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White Powder Wonder Nickle 12 gauge
GunHawke
Member Posts: 576 ✭✭✭
Hello from sunny and cooled off Florida! [8D]
I just posted my White Powder Wonder 12 gauge on GB and, along with it, I posted a bit of historical info. This shotgun was made by several manufacturers for several different retailers in the early 1900s. Now, I know this was a "truck gun" even in it's day...but if you go check mine out I'd have to believe there is more value in it's fantastic condition. Am I right or wrong? Will it matter if it's a Stevens or H&R? How do I find out?
Jim
GunHawke
PS> There is NO RUST on the gun. Any doubts about the finish should be dispelled or I would be glad to send you more pictures! GB # 39444931
"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books
I just posted my White Powder Wonder 12 gauge on GB and, along with it, I posted a bit of historical info. This shotgun was made by several manufacturers for several different retailers in the early 1900s. Now, I know this was a "truck gun" even in it's day...but if you go check mine out I'd have to believe there is more value in it's fantastic condition. Am I right or wrong? Will it matter if it's a Stevens or H&R? How do I find out?
Jim
GunHawke
PS> There is NO RUST on the gun. Any doubts about the finish should be dispelled or I would be glad to send you more pictures! GB # 39444931
"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books
Comments
Gun Hawke you have a bid, time will tell if it goes high or not. [wonder where I got .410?] I am keeping an eye on it and may even bid. I have seen at least one reference to the White Powder Wonders, but so far have not located which book I saw it in. I will keep browsing.
Scrappy Doo sleeps with the fishes.
The main reason I posed the questions about my "Wonder" Is because I found very little about it my self! It may be a Stevents but the H&R Topper (see foot note under Topper) model 488 best describes this gun. It is a 12 gauge, not a 410. There is no rust and I have four more pictures to share if you like. The Stock may have been sanded at some time but THE FIT to the received is NOT exaggerated as if the wood was sanded excessively. The tangs are curved to flow with the curved shape of the wood wrist. The nickle looks original to me. And I can't imagine a prior owner spending the $$$ to chrome/nickle this gun. I know it may just be a wall hanger! I don't need that kind of expertise. If the bidding doesn't go high enough I'll just keep it....yes I know the GB rules.
BTW...My foot actually feels upstaged by the "Wonder".
Thanks,
Jim
GunHawke
"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books
It is obvious from the pictures that the receiver was fairly heavily polished without blank pins in the holes and also that the plating has 'puddled' in the area of the pin holes. My guess is that the plating was done by an automotive shop (read: bumpers). Probably would not have cost much to get it dipped after the owner did the polishing himself. The top picture certaily suggests that the wood has been sanded below the tangs - perhaps that is reflection, but if I were selling the gun I would post a picture of that area. If you have more pictures, I would upload them if I were you.
It may bring a bit more money because of the novelty of the chrome plating, but it sure sounds like you expect it to bring a whole bunch of money. I really hope it does, I do not have a dog in that particular fight.
But... if it doesn't, what excuse are you going to use to NOT sell it to the high bidder?
Scrappy Doo sleeps with the fishes.
Your gun in untouched condition is worth $35.00 wholseale. The same gun in the condition you show is worth $35.00.
Across the table your gun will be tagged for either $99.00 or $129.00 and may bring as much as perhaps $70.00. Most of us, though, wouldn't touch the thing if we could help it.
This isn't a put-down, nor am I attempting to insult you. What I'm trying to politely explain is that the gun was a $5.00 item 90 years ago and was pure utility then. Collectors don't get too excited about such pieces. Thus, the value reflects the true utility of the gun today.
Nord
I worded my auction to call the Wonder a "truck gun" so as to show I know this to be a low dollar gun for sure. I also included what info I had about the original cost being $4.40 when new. Not what I'd call a large ticket item by any means. I felt I covered my "value" tracks pretty well when you see that I started the bid at $0.01...same as the bid on my S&W 29. They say there's a buyer for every item and I start at zero so as not to pre-value the items I sell.
To countrygunsmith, I'm not bent and I don't care about a wild value for the gun. I posted it as a gun I know little about and a gun that, altered or not, is a pretty gimmick. So, I asked the experts to help me find information about this item. I learn as I go. That's how I came about starting my items at $0.01. Bidders will buy the gun for the "value" THEY perceive. So, settle back a notch or two and see if I get all the way to $20.00 on the Wonder...read shotgun. By the way, chroming parts on my AMX was NOT inexpensive.
[B)] Jim
GunHawke
"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books