Value of Remington 788 NIB

Totch94

Totch94

New member
Anyone have any idea what a 788 Remington .223 (probably late 70's model) unfired and new in the box is worth? Found one that I would like to have, but just wonder what it is worth?
 
I bought one in 223 last summer that had 64 shells left out of the 100 he bought when he got the gun new back in the mid 70's. I paid 450 for it with the scope. It is in excellent shape. been in a gun cabinet for all these years.
The price will be subjective to whether you plan to shoot it or not. If you plan to make a shooter of it, 4-500 would be a fair price, in my opinion, and in my area.
 
Nothing at all unusual about a 788 chambering in .223; it's the "NIB" designation, thats the oddity.
Used to be,and not to long ago, a good to excellent 788 was worth $275 to $325 in my opinion. Now, they seem to be bringing a slight premium, so I would be inclined to believe a good to excellent 788 to be valued from $350-$425, that "NIB", if true, might indeed bring $450 or better, not out of my wallet, but someone who really wanted one might pay that?
 
In the mid 70's somewhere around the time Remington discontinued them I bought six 788's in 223 from the local hardware store for $69.95 each. Hope that helps! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Quote:
Nothing at all unusual about a 788 chambering in .223



I see very few 788's around here, and when I do, they are usually .243 or .308. I have yet to see a .223 or .22-250. I have seen on in 6mm that a friend has.

I bought one of the .243's last May out the door for $270. It has the the 17 inch barrel and fine calling rifle, but easy to bump off the safty.
 
I have a .22-250 in 788.

It has ended the carreers of much stuff!

It has also caused me to pull much hair out too!

Mostly safety issues and mine has a very ornery barrel.

I had a Canjar single set trigger installed in about 1993 and then things got real interesting.

Would I pay 4-5 bills for one .... NO! Mine cost $175 originally and the Canjar ran 160 installed (early 90's) so that was 360 smackers right off the top.

There are numerous choices in NEW rifles that fit the bill better now.

My current "affair" is with a 527 CZ American in .223!

It cost 499 before Gov. Christeen and it has the right trigger from the factory.

Three 44s
 
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I'm new here and certainly not an expert on gun values like many of these guys. So, this is my very humble opinion. I have a 788 in .223 and have owned it for over 20 years. It was a really good shooter when I bought it in stock form and I have done several upgrades along the way that have made it even better. I bought the gun used for $150 in the early 80's with a 4x12 weaver scope that the gun still wears. Nothin' fancy but it works for me. In the 90's I sent the gun to McMillen and had a stock built for the gun. At the time my gunsmith told me it would be the first 788 stock ever for McMillen, don't know for sure, but that is what I was told. They offered me a couple of options once they got the gun and started working on the project. Kevlar was a new thing at the time and they offered it to me. Also they had a new marble camo that they thought would make it very unique. I had them do both. By the time I had the stock, the bedding and trigger work done I way past what I paid for the gun and scope in upgrades. The whole point of telling you this is that I have waaaay more in the gun than it is worth to anyone else but I would not take my money back for the gun and I have well over the $400 that 788's are bringing. Guns are fun and really accurate guns like my 788 are REALLY fun. For me a gun is worth what someone is willing to pay. The 788 that I have was a great platform to start with and I think that every dollar I have invested in it was well worth it. I think you would enjoy shooting one. Hope you can find a deal so you will know what I mean. That's all I have to say about that.
 
My primary everything rifle is my 6mm 788, I also have a .243 a 22-250,and my son has a .308 that I "built" for him. All 4 are scary accurate. But they were are all old beaters that I bought worth the money and worked over.(the 250 ain't finished yet) They are tools, and they do what they are intended to. They get banged around and scratched up while the "pretty" rifles sit in the safe. A NIB 788 in .223, Now thats a different animal all together. That is a collector in my book. I'd give $500 tops for it, but a gun that will probably bring $600 - $800 on Gun-broker. These guns have developed quite a following in recent years and there are collectors out there that will give that kind of money for them.
 
The 788 is a good rifle and the only rifle i ever got the best of a barrel with, but i will say, they are no where close to what people are asking for them. One new in the box might appeal to a Remington collector but in my opinion 500.00 is the most it would be worth.
 
I usually keep an eye out for 788s at the gunshows, not to buy one, but so I can kick my self again for the ones I have given away. Two weeks ago in Indy I found two of them one in 243 and one in 6MM. They were "asking" high 500s for each. The 6MM had a bolt that was so ate up with rust, that I would have been afraid to fire it. When I pointed that out to the vendor he acted like "yeah they're all like that". I know they were pretty good shooters, but I think there are better choice's if your in the 5-600 dollar range. Just my two cents.
 
The later ones had polished bolts and the trigger guard was inletted into the stock rather than just screwed on and the safety bolt lock was changed.

A NIB 223 with green manual went for $850 in a recent auction.

Whenever you hear of someone having trouble with one of these it always seems to be in 308, 243 or 6mm caliber. I have never heard of anyone having problems with the 788 in the 22 calibers. Maybe someone else here has?
 


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