16ga.com ~ View topic - value of 16 gauge browning white lightning

Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 22 Location: Pennsylvania

Can someone tell me what the value of a browning 16 gauge white lightning is. The gun is about 95%, pad added to stock, thanks for your information.

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

You might take a look at gunsamerica.com to see what the market looks like. Right now, until the next production run is available, there are not a lot of Citori 16's on the market. I'd estimate maybe $1100 or so for a WL in the kind of condition you describe.

I recently paid 1300 for a 2002 Lightning Feather 16 that was NIB. This thing was immaculate.

Came with barrel locks, M, F and IC original browning chokes, too.

At Carolina Sporting Arms they have on their website: (all new in box)
16 ga. Browning Lightning Feather- $1899.00
16 ga. Browning Lightning Field (grade 1, I guess)- $1799.00
no White Lightnings listed on the website

At Bill Hanus Birdguns he has on his website: (all new in box)
16 ga. Browning Lightning Feather- $1914.00
16 ga. Browning White Lightning- $1756

I paid $1400 for my 16 ga. Lightning Feather new in box about two years ago, and thought that I had done well. It's the best upland gun I have ever had, this after about 35 years of searching for the "perfect gun".

wildweasel- WOW, you did VERY well !!!

It seams that when these special runs first materialize, the prices are on the high side. Then when some stock is left that didn't sell quickly, the prices come down. I hope the above gives you a better idea of what a used one might bring in. Good luck.

Unless the stock wood has not been cut or recontoured, and the original butt plate can be easily replaced (and is available with the original screws) a shortened stock will always detract from the value of a gun, especially one that has been available as a new gun lately. The more wood that has been cut from the stock, the more it affects price.

Try finding out the length of pull from trigger to the cut. Anything more than one inch from the stock wood's original length should be discounted heavily, because it will take more than a full 1 inch pad to bring it up to original LOP. Any cut under 1/2 inch will be easier to deal with but will still deduct from the rated condition percentage of the gun.

Regardless of the overall condition of the gun, a cut stock deducts a minimun of 10% off the as new condition. A very much shortened stock will take off up to 25% of the condition rating. If a gun is in otherwise perfect, even unfired condition, it will be rated at 90% at best. It is now firmly in the used catagory and will not be considered "as new". Therefore, the 95% rating is too high. Ay other dings or wear to wood and finish is on top of this. S it sounds like you are looking at an 85% gun here.

Sellers hate to hear this, but such is the reality of the market. You can then figure the average price via the used gun guides available as well as by how the market for the gun is locally. Then its a simple matter of how much you are willing to spend.

Sometimes its better to sit on a gun like this until the seller gets tired of hearing reality from his prospects. If his asking price is too high, refrain from arguing price. Just say its a nice gun, smile, and get the hell out of there fast like you were just another Looky Lou. Then, monitor the situation closely but discreetly. Being the first guy in line with more than an arguement (like money) after the seller realizes he's going to have to cut his price can put you in a very nice position. Being one of the SOB's that has argued the fact with him always puts you at a disadvantage. He likely will never give you a decent price on the gun if he remembers you. His pride will prevent it. Human nature, you gotta deal with it even if its wacky. Laughing

From what you've posted, I'd have to say you are looking at a gun worth around $$900 to $1000 give or take a bit. The seller won't like this if he bought the gun new and recently, but that is the reality. However, why buy a gun for more that it is worth? If it sells, then so what. You can get a better deal down the road. Patience usually pays off, unless you are being overly unrealistic in what you wish to pay.

Be as the 'Gator and not as the frog. If the price is too high, then pretend you're a log. Wink

Be patient, and snap up the good deals.

This matter of a cut stock can be an advantage for a sawed off guy like me. I've bought a number of guns shortened more than average, especially trap guns at very good prices. But I always let the other guys educate the seller first if I truely wanted the gun. Otherwise, I would end up being just another SOB in a long line of them. Wink

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

Given the price of new Citoris and the fact there are not a lot of used ones on the market, I'd dispute what Guy told you--and I doubt I'd do business with him were I a seller. Smile

The main impact of a recoil pad when it comes to value is if a)it's a bad job of installing the pad; or b)the gun's been shortened significantly from its original LOP with the addition of the pad. Many people (myself included) like pads, and the pad may well have been added to soften recoil rather than to change LOP. If that's the case, and if you would have had a pad installed yourself, a good pad job just saved you a minimum of $50 when you buy the gun.

Where I live, unless one of the above negative conditions apply, I could sell such a gun to a dealer for $1,000 very easily, probably a bit more. Why should I take less from a private individual, especially if I have to deal with things like taking pictures, shipping, etc? Answer: I wouldn't.

Well there Mr B, maybe in your neck of the woods but not mine. Wink

Its a basic truth in the American used gun market. Altered guns sell for less than unaltered ones.

An unaltered, 95% 16 ga. Citori WL will bring about maybe $850 from a dealer in New England on a good day. Probably more like $800. 95% is not as new, not even close. It will sell for maybe $1100 to a froggy buyer, or maybe $1000 to a holdout. The same rate will apply in most Southern states except for maybe Texas. Again, that's an unaltered one. Figure on at least a $100 deduction for the cut stock, if its not any shorter than the original 14-1/4 inch LOP. If it is shorter, well, good luck.

