Over the past three years I have tried to get an idea and as close as I can tell the price should be 1700-1900 but still hard to tell from gunbroker because you have to consider their sale price is the highest it would bring in a nationwide auction plus shipping/insurance but then the seller has a fee to pay gunbroker. This is a one owner gun until I received it from the owner who died in 1973 and I received it in 2010 and it was still loaded with ammo. Gun was manufactured in 1962 and doubt if one box of ammo was fired in it. Would still appreciate any known value on sold guns.

My $0.02 on GB prices.

If you login, go to advanced, and search in completed auctions. Then click on "bids" twice, to get the list sorted on max number of bids. This is likely the highest price you should expect for an auctioned item. Any of the listings with 0 bids or no-sale due to reserve are irrelevant comparisons.

For a local sale, you have a smaller market and would likely not find a buyer at the full auction price.

low: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/698844913
high: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/692524482

I have known of at least 2 that have sold in the range above. If your gun is pristine/95-98% as it sounds your value is about right. What exactly you get is a function of how you sell it, how patient you are in waiting for a certain price, the bidders that happen to be playing (if you go with an auction), etc.

If you are familiar with Gunbroker and use it, you can always set a reserve price. For a pristine 42, there is someone out there who would pay $2K - the trick is getting it exposed to that person. Good, clear, close-up photographs will go a long way towards selling it. You could even put it on here first to see if there are any takers at your price (whatever that is). I do that sometimes. Sometimes it sells, sometimes it doesn't. I know there are a few Winchester aficionados on here. I am one, but for rifles.

To avoid the costs/hassle/time I often will sell for less on here than I would want in an auction. As you point out, at the end of the day it's about the money that ends up in your pocket (not just selling price). Time is money too. I would probably sell a gun for $1500 on here that I would want $1750 for if I had to auction it on GB. But that's just me. My best guess is you could get $1500 easily for it, maybe up to $1750 - but beyond that would take a little time and exposure.

+1, the only problem with setting reserves, lots of buyers won't bid, no reserve will always get the bids, there are ways to protect your self on no reserve auctions.