Are opinion changing on restoring a shotgun?

[Bill Murphy]

Answering Ray's question about the gun I probably shouldn't have had refinished. When I was 14 years old, in 1960, I bought a really nice little VH 28 gauge from another 14 year old in my gun club. I paid him the price of a new Savage 99 that he wanted, $130 if I recall correctly. The gun had a pretty perfect stock with checkering filled with varnish, perfect buttplate, very high condition barrel blue, no colors and good screws. In the summer of 1967, I met a more than sweet young thing at Ocean City, New Jersey. She lived in Jenkintown, so in the fall I took the Parker to Paul Jaeger's shop to have the checkering redone and visit Jannie Broughton. At that point, the gun was just short of pristine. However, I guess it was my Dad who wanted to take a trip to Del Grego's to get some work done on a 16 gauge GHE. This was in 1972 and somehow we decided for him to take the 28 gauge along. This is the trip where Dad took the pictures of Larry and Babe working in the shop, pictures that appeared in Kevin McCormack's 1997 DGJ articles on the Del Gregos. My 28 came back from Del Grego with new colors and new rust blue. It is a beautiful gun, with more than 40 years of clay targets and bird hunting on the new finish, finish it probably didn't need. In three years, I will have owned that gun for 56 years, the same number of years it was owned by its previous caretakers. I'm running out of time to wear those Remington colors off.

[Ruff Hunter]

Here is an auction--not mine--far from over as I type this, of a reasonably well restored Parker VH 12 gauge. The current price, being about $1100, is more than it would sell for (at least on GB) if it were all original and down in the 20 or 30% range, which is probably where it was when restored. And the auction isn't over. I am watching this auction to further understand how the market responds to properly (even if not perfectly) restored Parkers, which was the original point of this thread. Clearly, a proper restoration does increase market value if the gun started at 30% or less condition, and very likely dramatically so if it was previously botched, such as a hot blued frame "refinish".

The question in my mind is whether the increase in market value will exceed the cost of the properly performed restoration? In most cases, and especially with lower grade guns, that does not appear to be the case, which is likely why we see so few properly restored field grade guns on the market. Its like counterfeiting a one dollar bill.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=363163311

[Mills]

Restoring a gun to make a profit is a losing game, just like restoring old houses, old cars or almost anything else. I am restoring a DH 10 gauge that was beat to hell. Fortunately, I did not pay much for it, but I will still have a lot more in it than it is worth. I am doing it for the satisfaction of bringing an old gun back to life.

[C.O.B.]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

I am doing it for the satisfaction of bringing an old gun back to life.

THATS exactly why a restorastion should be done, to give a fitting speciman another 100 years of field time.

[Bill Murphy]

If it weren't for the need for restocking, I would have my blued 28 gauge redone. It is a great gun, but no one appreciates the fine gloss blue on the receiver. It has a rare N.F. Strebe Gun Works recoil pad, so I'm guessing that my old friend Norman Strebe probably blued the gun as well as restocking it. Norman's shop is about three good baseball throws from William Wagner's gun store where the gun was originally sold in 1900. As I recall, we determined that this gun was the seventh 28 gauge sold by Parker Brothers. I would have to reread the PP article to be sure.

[Ray Masciarella]

Mills, I restored one of those old Savannah homes on Harris St and I think (hope) I'm ahead of the game. Just have to buy the rascals right!!!

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

For what it is worth, we restore far more high grade guns than field grade guns. However we have never lost out on a Restoration of a good basic field gun. We evaluate what the function and cosmetics would cost in a high condition gun. Each gun needs to be evaluated on an individual basis. A properly restored P grade will bring a 60 to 70 percent value. Assume that a 70% C grade in original condition will yield a very high price at auction. Take a C in less than 30% and Restore it to 90% it will yield At least a 70% sale value, far higher than the cost of Restoration.
The most significant fact is that a Restoration that is done in the same fashion as the original manufacturer is not a refinish, rather a proper preservation of the guns original integrity.

Brad

[BRDHNTR]

Bravo Brad

[ddp]

well said Brad

[Kensal Rise]

Originally Posted by Brad Bachelder

... The most significant fact is that a Restoration that is done in the same fashion as the original manufacturer is not a refinish, rather a proper preservation of the guns original integrity.

Brad

Mr. Bachelder is most respected in his field, and I may be too strict in my limits of vocabulary here... but "preservation" is the retention of original finish. Restoration is its recreation... as far as an independent workman can match it.

Thus, "restoration" is, by clarity of language, still restoration.

Nonetheless, Mr. Bachelder's wise assessment of the relative values of the work is well stated. And I have the greatest admiration for his craftsmanship, I might add!

This should, in no way, be interpreted as a criticism of his work, his fine character, or his opinions.