I recently read an article about Wallace Gusler, the fellow who opened the gunsmith shop at Colonial Williamsburg and later went on to become the head curator for Williamsburg. As to restoration, he said that honest wear is part of the piece's character, and that he only tries to remove signs of abuse and neglect. There's still some gray area there, but I thought he stated the issue nicely. Us with double guns we want to shoot and show off might tend to be a bit more aggressive.
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