I don't know anything about the provenance of Eric Johnson's works (but I've heard the name, of course)...

What I can say is that is one SWEET looking Remington Model 37 smallbore target rifle!

A "Garden Variety" Rem 37 is considered a very fine (for the time) smallbore target rifle.  They have a crisp and smooth action (mine is every bit as tight, smooth, and crisp feeling as my Anschutz).  Their triggers by todays standards are not great, but many got third party triggers.  "Wright" and "Kenyon" are two.  Those are very nice triggers. Since this one has been rebuilt by Johnson, and apparently used in serious competition, there is every liklihood that it's had it's trigger worked over.

An "ordinary" Rem 37 goes for between $700 and $1200 depending on condition, and originality. 
Some collectors (the idiots, IMHO) would balk at such a rifle no longer being "original".
However, guys like me (only with more money), would love that it's a top-flight smallbore target rifle from the 1930's or 40's, with the top technology of the time, built by a top-name in smallbore barrels.

All that being said, I don't have  a clue what the market value of it would be...
If I had the money, and I saw that for sale locally with a price tag of $1800, I wouldn't even hesitate. It would come home with me and I'd sell my "lesser" Rem 37.  And I would be damn pleased too.

If it's being offered to you for sale; buy it. It's a wonderful piece of Smallbore Prone history.   

Paul F.

If he has quite a few one of the auction houses like Rock Island Auction would be a good way to sell them. They get a huge following so bring top dollar, ussually far more then any local shop or forums like this. They all get a % for selling, but with the large audience they deal with it they can be far more profitable.

If it was a "plain" Rem 37, I'd agree...
But with a Johnson barrel, and with a Fecker scope that would bring, by itself, probably $600, I don't think $1800 is out of line.
I paid $800 for my 37, with no scope, and with a boogered up stock someone felt the need to wood-screw a cheeckpiece whittled from a block of wood with a dull pocket knife to it.
A local guy just paid $1100 for a 37, in "average" condition, and very plain.


I would agree that an auction house would probably bring the best price... but they'd charge a hefty percentage.   
Unfortunately, the best spot on the web to sell a smallbore target rifle closed up shop a few months ago...
I don't know of any other venue to target (no pun intended) smallbore shooters with an interest in classic rifles like that.

Paul F.

bnice wrote on Jun 23^rd, 2008 at 8:48pm:


Far as I know he only has two he wants to sell....the one in this post and a 1895 Lee-Enfield .22 trainer.   So The auction house may not be best for him.

I don't see the big auction houses selling a modified for competition rifle for high dollar. Most of there clientele are collectors and look for condition rarity etc not working guns. They love cardboard boxes and hang tags, go figure.  They may not even list the gun some are petty picky.

I would look to Neil Johnson's Gunsmithing Inc in Colorado who sells a lot of rimfire target rifles.  Highest price in my opinion would be selling the scope separately. Rifle would probably bring about what a mid 50's Anschutz would, If it has all the accessories, buttplate hand stop palm rest etc. I did not see the Iron sights, that's a negative.  Selling price for the rifle ?  Somewhat less than a Winchester 52 in the same conditonn and way less than if unaltered. The barrel is probably better than factory for shooting but not selling.

I have a working Anschutz 54 and would think it's worth 800 bucks, If I sold it on consignment through my usual consignment dealer he would take 20 %  The 12 x Flecker will sell for less than a Unertil, Clarlos Hathcock did not use a Flecker which holds back the price to collectors.  Unertil 12 x ? 400 -500 depending on conditon and you don't need a dealer. The Flecker to a shooter somewhat less. say 400 bucks would bring a quick sale.

Add it all up about 1200 max, mimimum 1000, more if you can sell direct or lucky.

For what it is worth I had a Eric Johnson Ballard smallbore prone rifle I traded into that was for sale several years before another Schuetzen shooter bought it off me for what I had in the gun.  I sold the B&L Balvar scope separate for more than the rifle.  

Boats

A quick look at Gunbroker will give you an idea of what the model 37 Rem. are going for. IMHO $1800 for this one is extremely high estimate. There's a match grade custom that sold at GB recently that only got one bid and sold for $1450. It didn't have a scope, bt some fairly valuable irons. I love Feckers, but never got over $450 for any Fecker I ever sold.

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Brince agree the auction houses get big bucks and have a wide footprint, but that rifle like most Johnsons has beend hacked up with a pretty ugly stock. In my opinion It's not a collector 37.  A pristine Remington 37 will get high dollar thats for sure.  Not to run the rifle down, seperated from the scope a fair amount of case could be raised selling.

I had a acution house refuse a Perfect Trapdoor carbine unaltered except the stock had been scraped.  It was high numbered and no doubt scraped by the arsenal when they cleaned out trapdoor parts after the Kraig came into servce. They made them up into carbines and cadet rifles mostly.

The house said if it was a well worn 1873 they could sell it high but did not want excess inventory of something thats not hot on the market.

Anyway good luck on the sale.   

Boats

Brince

Agree sombody else may have taken my TD Carbine, They sell for a lot more in the West than on the East Coast.  My experence is everything I want bad is high and most things I sell are the other way.  Have sold guns for high dollar two or three times in over 40 years rest of the time am lucky to cover my expense.

On the Johnson everything we have said about the rifle is opinion, in the end the market will determine what that rifle is worth. Hope he gets high dollar.

Boats