What is the going rate?

[lonehunter]

Hey everyone, I have not been around in a while. Took my grandson to the gun show yesterday. I passed on 5 contender barrels. I have not paid any attention to the value of contender barrels lately, so, just curious how bad I screwed up. What's the going rate for these?

10" 41 mag bull barrel with sights
10" 44 mag bull barrel with sights
10" 45 mag bull barrel with 2x Simmons scope
10" 22RF bull barrel with sights
10" 30/30 bull barrel with sights
Pacmeyer for-end and hanger bar
metal gun case.

Thank, Jeff

[tred1956]

From what I see anywhere from $200 to $300 each depending on condition and caliber?
Safe shooting
Doug

[North Country Gal]

I have a friend who sells Contenders at gun shows. His standard price for TC barrels is now $300, though he does charge more for some custom barrels or very rare, collectible barrels. Personally, I think that's a bit high for some chamberings/configurations, but he sells a lot of barrels. I also watch e-bay and pricing there can be downright ludicrous, of course, but if you look at what prices standard TC barrels are actually selling for when up for auction, it's not too far off that $300, give or take $25 or so. Note that chambering has more to do with selling price than any other feature. 22 Hornet and 32 H&R mag barrels sell very quickly and typically draw a lot of bidders. They usually go higher than that $300 average. So do 9mm and 45 auto barrels, because TC never made that many and now people want them because ammo is cheap. None of those barrels in your list are in high demand and all are still fairly common, so that $300 average, give or take $50 or so would be typical. The trend on barrels and frames, though, is definitely upwards in price.

[J A XSP]

If they wanted more than $200 apiece for a bunch of barrels like that bought as a lot, you didn't miss much.

[BobT]

If the above barrels were in nice condition and sold as a package I probably would have offered $800.00 but I would have given that package a close look at $1000.00.

I see a lot of asking prices at $300.00 plus but not many selling at that. I bought a really nice complete gun in .45 Winchester magnum earlier this year that the seller said was unfired. I got the gun, a full box of ammo and a soft case for $550.00. For common barrels I won't pay more than $200.00 and for that price it better be nice. Last spring in Tulsa I bought an unfired Soper 16 .45/70 for $200.00. I sold a few barrels last month at a gun show for a friend of mine and they sold from $175.00 to $300.00 the high price was a new in box Rochester Super 14 in .35 Remington. The most I have personally paid for a barrel was an unfired, tapered octagon stainless MGM barrel in .30 Reece, I bought it off the auction site for $420.00.

As an aside, I have seen frame prices coming down in this area since the SSK 50 started hitting the street.

[lonehunter]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I knew I was making a mistake by not grabbing them! My wife was outside and had already said it was time to go and we needed to save the money! Bla!, Bla!, Bla! I didn't have quite enough money on me, but, my grandson pointed out there was an ATM available! Enabler! LOL! I went out to the truck and checked ebay, but was still unsure how fast I could sell them and for what price! My wife pointed out, I would end up keeping most of them anyway! Which may have been true! So I let the deal go!
Again, Thanks for the replies, Jeff

Oh, I forgot to post that the guy wanted $650.00 for the package! I know I am an IDIOT!

[North Country Gal]

Thanks for letting us know. Appreciate it. I've done similar "wish I had known at the time" things. All part of the fun.

[J A XSP]

Even though I'm really not in the market for any of those barrels, at that price, I'd have tried to figure out something. :) Probably hang on to the 41 and the 22 just for fun and priced the others to sell quickly.
Some of those old factory barrels have some quirks but many are pretty nice and they'll never be making any more of them. :)

[BobT]

I would like to see that show up around here but I'd have to get there pretty early! I have a buddy that's nuts over those 10" .30-30 barrels.

[Slowpoke Slim]

So the actual moral to the story is:

"Never bring your wife with you to a gunshow!" *

*I'm kidding, of course.

[prdatr]

I have been paying around $225 for used 10" barrels in the last four months locally.

[North Country Gal]

So the actual moral to the story is:

"Never bring your wife with you to a gunshow!" *

*I'm kidding, of course.

Actually, my husband knows better than to turn me loose with the money at a gun show. That's why he handles the money. :)

[Julesk]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I knew I was making a mistake by not grabbing them! My wife was outside and had already said it was time to go and we needed to save the money! Bla!, Bla!, Bla! I didn't have quite enough money on me, but, my grandson pointed out there was an ATM available! Enabler! LOL! I went out to the truck and checked ebay, but was still unsure how fast I could sell them and for what price! My wife pointed out, I would end up keeping most of them anyway! Which may have been true! So I let the deal go!
Again, Thanks for the replies, Jeff

Oh, I forgot to post that the guy wanted $650.00 for the package! I know I am an IDIOT!

Even though I stopped going to Gun Shows years ago. Had I have seen them for that price I would have bought them. $125. is about what I paid for used barrels back in early 2000s.

[61Knuckle]

Lately, if I see a barrel at a show for under $200 I give it a careful look and quite possibly buy it. You usually can't go too wrong if the price is nice enough. Don't go to shows much any longer and don't see many SP's around here either.

[Stumpkiller]

I have a 10" .44 Mag octagonal Contender barrel. Never seen another one. Looks lovely. But I can tell you why the are rare. BOY does that light barrel bite the hand!

[North Country Gal]

Totally agree. Checking on e-bay, you'll have no problem finding used 44 Contender barrels for sale.

[Blades]

friend had an 8" barreled one Octagon, that hurt!

[North Country Gal]

Those early Contender grips didn't help, either.