Originally Posted by
akaroa1
The answer to this question lies in the past.
I have a few Vintage Heirloom Rifles
Serious vintage rifle collectors value certain things very highly and these elevate merely old rifles to the heirloom class and therefore values.
Above all else it is Factory Special Order feature or known provenance to a famous or well known person.
The more I learn about vintage rifles the more I realise that you will never know it all.
There were so many variations and options available that there is always something new to see and find
Factory upgrades might be
Pistol grip stock
Finer checkering and walnut
Express sights
Engraving
Shotgun butt plates
Factory take down
Some original rifles have all of these features and therefore command a real premium in price now and are genuine heirloom.
Then there are calibers which in some cases elevate a fairly common model and grade of rifle to heirloom.
Collectors often double the value of a make and model of rifle that is in the rarest, most desirable or largest caliber available.
Or a caliber associated with a particular famous person even if it was not their rifle.
These are some clues based on the past, of what in a modern factory rifle might one day become an heirloom rifle