OF Mossberg Aberdeen 44MAG single shot 7 inch barrel

Question
I have the show piece gun which was photograph when they were going to sell pistols. It has never been fired and I would like to know of its value.
If you can help me I would appreciate it.

Answer
Hi Ray.

I am not familiar with the specific firearm that you refer to. It sounds like it was a factory prototype model and if so then it may be one of many variants or it could be a single specimen. If it was a prototype for sales, demos, photos, exhibits, etc. then it might not be a fully functioning model.

It is very difficult to determine the value of very unique products especially if they are one-of-a-kind. To start out, you can try to find similar firearms from comparable manufacturers and check the book values on those to get a general base value. Then add or subtract from the value to adjust for the collectibility of your specific manufacturer. Then add or subtract from the value based on the rarity of the item and also based on the general market for similar items as shown by recent auctions. Here are some links which may help:

blue book section for Mossberg:

https://store.bluebookinc.com/InstantAccess/Category.aspx?product=5&id=687

major auction sites:

http://www.auctionarms.com/
http://www.gunbroker.com/
http://www.gunsamerica.com/

Mossberg Collectors Club:

http://www.mossbergcollectors.org/

To the best of my knowledge the Mossberg firearms are generally not highly collected and most only have average values. If this is a one-of-a-kind pistol and they never made any others like it then it could certainly be worth a lot if you find the right collector that specializes in Mossberg guns or odd or rare guns. To get some idea you can search the various auction sites and look at the closed auction items to see what similar items have actually sold for over the past few months. You might also take it to a firearms museum or consult a professional auction company for an opinion. Or you could post it for sale on an auction site and set a very high reserve price. The bids might not get anywhere near your reserve price but they could give you some idea of how many people would be interested and what they are willing to pay.

If you determine that it has little or average value then you might be tempted to shoot it but I wouldn't fire it unless you first had it checked out by a qualified gunsmith. Sometimes the prop, demo, or training guns may look and feel real but they may not be safe to fire.

If you want more specific info then feel free to post a follow-up question but please attach photos or post links to photos which I can view online.

Hope this helps!

Bob