CFA NRA Condition Grading Scale 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A lever-action rifle from 1885 has about 30% original case color remaining on the receiver and smooth, worn wood. Which NRA antique grade fits best?
- Very Good
- Good (Correct answer)
- Fair
- Poor
Correct answer: Good
NRA 'Good' antiques retain some original finish, show normal handling wear, and remain mechanically functional.
Question 2: Under the NRA modern firearms scale, the grade 'Fair' typically indicates what level of remaining original finish?
- Less than 20% (Correct answer)
- 20–39%
- 40–59%
- 60–79%
Correct answer: Less than 20%
NRA 'Fair' for modern firearms is generally associated with less than 20% original finish remaining.
Question 3: An NRA 'Excellent' modern firearm differs from an NRA 'Perfect' modern firearm primarily in that 'Excellent' allows for what?
- Evidence of light use with minor wear (Correct answer)
- Complete re-bluing
- Replaced stock
- Non-original sights
Correct answer: Evidence of light use with minor wear
NRA 'Excellent' allows for evidence of careful use with minimal wear, unlike 'Perfect' which requires no signs of use.
Question 4: When applying the NRA condition scale for auction catalog purposes, which grade would most accurately describe a Colt Single Action Army with 90% vivid original color case hardening and 88% blue?
- Perfect
- Excellent (Correct answer)
- Very Good
- Good
Correct answer: Excellent
Combined finish retention of approximately 88–90% with sharp case coloring places this SAA firmly in NRA 'Excellent.'
Question 5: Which NRA antique condition grade describes a firearm with no finish remaining, heavy pitting, but is still mechanically functional?
- Fair
- Poor (Correct answer)
- Good
- Shooter Grade
Correct answer: Poor
NRA 'Poor' on the antique scale describes guns with no finish, heavy pitting or damage, yet still mechanically functional enough to fire.
Question 6: A CFA candidate is asked why condition grading directly affects a firearm's appraised value. The best answer is:
- Higher grades always double the value regardless of rarity
- Condition determines the percentage of highest-known-sale price a specimen commands (Correct answer)
- Condition is irrelevant when a firearm has historical provenance
- NRA grades only apply to handguns, not long guns
Correct answer: Condition determines the percentage of highest-known-sale price a specimen commands
In firearms appraisal, condition grade is applied as a percentage multiplier against a reference high-condition sale price to derive current value.
Question 7: On the NRA scale, the term 'mechanically perfect' is a requirement for which modern firearms grade at minimum?
- Good
- Fair
- Very Good (Correct answer)
- Poor
Correct answer: Very Good
NRA 'Very Good' and above require the firearm to be mechanically perfect (fully functional with no defects).
CFA NRA Condition Grading Scale 3
A lever-action rifle from 1885 has about 30% original case color remaining on the receiver and smooth, worn wood.
Which NRA antique grade fits best?