Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer (Post 423237)

I bought one in the last year and was dead set on what I wanted. I wanted an open choked gun which pretty much dictated 26" barrels because long open choke barrels are rare. I was set on double triggers, straight stock, splinter fore end, pretty wood and 28 gauge. Sounds easy but actually finding one of this configuration is pretty tough because IMHO that is the single most popular setup for upland hunting.

The point I wanted to make is that there is another factor here that hasn't been mentioned. That is originality. You would think with the relatively young age of these guns that not that many had been modified but that is not always the case. In searching for a gun I found several that fit the bill had the original butt plate removed and a recoil pad installed. The comment was correct that wear and use leads to lower price, but for a hunting gun that is an advantage when buying. The recoil pad issue is another thing and generally significantly affects the final price if you track them until sold. To me, it was a huge issue because I considered the engraved skeleton buttplate a big part of the appeal of the gun. Having one restored to original is a 4-figure project and the butt will be shorter. If you want a pad, you might want to use that as a strong bargaining tool.