If Restored Bugs You, Please Don't Open!

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Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
And if that's the way THEY feel about it they have lost much more than the "collector's value" of the gun.
 
I just bought a 1907 Savage and am considering getting it reblued and putting repo grips on it. Some guns you just like the lines and looks of. Your P08 is one of those guns for me. I have even considered getting a model gun. I got plenty others for shooting.
 
That's just the way the market it, and there's not much you can do about it. And even there, it's not as cut and dried as you might think. With cars, an unrestored original that's in extremely good condition, will be more valuable than an example that has been restored to the same condition. Also, if the car has been restored to original condition, it will be worth far more than one that has been customized. All those '32 Fords and '53 Studebakers that have been chopped and customized into street rods really are worth surprisingly little on the collector car market, because collectors want original, or at least original looking cars, rather than customized stuff (that may be truly awful -- some people have really crappy taste, and their cars reflect this).

With firearms, collectors are, like it or not, even more particular. It has to be ALL original to hold its value. Everybody is perfectly entitled to do what he likes with his own property, but for myself, personally, the only gun I'd restore is one that has deteriorated enough to have lost most if not all of its collector value already, but is still good mechanically. There are guns like that out there and they make great candidates for restoration. Otherwise, I'd genuinely prefer it the way it is, showing all the wear and history its racked up over the years; such guns have character. I have an old Winchester Model 1911 that my grandad left me. It has no finish left to speak of, but it's in great mechanical shape. I'll leave it the way it is, because that's how grandad left it to me, and this way, it's still his gun, and it reminds me of him every time I pick it up. And there's also the practical consideration: after all, you may not ever intend to sell it now, but things change. You may find, ten years down the road, that you are no longer so attached to the gun, and you could use the money (only now you can't get any for it). Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.
Lots of "what if's" and "maybes" and such there.

The gun now looks pretty much like it did when George bought it new, and that makes me happy.

As to my heirs, well, if the fact that it's restored hurts them, that's just hard beans. I haven't bitched about ANYTHING that I've inherited, but maybe that's just me.
 
I see both sides.....In this case, he's not selling and I'll bet George would like what was done. I think in some cases, your grandfather, uncle, whoever, might ask you why you didnt get that thing fixed.....if they could. Just depends on the PEOPLE involved and who knew them best.

Looks Good, there's no greif from me. :D
 
Lots of "what if's" and "maybes" and such there.
Uh, no, there's pretty much nothing at all in the "what if" and "maybe" category about refinishing. If it has any value at all, and you refinish it, you will reduce its monetary value. Period.

The gun now looks pretty much like it did when George bought it new, and that makes me happy.
That's great for you. You can certainly do whatever you like with your property. But guns, if they are well cared for, outlive their owners. With any model, there were only a finite number made. And every one that gets customized is one less authentic historical firearm out there. Given enough time, that makes a difference. One reason there are so few good M1917 Enfields out there, in good shootable condition, with good bores, is because so many people sporterized them once upon a time, back when they were cheap. Now, if you want one, you'll have a hard time finding a really nice example. I like classic cars, I own a Studebaker Avanti, and I've always wanted a good '53 Commander, but you can hardly ever find a good one anymore, because they're like '32 Fords -- most of the ones that haven't rusted halfway to the scrapyard yet, have been chopped up into street rods. Now those of us who would love to have one, can't get our hands on a decent example at any price we could afford.

As to my heirs, well, if the fact that it's restored hurts them, that's just hard beans. I haven't bitched about ANYTHING that I've inherited, but maybe that's just me.
It's nice to inherent anything; it's a gift, and gifts are always nice. But isn't it nicer to inherit something that's actually worth some real money? Especially when you find out your forbear didn't just neglect the item so that it's worth less, but actually took active steps to decrease its value?

Now if the thing's already deteriorated enough that it has very little collector value anyway, have at it. There are lots of such guns out there, and they are great candidates for restoration. You may even increase its value, and at the least, you'll have a nicer gun to shoot. But if you have a gun that is a valuable collectible, why not leave it that way, and go pick up a restoration candidate for a couple of hundred bucks to refurbish into the like-new shooter?
 
I guess folks just didn't read the thread title or simply insist on interjecting their opinions.
And I guess, once again, that nothing can be posted without someone, somewhere misconstruing or misreading it. In case you missed it (though I don't see how, since I put in both my posts on this thread) I am not bothered by all restoration jobs, and even stated explicitly that there are some guns that are great candidates for restoration. (I have learned how easy it is, on this board and others, how incredibly easy it is to post clear, declarative statements that somehow people seem unable to read, as if they are written in Sanskrit.)

Since the OP contained no photos of the restored Luger before the work was done, perhaps this gun was one of those ideal candidates. Even if it wasn't, I'm glad the owner of it has a gun he'll enjoy owning and shooting. It's hardly ruined if that is so, but those contemplating a refinish or restoration would, I think, do better to limit such jobs to guns which have already lost most of their collector value, and preserve, rather than restore, examples which are still in good condition and are valuable.
 
Depends on what condition it was in before the work was done. Even if it was in good condition, "bugs" is the wrong word; it's your property, you can do what you like with it. But if you are going to do that sort of work, I do wonder why people have it done to valuable collector pieces rather than old, worn, guns whose value won't be affected -- it's not as though there is any shortage of guns in that category.
 
