Are Turk rifles worth more refinished or as they are?

[Phaethon]

I bought a Turkish 1903 a few months ago and it's been sitting on a rack ever since. I bought it with intention to resell it, but I've come to like the gun too much. It's a dreadfully ugly piece, with cracks, gouges, and dents. It had significant rusting under the wood that I cleaned off and it has a nasty oil-black stock, and its bluing is faded to a similarly brownish patina with some dirty whited metal on contact areas.

Despite this, I actually really like it for its history. I figure it would look really nice and marketable if I stripped the stock and refinished it (perhaps I could skip the sanding to preserve the character of the wood), maybe even stripping the bluing to make the metal look clean and white, but I suspect I'd feel terrible doing that to such an old rifle.

I hear Turks don't have historical value, so what do you guys think, would I make more off of it with a nice refinish job or in original configuration?

 

[Luchtaine]

I think with "collectible" guns refinishing will reduce value they want them the way they are. I'm not really an expert though I don't have anything "collectible" nor for sale. If its original I think I would just leave it alone.

 

[Elbert P . Suggins]

I am assuming you are talking about a Turkish 8mm Mauser which I also have. But one thing I did notice is the strange odor they have. I don't know if it is the stock oil and or old cosmoline but it is quite different. Other Turks I have picked up smell the same.

 

[ball3006]

Refinishing them...

will decrease their value. Same for any other surplus gun.....However, if the stock finish is beyond hope, to refinish it to be as close as possible to the original finish might not hurt the value. I had a Turk short Mauser that had a sticky goo for stock finish so I had to refinish it. Turned out to be really pretty tiger striped wood.....chris3

 

[Phaethon]

I've always heard that Turks aren't really collectible. I understand most of them get butchered up and used as project guns owing to this and their remarkably low prices. I'm not trying to appeal to a die-hard Turk collector just like I wouldnt try to appeal to a Mosin enthusiast (I mean come on, they're 90$ rifles available in the millions). Does a Turkish rifle have real collectors value or not?

And if not, would a Turk with nice looking wood and metal catch a project-er's eye moreso than an ugly dirty one? That or maybe the real market for such a gun would be someone who's a casual shooter and just wants to try out a cheap nice looking Mauser?

 

[jehicks87]

I'd refinish it. You won't hurt the value of a non-collectible gun with a cracked stock. That's just not going to happen.

That said, you won't increase the value, either. But in the condition you described it, no collector is going to pay any large sum for it in the first place.

 

[Fullboar1]

Does a Turkish rifle have real collectors value or not?

http://www.turkmauser.com/models.aspx
http://www.turkmauser.com/03/

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Refinishing them...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

will decrease their value. Same for any other surplus gun.....

This isn't true. It is only true of "collectable" firearms of which most mil-surps are not. Having said that,a Turk will not increase in value nearly enough to pay for the refinish job. A Turk is one of a handful of mil-surps that is actually worth more as a well done sporter than it is in original configuration.

 

[Phaethon]

Well since I have leftover tung oil, steel wool, vinegar, and mineral spirits left over from another refinish job, maybe if I decide to clean it up I'll show you all some before and after pics. I just have to get over the idea of messing with something that's over a century old.