Forget the woodwork -- is the rifle mechanically OK? An Anschutz 54 action in good shape is a thing of beauty. I agree -- lowball the offer ( $400-500) and see what he says. If you are in the market for a match-grade 22LR, it could be a great deal. How many does he have? Are there, perchance, any LH models? Check in with RimfireCentral.com -- lots of folks there more knowledgeable than me. If you would like to PM me, I can give you a couple of contacts that will know a lot more about this offering than me, but my gut feeling is jump on this if the offer is good. The Anschutz 54 models are highly sough after and are know to be great shooters. Wish I had one!