@ActionBobAnd wh
And when you do, you should man up and put in a genuine offer to Kevin.
There has been a lot of big talk on this thread and often is on others. (Talk of a Searcy double being worth $200,000 just because a Holland & Holland in the same caliber might have that kind of list price comes to mind.)
As has been discussed already, Auction houses take some very high commissions and often add ridiculous fees on top. And there is no guarantee of a high price being achieved. Auctions always carry risk and can certainly be exciting!
This rifle certainly has a good amount of Provenance. And to think it should sell at a level of other such rifles with no story or Provenance if just as ridiculous as to think it should bring a price similar to Corbett's rifle or the like. The rifle in question is certainly valuable, but not to the level of a gun owned by Hemingway or Roosevelt.
Ultimately any object has a value determined by a willing and able buyer and the seller. And that value remains unknown until such a sale is concluded. I do hope several members of this Forum step up and put in offers on the rifle and Kevin recieves a fair price determined by what the market for the gun is the day it sells.
Sir I never said I can afford it. Only said I will check to be helpful. I dont know where this Man up comes from.
Krish