How does " Factory Modifications" affect the value
ie: Re Blue, Barrel Change, Sight Change.. Etc..

What little I know about the early guns, it was not unusual for them to be sent back to the factory for " Tuning" by the owners..

Thanks..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I'm no expert but I think you can assume that any modification reduces value to the serious collector. I have an RM that was police used and returned to S&W in 1952 to have the 6" barrel cut to 4" to fit new departmental policies. It was also reblued at that time. I have people tell me this renders the gun virtually worthless.

Something like action smoothing would likely be ignored. But anything visible would upset the purist.

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No life story has happy end.

I agree that modifications would diminish the value to serious collectors and purists, although I would think that modifications documented by the factory would have somewhat less of an impact than those unaccounted for. Personally, as a "shooting collector" I like the kind of gun SP described, because (a) I wouldn't be afraid to shoot it, and (b) the documented history would add to the "coolness" factor. But that's just me...

In generally I agree with SaxonPig and PMRet. The rarity of the gun however can have less negative effect on demand and therefore price of the gun, especially if the modifications can be documented as factory work. An RM is in that category IMO.

Also King target modifications can be sought after modifications.

Do you have a particular gun in mind and does it have the proper factory re-work stampings documenting the mods?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Registered Magnums are breed all to themselves and the usual rules about refinishes and modifications are out the window. Since they were custom made guns to start with, changes made by the original , or later, owners are just an extension of the original concept of " tell us what you want and we will make it" by S&W. Having said that ( and the market supports that, in that changes made by S&W have very little effect on the values) , change made after market by less talented gunsmiths can definitely affect value. One of our members just asked me about a serial numbered mint 8 3/4 inch RM barrel he found at a gun show. Turned out that the factory got an order for an RM with a 6.5 in. barrel, so they took off the longer original barrel and put on the 6.5 in. barrel and shipped the gun. It letters as a 6.5 in. gun, of course. That's a factory modification, so does it hurt the value? I doubt it. I had a nice early RM with a 3 1/2 in barrel that a prior owner had the grip frame modified to a J frame size, for his wife's small hands. I sold it to a member here who had the grip frame restored to the original size by an excellent gunsmith. You can't tell the work was ever done, and if you didn't know the history, the gun will sell for a price commensurate with the value of an original gun. So, if you have a modified RM, it's subjective as to what effect the modification will have on value. Ed.

It also depends upon who the gun was shipped to / documented owned by. If Ed McGivern sent a RM back to Springfield to have the barrel shortened and the sights changed, you can bet your bottom dollar that fact will actually ADD to the guns provanance and therefore value. Whereas if JoeDirt, the rag salesman sent his RM back to S&W for the same work, it would hurt the value of that gun today.

"I have people tell me this renders the gun virtually worthless."


SP - I feel terrible for you. It's not worthless to me, so send it over and I'll shoot you $50 and the shipping once I see it's, indeed, factory modified.

The RM seem to follow the British practices of altering/restoring their $50k shotguns. They are continually rebuilt, reblued, checkering re-cut, and even engraving touched up. It is just part of an accepted maintenance program.

To answer to the OP's question ... look at the selling prices of the altered/restored RM's. It seems to cut the price of an original RM from $7k down to $2k-$3k. That's a big cut, but if ALL THE COLLECTOR Value is gone, they would be $450.

Haven't seen one of those around these parts.


Charlie