You might remember that I posted about the 99-100% as new in box 1987 grade I 16 ga. Citori I bought from KTP in Maine last summer for under 1.1K. It had very nice wood for a GR I. I doubt a year has made that big a difference. Now, if they sold it to me for that much, what do you figure they paid for it? They like me fine up there, but business is business.

These WL models are not that scarce. On top of that, there is a new shipment due soon. White Lightnings will not be among them. They were not big sellers. The wood was too darned plain and dull on the model. Better wood could be had on most Grade I guns, which simply sold better. Nicer wood always does.

As far as me buying a gun from you? Well, I like you well enough, but business is business. I think it's usually the buyer that gets to vote with his feet most times. Me, I'll remain as the 'Gator. It works for me. Wink

If anyone has a 16 gauge Citori of any configuration ESPECIALLY with a shortened stock for $800, I will buy it in a heartbeat. Let know ASAP.
XVI (13 3/8 LOP)

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

Just looked at about 8 pages of Citoris on gunsamerica. Other than a couple higher grades, I found a total of just 4 16's, 3 of them new. The only used one was a Feather with an adjustable comb stock--weird combo, IMO, since adjustable comb generally means target gun and the Feather is the lightest of the bunch. Lowest price, used or new, was $1500.

They simply aren't out there in any kind of numbers. And when they are out there again, as a result of the new run, they're going to be $1500 minimum--plus tax if you buy locally from a dealer, shipping if you buy long distance. Figure $1600 minimum.

From what I've seen--and I've bought literally hundreds of used shotguns--a well-installed pad (unless you're talking some kind of "collector" gun, and that would not be a field grade Citori) does not do anything negative to the value of a gun unless one of the two conditions I mentioned above applies: either a bad installation job, or an unusually short LOP. Lots of guns come with pads straight from the factory. Why would a well-done pad job hurt the price of a used gun? I've never taken a hit selling for having added a pad, nor bought lower because one has been added.

From time to time, you make an unusually good buy, or an unusually good sale. But you can't say that's what they should all sell for, nor that's what everyone can buy them for, everywhere--especially with guns that are not all that common on the market, like Citori 16's. A true 95% gun, according to the Blue Book, should show only a few minor scratches in the wood and a bit of edge wear on the metal. Assuming I like the WL model OK and assuming I know I'm going to pay $1600 minimum for a new one, I'd sure as heck fork over $1100, maybe 1150, for a gun in that kind of shape. After all, I'm going to use the darned thing, which means it's going to get scratches and metal wear anyhow. And since some people here claim you can't wear them out, and since they haven't been around that long anyhow, a WL can't possibly be that "used". Offering someone half new price for one . . . a great gun like a Citori shouldn't depreciate that much, that quickly--should it? I don't think so--not if I'm the seller, nor if I'm the buyer.

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

For what ever it's worth, I've never seen a used gun suffer price wise because of a recoil pad. Unless, it was a crap job installing it or like it has been said already, the stock was cut way down below standard lop.
I see Browning Supers all the time with aftermarket pads going for the expected $$. Yea, if you find one like new, unfired without a pad it's going for more. But it would have anyway because of the unfired status etc.

Pads in my opinion don't hurt the value and I've never seen that result around here in NJ.

I agree with Larry and TJC.

XVI

Member Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 743

Someone just reminded me that on a Citori White Lightning, a factory pad is standard.

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

I'm gonna be adding a Decelerator pad to my Feather 16 ga. I'd bet that it wont detract from the resale if/when I decide to sell it at all. Not that I'm gonna sell it. It has become my trap and sporting clays gun until I pick up a SC gun.

*Last edited by 16gaugeguy on Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:52 am; edited 1 time in total*

XVI, that $800 price is what an NE dealer might offer you for an unaltered gun of like value . Try reading it the way I wrote it. Shocked

Larry, you are citing examples of guns that have sat unsold on that site for monthes on end. Nobody is buying them for the asking prices. 95% of the guns listed on GunsAmerica are priced ridiculously high and sit there forever. The ones that are priced right move in a few days, so most folks never even see them come and go. Besides, you actually buy and shoot English doubles, so anything under 10K must seem like a bargain basement buy anyway. A few extra hundred here or there probably doesn't really matter to a high roller like you. Laughing

Me, I'm a working class dude. I have to scuffle for everything. So my pockets have buttons on them. Its why I bought a Citori in the first place, its a lot of gun for the money and not the other way 'round. Laughing

One of the easiest things in the world to do is help someone spend his money. I've noticed that you folks are very good at this, especially when it does not involve any of your money. Unless any of you big spenders are buying the gun this guy is asking about, then its all conjecture-- which is the polite term for BS. Laughing

I'm on the buyer's side and advise a conservative policy when doing so. Be as the 'Gator. Wink

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Houston

Larry,

My 16 ga White Lightning didn't come with factory pad. It's from the 2003-04 run.