The restoration question

[King Brown]

I've a 12ga VH with fairly good bluing and colours but the stock was obviously home-made and poorly at that. I sent it off to Chris Dawe who reported it as original with sanded off checkering etc. He checkered new stock, finished it beautifully and returned a "restored" Parker because that's what it is---"Give back, make restitution", the authoritative Oxford English Dictionary. It was right by the gun and its makers. I've a Parker 16 hammer 0 grade on the other hand that I would not touch, close to original but tiny chip at toe of buttplate. It would be a shame to apply cosmetics. I'm a gunner when it comes to guns, not collector. My collector side is another thing entirely.