Good ol Winchester 37

[Soclosenotnear]

I recently put a Winchester 37 in .410 ga on layaway for the low price of $70. It is a red letter gun, which apparently means something.

The entire gun over is covered in surface rust. I cleaned the bore before making the deal and it came out nice and shiny so I'm thinking a lot of this may come off with a good cleaning. The wood is in decent shape with no cracks or chips. The bottom corner of the but plate cracked and fell off. Function check seems fine.

I originally layed it away thinking it would be a cool gun to try a first reblue/refinish. But I know these can be desirable and am wondering if I should save my efforts for something different. It might clean up ok.

 

[FITASC]

Check out folks are asking (and then sold them) for on GunBroker and similar. Reblue will hurt value, but cleaning up the rust shouldn't

 

[agtman]

Dude, wut?

 

[bamaranger]

Model 37's

The "Blue Book" states that red letters and .410 chambering are worth a smidge more, but dependent on condition of course.

I'd clean it up first, and see what I might get offered for it or what it would bring in a private sale.

My Dad had a Win 37 .410, but it got sold or traded away. But I bought one locally about 25 years ago. Drove past a fella's house while on duty in gov't vehicle and there was this shotgun propped up against a tree in the front yard.
A hand painted sign along side declared:
"4 Sale"

The old timer was on the porch, waiting for a customer I suppose. When I finished work, I changed into street clothes and swung by in my pickup. "Gotta have $50 dollars for it" said the fella.

Deal, SOLD, and I still have it.

 

[McShooty]

Although the 37 is one of the lowliest used Winchesters you will see on the shelf, prices seem subject to the same "Winchester envy" as other models. Last year I bought an H&R Topper Model 48, a good gun in fine condition, for $100. You can't usually find a Win 37 for less than 2-3 times that much,so if you are getting one for $70 it sounds like a very good deal.

Of course, condition matters. If the rust is truly thin surface rust it might clean up pretty good, in which case do not refinish it. It would not be worth it.