Cabela's listing on guns intl right now: Used 28ga DT-SG-BTF This is the gun I have been looking for...then I see it has had a pad added and widows peak filled. Probably no take off plate or screws to add it back? They still want all the money for it? Im sure it will sell for less than they are asking? 3500.00 would be closer I would think.?? SXS ohio...

Notice the LOP didn't really change much on the cabela's gun. That is a seldom seen configuration and I agree the price is high.

Look at the pictures. The Cabela's gun still has a slope on the top of the stock leading to the pad. It is absolutely ugly. You can't get rid of the skeleton butt and add length, end of story.

You may be right, Bill, but not necessarily in all cases. The Cabela's gun at 14 1/2" wears a thin pad. Here's a pic of the butt end of my SCC with an added Silver's pad, it has a 14 3/4" LOP. I do not know what it measured originally, but unless it was ordered with custom dimensions or had a ST stock installed on this DT gun (as some did), you can bet it was shorter than 14 3/4". It shows absolutely no visible clues of ever having a SSBP installed. Do I wish it still sported its original SSBP? In the words of our favorite candidate, Sarah Palin . . . "You betcha!"

I'm seeing confusion in the market dealing with repro's. It's the same as for original Parkers. Parkers in high original condition justify high asking & selling prices. When you alter these guns or use them hard & put them away wet. Their value drops accordingly. This still doesn't stop someone that has a well used shooter from looking at the internet & seeing an asking price on a high condition gun & think his gun is worth the same.

The repros are doing the same thing in the market. Someone has a used repro where the CC are worn off, there's bluing wear & the wood has handleing marks all over. Yet he asks the same price as a new un-fired gun. Now alter that same gun some how and the price should drop accordingly.

I set values on repros, just like I do any gun. I grade the gun by my grading scale & value it for what I think it is worth. If it's new in box with great wood & a configuration I like it'll get my highest value rating. If it's a used gun I judge it on it's own merits & price it accordingly. Used ones are shooters & NIB might be considered one to put away.

My number one deduct for a repro is a cut-off skeleton plate. No matter how good the gun is over all, I feel the man who cut the plate off just had a $1000.00 worth of saw dust hit the floor.

Configuration also plays a part. A 20ga single trigger 26" gun IMO is the base line repro & I value it the lowest on my scale due to it being the most common repro out there. Start adding the one off features and the price goes up accordingly I.E. barrel length, DT, gauge, extra barrels, beavertail etc.

A friend bought a 28 ga repro that had originally a 14 3/4 length
of pull that was cut down and the skeleton butt plate was reinstalled.
The gun was then resold for 2500 to a gun dealer in Thomasvill.
they then resold for 4200...so value is set by buyer

Your dead-on about the value being set by the buyer. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it!

With that said:

IMO your friend may have hurt himself when he cut off that long length of pull stock. The 14 3/4" LOP repros are far & few between. It's an example of the one-off features I alluded to in my earlier post. I imagine there are guys who need a long LOP that would love to find one of the 14 3/4" guns & might be willing to pay a slight premium for one.

Greg, the Cabela's gun may be 14 1/2" with a thin pad, but the stock slopes down to the pad because of the contour of the original stock. It is pathetic looking.

Yeah, I know. The point I was making is that a Repro's SSBP can be cut off with the widow's peak area cut off with it and if a 1" pad is added it will increase length. I posted the pic of my SCC that makes that point.

Here is another Repro that has had the SBP replaced with a pad. The widows peak remains and the LOP went from 14 1/4" original to 14 3/4" with pad.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j1...0-03590014.jpg

Bob Jurewicz