[Brother10]

I got one of these shotguns and it appears to have been made around 1920 or so, it is missing a lot of bluing and is suffering from minor specks of rust on the surface; however, it is in sound mechanical condition. It needs to be cleaned up and I am pondering refinishing it. My question is about the collectable value of this shotgun (if any): Does it have a following and would refinishing it destroy the collector's appeal? I'm not very knowlegeable on domestic commercial firearms. Any assistance is appreciated.

[Badger Arms]

DON'T REFINISH IT

Yes, it does have a following of at least one. This is a rare gun and those that are out there usually don't get into circulation that often. The best thing you can do is judiciously clean off what rust there is (very fine steel wool and Break-Free works good for me). If you soak the whole thing in Break-Free and let it sit overnight, the rust will come off easier. Don't worry about getting it down to bare metal, just take the loose stuff off. As for the wood, Murphy's oil soap is good to clean it off but don't bother refinishing it. I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands if you want it refinished... DON'T RUIN IT.

Here's mine:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=326714

[Dave McCracken]

The Model 17 is a JMB design, the Ithaca Model 37 is derived from it.

Besides being a great shooter, there's some collector value to a 17 in good condition. Refinishing may lower the value.

A suggestion, have a smith go over this before shooting it. Earliest ones may have short chambers, 2 9/16". Firing off modern ammo may be neither fun nor safe.

HTH....

[Tom Held]

FYI on the 17A: The Blue Book indicates 48,000 made between 1917-1933 but in 20 gauge only? Values give on the plane barrel version range from $110 in 60% condition to $350 in 100% condition. However, there were apparently various grades of the gun, F being the highest. "...large premiums are paid for mint condition, higher grade models..."

[Badger Arms]

Thanks Tom. Indeed, the Model 17A is an "A" Grade. The vast majority of guns made were in this grade or "B." I'm under the impression that my gun is a "B" Grade, but I would love a definitive answer on that one.

I guess I'll have to have a smith check the headspace on mine to see if it's good. Wonder what the solution is if it's short? I could probably have it reamed out but I wonder if that might {snicker} void the warranty.

[Brother10]

Thanks for the replies. I was reluctant to refinish it before; you guys made it plainly obvious that it should be left as is. I'll work on getting a picture of it up here so you can see what I'm dealing with.