Lucifer_Sam
Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 177
Ive got a Browning autoloading rifle "take down", 22 LR. Its one of the first models, is loaded from the top of the stock, has the stuff about "FN Browning", Belgium made, ect.
The stock had to be refinished. It had to have some cracks repaired, a piece spliced in and had a ruined finish. The receiver has a a nasty patch of pitting about the size of a quarter, and is spattered with various small specks of pitting in various places. The barrel has a little pitting in a couple places, and the bluing seems like it might be turning brown here and there. Its unadorned, has no engraving of checkering at all, so it isnt one of the high grade models. Also, the bluing on the buttplate is gone and its pretty heavily pitted--a victim of the same conditions that damaged the stock. Other than that the bluing doesnt look bad, but it really doesnt look very good, either. Mechanically it's fine.
I'm guessing its worth about 400$. I'm considering taking down some of the pitting and rebluing (rust bluing) it, but I want to be certain that I'm not missing anything and that the rifle doesnt have value that I'm unaware of. If I lose a little value b/c of rebluing, I'm not worried, but I dont want to take a significant amt of money out of it. In other words, losing 50-100$ in value and have a nice looking rifle is fine, its unlikely that I'll have much interest in selling it, anyway. I'm pretty sure it isnt very valuable, but I wanted to check and be certain.
So, should I make it all pretty, or will I be losing more cash than I'd like?
Thanks for any info.
The stock had to be refinished. It had to have some cracks repaired, a piece spliced in and had a ruined finish. The receiver has a a nasty patch of pitting about the size of a quarter, and is spattered with various small specks of pitting in various places. The barrel has a little pitting in a couple places, and the bluing seems like it might be turning brown here and there. Its unadorned, has no engraving of checkering at all, so it isnt one of the high grade models. Also, the bluing on the buttplate is gone and its pretty heavily pitted--a victim of the same conditions that damaged the stock. Other than that the bluing doesnt look bad, but it really doesnt look very good, either. Mechanically it's fine.
I'm guessing its worth about 400$. I'm considering taking down some of the pitting and rebluing (rust bluing) it, but I want to be certain that I'm not missing anything and that the rifle doesnt have value that I'm unaware of. If I lose a little value b/c of rebluing, I'm not worried, but I dont want to take a significant amt of money out of it. In other words, losing 50-100$ in value and have a nice looking rifle is fine, its unlikely that I'll have much interest in selling it, anyway. I'm pretty sure it isnt very valuable, but I wanted to check and be certain.
So, should I make it all pretty, or will I be losing more cash than I'd like?
Thanks for any info.
