I have to say that I for one STRONGLY disagree with the notion that one ought to leave a firearm in otherwise poor cosmetic condition for the sake of maintaining its originality as well as it's collector's value.
First of all, it's original finish is already been worn away and therefore the gun can no longer rightfully be considered "original" to begin with as it has been altered by the passage of time.
Furthermore, having it refinished does absolutely NOTHING to diminish the history of the firearm. It's completely absurd to think that having a firearm refinished somehow wipes away its history, where it has been, who carried it, how long it has existed, etc. Refinishing it is simply giving it the proper care that it deserves. Frankly, leaving a government-issued 1911 in poor cosmetic condition because restoring it would take away from its originality is like preventing a veteran soldier from wearing a brand new uniform decorated with service medals and insisting that he wear his tattered old, blood-stained fatigues for the sake of authenticity.
Lastly, not all collectors are honest folks who are willing to pay a fair price for the items they obtain, ergo they often come up with excuses which sound deceptively tangible for why an item they wish to add to their collection should cost less so that they don't have to pay as much. They're just as likely to tell you that a firearm being refinished hurts its value as they are to turn around and tell someone else that their cosmetically worn but otherwise well preserved firearm is worth less due to the amount of finish wear it has.
Honestly, for all their petty assertions of diminished value, has anyone ever seen any private collectors aside from historians or folks from museums actually collecting/displaying firearms in worn condition? No, because most private collectors want what they display to be cosmetically attractive, ergo when they do buy worn firearms, they always have them cleaned up and restored, with no concern regarding it supposedly diminishing their collectability because they don't plan on selling them anyway, and even if they had to, I guarantee you that they won't practice what they preach and will just invent new excuses for how their restoration doesn't diminish the collectibility at all. It's a scam.
I guarantee you that regardless of what you do, if you ever try to sell that 1911, any private collector will come up with a reason why it isn't worth as much as you are asking for it. Offer it to a single private collector for a dime and he'll try to talk you down to a nickel because of the name inscribed on the slide.
So I say to heck with their dishonesty and greed, you show that old war horse the honor and respect that it deserves by having it refinished, refitted, or even completely restored. You keep it in your family as a treasure to be looked upon with admiration like it deserves, and if having it refinished hurts its value, then that's all the more reason for future generations to hold onto it as a treasured family heirloom rather than give into temptation and pawn it off for some fast cash.
Even if private collectors do legitimately believe that a refinished firearm is worth less and aren't just trying to rip people off, it's still an idiotic, elitist reason to essentially leave a firearm in cosmetically poor condition.
Personally, If I bought a G.I. 1911 that had belonged to soldier who had lost it by dropping it into a latrine during a battle and it had never been cleaned since being recovered and now nobody cleans it because a bunch of loonies consider it being encrusted in filth part of its rich history, I would still clean it, even if it made the gun worthless in the process.
