ordinance Park from the 1970's....