Looks beautiful! Makes me wonder about having something like an old shotgun refinished. I like the "worn in" look, but wonder what it would be like to have one of those looking new.

Any "before" pics?
 
Depends on what condition it was in before the work was done. Even if it was in good condition, "bugs" is the wrong word; it's your property, you can do what you like with it. But if you are going to do that sort of work, I do wonder why people have it done to valuable collector pieces rather than old, worn, guns whose value won't be affected -- it's not as though there is any shortage of guns in that category.
So, I should have done it to some gun that doesn't mean a rats ass to me, rather than something I treasure. Gotcha.
 
So, I should have done it to some gun that doesn't mean a rats ass to me, rather than something I treasure. Gotcha.

I repeat: "And I guess, once again, that nothing can be posted without someone, somewhere misconstruing or misreading it."

I'm more than half convinced this phenomenon is deliberate.
 
Billy, you did cross the line with your comments, ignoring what the OP stated.
We got what you said, why don't you leave it and move on....
 
Billy, you did cross the line with your comments, ignoring what the OP stated.
We got what you said, why don't you leave it and move on....
Given the snarkiness of Zilmo's response, I'd have to say no, he didn't get it. And since snide comments generally provoke a response, if you want the other guy to "leave it and move on" you ought to realize that the way to get him to do that is not to be snide. Try saying: "fine, you're entitled to your opinion, and I've got mine, and we'll just have to agree to disagree."

And beyond that, no, posting comments on a public forum does not constitute "crossing a line." He expressed an opinion, and anyone else is free to express one also. It may not be one he particularly likes, agrees with, or wants to hear, but when you post comments for public view, you just have to be grown up enough to accept that not everyone is going to agree with you.
 
Your heirs who inherit it may not care a whit about guns and want to sell it to someone who does.

I've seen this done. Some heirs can't wait to "clean out the junk" of a predecessor's house. We think we are passing a real treasure to them, and they admire it when we are alive. But when we are gone, they can't wait to turn it into fast cash.

Re-blue, refinish and restore it, or keep it as original as you like. Either way, enjoy that gun for the rest of your days!
 
That is beautiful! No worries mate. I have a 1941 production Mauser WWII Luger that was rearsenalled in East Germany after the war. I am thinking of getting it restored also. It has no collector value and is already a shooter grade Luger (shoots great by the way).

Where did you have the work done? Cost if you don't mind me asking?
 
That is one beautiful gun. I agree, the whole 'dont refinish it crowd' bugs me, as they only care about market value etc. I think you made the right choice
 
Given the snarkiness of Zilmo's response, I'd have to say no, he didn't get it. And since snide comments generally provoke a response, if you want the other guy to "leave it and move on" you ought to realize that the way to get him to do that is not to be snide. Try saying: "fine, you're entitled to your opinion, and I've got mine, and we'll just have to agree to disagree."

And beyond that, no, posting comments on a public forum does not constitute "crossing a line." He expressed an opinion, and anyone else is free to express one also. It may not be one he particularly likes, agrees with, or wants to hear, but when you post comments for public view, you just have to be grown up enough to accept that not everyone is going to agree with you.
Given the fact that I said not only in the thread title, but several times in the first and following posts, that I was not interested in NAYSAYERS, that I had HEARD IT ALL BEFORE, and that I SIMPLY DON"T CARE about "perceived value", you still felt it necessary to grace us with your wisdom on the subject, not only once, but in multiple follow up posts. For that Billy Shears, I will be eternally grateful. My life is now complete, and I can die happy. You sir, are a treasure. Thanks for being here for all of us, and steering us in the RIGHT direction.
 
It looks great, and since it's your gun, you can do whatever you want to it.
Personally, I'm glad you went with the restoration instead of say, a cammo job. :D
I think it looks great, and it's got me to thinking about maybe redoing some of my old guns.
I don't sell guns, so I don't much care about the value.
The important thing is that you like it and you enjoy the gun.
I'm sure George doesn't mind.
 
Billy Shears,
with a name like that you must be a fellow Beatles fan. Having said that, I agree with your notion that for the most part, a firearm should be left alone unless it is so far gone that a restoration could only improve the piece. Unfortunately, some gun owners do let some rare examples go to the devil (i.e., leaving an antique firing piece sitting in the attic for thirty-odd years to suffer the extreme temperature changes). If said gun owner was a widowed grandmother, I can overlook the developments. The rest of us are without excuse.

The photographs of the OP are not registering on my computer [at work], so I can only go by the many words of admiration. Sounds like a really good effort. I bought a C-96 Mauser Broomhandle (specifically a Bolo) from a friend a while back for a couple hundred dollars. It was in poor condition (it looked like junk) and disassembled in a box. The barrel was far gone. I figured this was as close as I would get to owning one of these, so after paying the money, I sent it to a company in Florida and had the whole thing redone. They reblued it, lengthened the barrel to a standard size (this equated to a brand new barrel which equated to a new operational life), and aside from the weathered wood grips, she looks great.

- JKHolman
 
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Pistol looks nice, and if you're happy, that's all that really matters.
Personally, I like holding a gun that someone else held, many years ago in some historical situation. For me, a refinish takes away their "aura". The $ value isn't really the issue for me.
But hey, that one's yours.
 
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