How does a Damascus refinish affect desirability?

[Matt Buckley]

I purchased a 12 gauge hammer gun from a fellow member with a set of 30" twist barrels refinished by Breck and they are beautiful and I think make the gun worth more to me than the same barrels in rough shape on the outside. It's always interesting to me how over here in America we as collectors are so big on "original" while when I look at doubles from England I think we hardly ever and may be never buy an original gun that hasn't been refinished/refurbished at some point. It is common practice across the pond to send in your guns yearly for cleaning/refurbishing. And they know how to put together a pretty nice double barrel across the pond.

[Bill Murphy]

I wish I had a canned reply about British guns and British gunsmiths and their treatment of bores and gun finish. British gunsmiths regularly bore out barrels and grind the finish off of barrels to the point that British auction houses are flush with fine guns with "barrel walls under safe limits" or whatever other terms they use for trashed out guns. Holt's auction is full of such guns. Trashed out, refinished guns are no more accepted in Great Britain than they are here in the USA. A clean, original Purdey sells for thousands of dollars more than a trashed out, refinished Purdey. Yes, in GB just like in the USA.