Altering Repros, does it make a difference?

[GH-16]

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.

[Pittypatdugan]

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

[GH-16]

Originally Posted by Pat Dugan

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.

[Bill Murphy]

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.