If Restored Bugs You, Please Don't Open!

[Matty K]

Hey Zilmo

Its a great piece, thanks for sharing it with us. Sorry about the flak you received, I'm sure he meant well.

The important question is, how does she shoot?

-Matt

 

[Mad Magyar]

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.

How about some pics!

 

[257x50]

Refinish or restoration, what are the rules...............and who is Bubba?

It looks good and he likes it.........HEY thats what he wanted.

Sounds like the guys that never shoot the guns lest they ruin their value. If they are not going to shoot them, as a weapon they make a fair club. It is investing. Nothing wrong with that.

Sounds like the guy with the beautiful wife. Tells his friends" married 5 years and she is still a virgin...."

Sorry for the rant.

 

[mgmorden]

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.

With all due respect, you have to be realistic about your audience. This is a board full of gun enthusiasts. Many of which love old guns. They lose value and the total number of unaltered pieces drops a notch when one is refinished. You post a refinish of something as rare and highly prized as a Luger that has, in many eyes, been "butchered", and you can't expect NOT to get a few negative responses.

It'd be as if I started a thread entitled "Obama is doing great things for this country! Naysayers please don't post". I can say that in the thread title all day long, but the reality is I can't expect that request to be obeyed. It's a controversial subject - particularly in present company, and at the end of the day the thread isn't "mine" to direct who does and doesn't post in it. I started a thread on a discussion board on which any member may comment.

If you want to show off your gun, then fine. Just understand that you'll have to accept the positive AND the negative comments as they come.

 

[SwampWolf]

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?

Never look a gift gun in the muzzle.

 

[257x50]

So that highwall that Harvey Donaldson rebuilt is worthless now............drat the luck!

 

[jimmyraythomason]

in many eyes, been "butchered",

And in just as many eyes(maybe more) not butchered. Unless those eyes are looking to purchase the topic of discussion it's monetary value is nothing to them. Having a difference of opinion is great and I share many of the opinions posted here both pro and con BUT remember NEVER tell a mother her baby is ugly no matter what you think!

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Guys........seriously........

Its not like he logged on here and told us he just inhereted some gun, and has a hack saw, a sheet of 80 grit sand paper, and a can of dupli-color in his hands. You may not agree but this isnt some 18 year old with Grand-dads bring home mauser. (I may start a post like that just to give you guys a heart attack )

95% of the time I'm right there with you guys as a gun enthusiast, wanting original to be well, Original. But there is a definately a place for that 5% of the time where I honestly believe restoring it, fixing it up, etc, is appropriate. That is when the person, heirs, etc. make an informed decision and decide that doing these things is necessary to preserving it, using it, or appreciating it. (Museums have people that restore and take care of the things in thier possession!)

I think it looks good (like new) and now he and his family & friends can enjoy it.

 

[Billy Shears]

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

A gun in the condition you describe is exactly the kind of perfect candidate for restoration to which I was referring. Such a gun has virtually no collector value to diminish, it's value is that of a shooter to be enjoyed, and restoration can turn in back into something that people can enjoy and shoot for decades -- especially people who find the rare and increasingly valuable originals that remain in good condition beyond reach.

I compliment your taste, as not only are you a fellow Beatles fan, but a fellow broomhandle fan. I've considered doing exactly what you describe, and nearly bought an old C96 last year that was mechanically okay, but needed barrel relining and a total refinish. But right now I'm pouring all my spare cash into the aforementioned Studebaker Avanti.

With all due respect, you have to be realistic about your audience. This is a board full of gun enthusiasts. Many of which love old guns. They lose value and the total number of unaltered pieces drops a notch when one is refinished. You post a refinish of something as rare and highly prized as a Luger that has, in many eyes, been "butchered", and you can't expect NOT to get a few negative responses.

It'd be as if I started a thread entitled "Obama is doing great things for this country! Naysayers please don't post". I can say that in the thread title all day long, but the reality is I can't expect that request to be obeyed. It's a controversial subject - particularly in present company, and at the end of the day the thread isn't "mine" to direct who does and doesn't post in it. I started a thread on a discussion board on which any member may comment.

If you want to show off your gun, then fine. Just understand that you'll have to accept the positive AND the negative comments as they come.

EXACTLY!

The board does not belong to any one member. You can post a controversial topic, and request people who don't agree with you to lay off, but this is a public forum, and they're just as entitled to express their opinions as you are to express yours. You don't like it, fine; you're under no obligation to. But other members are also under no obligation not to disapprove, or not to express that disapproval when you take a controversial action. So we might as well all be civilized about it when we disagree.

 

[Gun_Shy]

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.

Using (good) repro grips to replace original hard rubber grips on Savage pistols is pretty common. Original grips are difficult to find in good shape, expensive when you do find them -- and have almost always dried out and so become brittle. Since these grips have to be flexed to take off or put back on the frame, this is when original grips typically break.

I have a number of Savage automatics and usually put the best original grips on the pistols I will rarely shoot, since I will be rarely removing them to clean the pistol. Those I shoot most often get repro grips, because they are flexible, just as the original ones were when new.

About refinishing a model 1907 -- if you want it to look more-or-less original, check to see what the original finish was (the s/n is the best indicator). In the 14 years (1908-1920) Savage made the .32 m1907, and 7 years (1913-1920) it made the .380 m1907, it changed the factory finish a number of times. These included bright blued, dark blued, matte blue-black, black paint, etc. -- and these were just the standard finishes. They could also be special ordered factory finished in gold, silver, nickel.

Too, if the frame and slide need to be polished (probable, if it can stand refinishing), try and make sure all the edges and angles aren't rounded off.

There are a few rare versions of the m1907 you might not want to refinish, and I'd think twice about refinishing any made in the first year (1908; below s/n 3000).

Bill

 

[Pilot]

and nearly bought an old C96 last year that was mechanically okay, but needed barrel relining and a total refinish. But right now I'm pouring all my spare cash into the aforementioned Studebaker Avanti.

Oooooh. A Renaissance Man. My uncle restored a Studebaker Golden Hawk. Always loved the Avanti and have a C-96 that I bought already restored. There is a time and place for restorations.

 

[BigO01]

Zilmo it's your money so who cares what a complete stranger would think of how you spend it .

Fact of the matter is you have a very interesting story to go along with a pretty neat weapon so why not do a restoration on it !

Personally anyone that would say anything negative about you or the gun is jealous they aren't the one that owns it in my opinion !

 

[71Commander]

I bought this in 73. It's a 71 Combat Commander. I'm never selling it, so I'm not worring about value. It was electroless nickle. Not blued. I had the slide dovetail cut for sights.

 

[Mad Magyar]

71 Commander, nice job...Sweet looking and I'm sure it fires great. Are those Wilson Combat mags?

 

[71Commander]

Yes. They're all I use. 8 rounders.

Thanks.