Question re restoration and value

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Ken Hill

Is any restoration acceptable (i.e., barrels reblued correctly or stock refinish) for adding value to the gun? A lot of people stay away from recase coloring the action.

Some things are maintenance more than "restoration". If the bluing is so worn that it is going to easily rust without contact oil application, then it is time to re-blue them as a form of maintenance. The same can be said about stock finish.

However, if the gun is so worn to where it actually needs these things, then it was not a high value collectors piece anyway. In these cases, the value is increases by performing these maintenance/restorative operations.

There is absolutely no reason to have to do any restoration work to a true 75-80% or better gun.

Fixing a buggard screw or something is one thing. But finish restoration is another.

Any gun truly NEEDING (say... 40% condition or less) restoration is of course going to be worth more restored than it was before. But not as much as an original gun in that same (post-restored) condition.



I tell people all the time, that very few guns are actually "worth" fully restoring from a monetary gain standpoint. You do it because you want to do it. Period. If financial gain can be had in some occasions, great.

And of course, any talk of restoration that I mention is assuming the work is top notch and completely correct. Anything less is not even worth discussing because it does de-value the gun.

[C grade]

I think Brian is correct in that maintance , touching up the stock finish, replace a bad screw. is not refinishing . The value of a restored 40% gun is, IMHO, not more that the gun was originally. First, it diminishes the number of buyers and the owner would not recover the cost of the restoration. If it makes the owner happy go for it ,but from a financial investment view it does not pay off.
David

[C.O.B.]

I think the value also depends on the grade and gauge of the gun. Small bores always bring more. Several years ago I bought a GH 20 with 30 inch Damascus barrels that had been completely restored by Doug Turnbull. The gun came from a member here and he based the asking price on condition (after restoration it was as new) and rarity. We came to terms and I've enjoyed it for quite a while.

IMHO the breakdown is 90%+ original condition bring the highest price, professionally and correctly restored is 70-75% of that and the gun with honest wear but serviceable will bring the fair market value of that particular grade and gauge.

The above mentioned GH is the only fully restored gun I own or have ever owned. I've replaced pads and restocked a couple that were so horrid I couldn't shoot the gun and have had a couple of Damascus barrels refinished. Wrong? Perhaps but there guns I use regularly and it will be the next guys issues not mine.