Factory refinish value change?

[delcrossv]

Looking at a couple of "pretty" prewar HEs that have the "diamond" or "diamond B" stamp on the grip frame. How much does a factory refinish affect valuation ?

Seeing how I'd probably shoot them, if they're worth less, I won't feel so bad about shooting a "pretty" but refinished gun, than if they had NIB finishes.

 

[22hipower]

We've been having a version of that discussion on the pre-27 3.5 inch with factory refinish I got this weekend. My thought process goes like this, nice gun but refinished, knock 50% off the same gun with original finish. If verified S&W factory re-finish then add 25% back; so maybe 3/4 value of unfinished original. Then throw in whatever other criteria comes to mind, especially how badly do you want it and when will you find another. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Mr. del, need some more info. usually there is a substantial
reduction in value. Some people reduce the value to shooter grade.
Depends on what the gun is.

 

[delcrossv]

We've been having a version of that discussion on the pre-27 3.5 inch with factory refinish I got this weekend. My thought process goes like this, nice gun but refinished, knock 50% off the same gun with original finish. If verified S&W factory re-finish then add 25% back; so maybe 3/4 value of unfinished original. Then throw in whatever other criteria comes to mind, especially how badly do you want it and when will you find another. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Yes, I was following that thread.
Sounds reasonable to me, I try to save "Ultramint/NIB" guns for the folks that collect tho$e.
Thanks!

 

[delcrossv]

Hello Mr. del, need some more info. usually there is a substantial
reduction in value. Some people reduce the value to shooter grade.
Depends on what the gun is.

Hi Mike, I imagine the rarer the gun, the less a factory refinish affects value? (Or so I'd guess?) I'm more of an I frame guy and these are K's. I'm poking around so don't have great specifics, but trying to get a feel for how value is affected.

 

[Hondo44]

I agree with Mike, if it is a common model the value is reduced more. If a rare model, not so much.

A non-factory re-finish devalues it more, and a poor non-factory re-finish, much more.

 

[austintexas]

I've got a 5 screw 44 Magnum w/factory refinish, When I bought it I paid $350 for it. I had a registered Magnum that had been sent to Smith & Wesson and rebuilt, It had the barrel replaced w/m-27 3 1/2 barrel serial numbered to the gun. It had been factory refinished and grips replaced w/excellent post war diamond magnas. Beautiful revolver. I bought it about 5 years ago for $1500 when the blue book said a 60% was worth $2800. I sold it a year or two ago for &2800. I still have the 44 Mag and it is worth alot more than I paid for it. The deal is if you are going to flip it you probably won't make money, use it and enjoy it and in the future they will appreciate and make money. I bought the 44 in the late '80s/early '90s. Buy what you like because you may be stuck with it for a long time.
SWCA 892

 

[Absalom]

Looking at a couple of "pretty" prewar HEs that have the "diamond" or "diamond B" stamp on the grip frame. How much does a factory refinish affect valuation ?

Seeing how I'd probably shoot them, if they're worth less, I won't feel so bad about shooting a "pretty" but refinished gun, than if they had NIB finishes.

To echo some of the other answers, from a collector’s point of view a refinish lowers the value, but a factory refinish that is documentable lowers it much less than a generic undocumented refinish.

Besides the rarity of the gun, the age also matters. You mention “pre-war”. For the sake of argument, let’s say you had a revolver from 1926 that had factory stampings documenting a refinish in 1936. That would have very little impact on value. On the other hand, if someone got it refinished in the 1980s, different story. It’s not necessarily rational, but that’s life

 

[gmborkovic]

Yesterday at the club show, I was offered a mod-10 HB grossly
over buffed and re-blued. Guy wanted $210. I had no immediate need, so passed. But missed a re-nic TL. Dont know the price or spec..

 

[delcrossv]

The deal is if you are going to flip it you probably won't make money, use it and enjoy it and in the future they will appreciate and make money. I bought the 44 in the late '80s/early '90s. Buy what you like because you may be stuck with it for a long time.
SWCA 892

Nah, these wouldn't be flippers, unless my kids wanted to sell them some 40 years from now. Knowing them, they'll probably still be shooting them and saying the same about their kids.

 

[Modified]

A re-finish makes the value of the gun more eye of the beholder, much like engraving.

To me if the re-finish was done poorly the gun is worthless. Owning a poorly refinished gun is something that I hate. Every time I look at the gun I regret having bought it.

A well re-finished gun, with a period re-finish, doesn't bother me in the slightest. In fact I find it to be a bonus because it often opens the door to finding out who owned it when it was re-finished. I have guns that I will be able to get a lot more information on as soon as I have time and budget to travel around a little bit and get at some records.

So it all depends on the gun really.

 

[LLOYD17]

The factory refinish brought this one within reach for me, it looks great, and I have no issue shooting it.

With the soft market right now, I may get the value out of it that I traded, but that's not even a consideration so it doesn't matter.