Selling estate gun, to remove scope or not?

[Zumkopf]

I have the duty to dispose of the firearms from an estate. Most of them are well-kept and no mystery to me. But one is a Winchester 52 Sporter (first year) in excellent condition, and I know from research that they are generally worth quite a lot of money, especially with the original Lyman sights (which this one has). The kicker is that sometime in the distant past, the owner tapped and drilled the receiver to mount a Simmons 4x scope. My question is, to do the best I can by the estate, do I sell the gun as is, or do I take off the aftermarket scope and mount?

Thanks for any insights, Z

[GOYABEAN]

I'm not a rocket scientist neither a weapons appraiser but why mess with it could lead to opening a can of worms ��

[BRS]

The only 52 receivers that the factory drilled and tapped were the 52C Sporter receivers and the 52E target rifles.

If the estate's rifle is not a 52C Sporter or a 52E Target, then the damage is done and you might as well leave the scope and mounts on it, and ask $50 to $100 more.

[jakebrake]

Sadly, true.

[dk99358]

To a collector, I agree with BRS that the damage has been done if that is not a factory D&T. To a hunter who might want a fine squirrel rifle, it's not a great scope and will probably be replaced. I didn't look but I'll bet they're a dime a dozen on various gun boards. I'd guess $50 more with the scope is closer to the mark.

my $0.02 and worth exactly what you paid for it,

Dale

[R L Suehr]

It's a cheap scope, I'd just leave it. It won't probably do anything to the price now that it been drilled and tapped. That will kill the collector value some, but including or not including the scope will do very little.

[R L Suehr]

The only 52 receivers that the factory drilled and tapped were the 52C Sporter receivers and the 52E target rifles.

If the estate's rifle is not a 52C Sporter or a 52E Target, then the damage is done and you might as well leave the scope and mounts on it, and ask $50 to $100 more.

To a collector, I agree with BRS that the damage has been done if that is not a factory D&T. To a hunter who might want a fine squirrel rifle, it's not a great scope and will probably be replaced. I didn't look but I'll bet they're a dime a dozen on various gun boards. I'd guess $50 more with the scope is closer to the mark.

my $0.02 and worth exactly what you paid for it,

Dale

A Simmons is almost worthless as a used scope. It won't affect value at all imho. If that was used on the shelf at a LGS it would struggle to bring $25.

[57springer]

As Previous posters say , let it on the rifle .

[Delkal]

If this rifle still has the original iron sites on it I would take off the scope and find some of those hole plugging screws to fill the drilled out holes. It will make them less noticeable. No collector wants to see a modern POS scope on a fine classic rifle.

I would probably just trash the scope or put it on a kids .22. Doubtful but is the mount anything good?

[Zumkopf]

If this rifle still has the original iron sites on it I would take off the scope and find some of those hole plugging screws to fill the drilled out holes. It will make them less noticeable. No collector wants to see a modern POS scope on a fine classic rifle.

I would probably just trash the scope or put it on a kids .22. Doubtful but is the mount anything good?

The scope isn’t original to the rifle but it isn’t new either. My guess is 1950s vintage. It’s a Weaver, not a Simmons. The mount is clever, curling up and over to allow use of either the scope or the Lyman sights.