The restoration question

[Fishtail]

This really is an argument that will never go anywhere...

But, as a point of interest, in the collector car world there is a shift away from restored cars in preference of originals, even if they show wear.

The main reason not to restore a Parker is the philosophy that once a set of hands in 2012 recuts the checkering and engraving, and refinishes the gun, the gun is no longer as 'Parker' as a Parker that had its checkering cut by a Parker employee back in the day. If we're sitting in a duck blind and my Parker was put together by a Parker employee in 1912 and yours was put together by Larry Smelznick of Good 'Ol Boy Guns in 2011, my Parker has a lot more credence.

[C grade]

There is an old saying "If everyone wanted the same things as me they would all want my wife". The reality is a restored gun is not worth anything close to an original. One of the reasons is rarity as more guns get restored. I also just inspected an AHE 20 ga for a friend--untouched would have been worth $20,000 more that with the new $6,000 stock and redone rib and barrels.
They are worth what they are worth, right or wrong
David

[Larry the Gun Guy]

But none of us knows what the gun was when the work was started.

Let's say you go to a gun store and on the rack is a really used and somewhat abused relatively rare Parker. You soon learn from the research books that they made only 14 of these guns. It's not even close to being original, that was lost years ago by someone who tried unsuccessfully to restock it or they had a "gunsmith" buff and blued the frame. Or they cut he bottom of the stock off and fitted some replacement wood on to it. Or they changed it from a pistol grip to a straight grip because they wanted it to handle they way they liked a gun to feel; heck Parkers were a dime a dozen in those days and who ever thought of collecting them... that's ridiculous, they were made to be shot. The mechanics of the gun really needs attention because it's a little off face or an ejector won't work or the for end doesn't fit correctly. It's far too late for this gun to be anything but a butt ugly shooter or a restored red headed step child of the Parker collecting community. What do you do? Leave that potentially great gun in the state you found it or do you bring it back from the grave and make it functional and presentable? Knowing full well that when you get it back from the highly respected restorationist that others are going to wonder why you took such a rare and beautiful old classic and re did it, not knowing what kid of horrible shape it was in when you found it. What kind of crime did you commit?

[C grade]

Larry
I agree completely!! I have some age on me and like things, Parkers, RR watches, cars, etc that have stood the test of time and even though show the age and wear and tear still function. Some of the Parkers really need restoration to restore functionality and their former beauty. May we chose wisely.
Merry Christmas
David