Valuation for sterling hr81 rifle please?

[CLOGGER]

Hi Guys
A friend is looking for a valuation for his Sterling HR81 .22 calibre rifle that he's owned from new, with the idea of selling it to fund the purchase of an Air Arms .22 S410.
The rifle is in pretty good shape for it's approximate 41 years of age, although it's not pristine.
He's currently using it to account for grey squirrels and rats on a permission in Devon.
It currently wears a BSA 4x40 Deerhunter scope which he wishes to keep, so rifle only.
It still has the both the complete front and rear sights on board.

It's the first time I've tried to post links to photos, so hopefully the ones below will work -- otherwise I'm open to suggestions!

https://postimg.cc/RW3CGPvL

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https://postimg.cc/mzPSrW4F

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https://postimg.cc/5Xp5q2NC

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https://postimg.cc/0zpkLzJz

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https://postimg.cc/jLft7DcM

https://postimg.cc/68BLvvwK

Any ideas of value would be greatly appreciated, as the idea is to put it up as a sales thread in the near future.

Many thanks and best regards, Clogger

[colin g]

They use to fetch decent money £300-350 but i dont think anywhere near as much with the painted bits added. Col.

[Lakey]

The Parkerized cylinder and foresight are correct, and was a factory finish applied to some guns by Sterling Arms. I would say £250+ for the gun. Shame that one of the domed screws on the breechblock is graunched up a bit, as that is very noticable, but quite a rare gun since they only produced then for two or three years.

Lakey

[andrewM]

An interesting example of a rare air rifle.

Am I right in saying there was more than one version of this rifle? What power did it produce? I have a feeling it was around 10.5ft lb.

And how about the accuracy?

Rgds
A

[Mark D]

An interesting example of a rare air rifle.

Am I right in saying there was more than one version of this rifle? What power did it produce? I have a feeling it was around 10.5ft lb.

And how about the accuracy?

Rgds
A

There were 3 variations from memory, the first like this had a simple detent for the under lever and a fixed front sight. The deluxe version featured a walnut stock.
A later version of (deluxe) model had a sliding catch to hold the under lever and a removable front sight unit.
The last model was a HR83 which had all the deluxe features plus a 16 piece adjustable trigger unit.

[WILBA]

I would think £200-£250 ball park as that parkarised finish won't be to everyones taste. I rather the fully blued finish like on my rh93 to be honest. Why they only did it to the cylinder i cannot figure.

[ashf9999]

...I rather the fully blued finish like on my rh93 to be honest...

Quick question (not wanting to hijack the thread) - I take it your barrel's gone a nice plum colour, a la 1950s Webley Junior?

[WILBA]

Quick question (not wanting to hijack the thread) - I take it your barrel's gone a nice plum colour, a la 1950s Webley Junior?

Who are you asking that question?

[CLOGGER]

An interesting example of a rare air rifle.

Am I right in saying there was more than one version of this rifle? What power did it produce? I have a feeling it was around 10.5ft lb.

And how about the accuracy?

Rgds
A

I haven't used the gun myself to be able to give a personal view on it's accuracy, but the owner has used it to good effect against a couple of hundred grey squirrels, plus rats, on his Devon permission over the last 3 or 4 years.
I seem to remember the power level being at about 10.0ft lbs with RWS Superdomes when I chronographed it for him about 4 years ago.

Thank you all for the replies so far on valuation.

Best regards, Clogger

[andrewM]

Alas, I could not help with the valuation but was most interested to read about these rifles and the different versions.

Rgds
A

[Muskett]

I would expect a nice early example to reach £200 solid, and £250 on a good day. The scope and mounts worth about £40 so would help it get to possibly £260.

Not a terribly good rifle by all accounts. However, there are three or four to collect depending on age and choice of finish/woodwork, the last being US production. Always an interesting talking piece.

Price isn't going to make a huge difference as just finding someone who wants one is the challenge being "collectors only". There are just better rifles to be had to shoot.

[Lakey]

An HR81 sold at the recent Bearnes and Hampton auction in Exeter. The hammer price was £95.00, so someone got a REAL BARGAIN. A more realistic figure is £180-£220 I would have thought, but like others have said, you have to find someone that wants to add one to the collection ( better still two people at auction ) . I think they are very interesting guns.

Lakey

[les allam]

I have a Hr81 with the parkerised finish on the cylinder.
My one is not very pleasant to shoot with (crash bang wallop) springs to mind.
And it’s only doing about 5 fp.
But it’s still a interesting rifle and was made just down the road from where I grew up.
Les..