How much does a reblued/finished hurt the value 1902 revolver>
- Thread starter AC Man
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SCSW 4th Edition says pre-1945 guns with at least 98% of a modern professional refinish may approach "Very Good" in value.
Says a "Good" gun may be professionally refinished.
SCSW 4th says a "Very Good " Model of 1902 is $600 and "Good" is $400.
Says a "Good" gun may be professionally refinished.
SCSW 4th says a "Very Good " Model of 1902 is $600 and "Good" is $400.
Depends on how good the re blue was, including how it was polished and whether the edges and factory lettering were buffed out, as well as how much you paid for the gun originally. JMO...
Here's what my two 1902 targets in rather spiffy (original) condition sold for when my collection of targets was liquidated during the past three years ending a year ago.
#21898, shipped August 8, 1902----$2750
#59794, shipped February 26, 1906----$2265
Now, conventional wisdom says a non factory refinish diminishes the value by 50%, +/-. You can take it from there---starting with the fact these were target guns.
Ralph Tremaine
#21898, shipped August 8, 1902----$2750
#59794, shipped February 26, 1906----$2265
Now, conventional wisdom says a non factory refinish diminishes the value by 50%, +/-. You can take it from there---starting with the fact these were target guns.
Ralph Tremaine
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I bought my reblued 1902 32-20 target about a year ago. I paid $300 plus shipping and transfer. It’s nice but would have preferred if they would have just left it alone.
Modified
Member
Impossible to answer without pictures.
A reblue can range from; "Fine pre-war S&W Service Department reblue" to "Some monster destroyed this gun with an angry polishing wheel in 1985".
The former may make the gun more desirable in some respects, and only reduce the value a bit.
The latter may make the gun a $200 shooter grade truck gun.
A reblue can range from; "Fine pre-war S&W Service Department reblue" to "Some monster destroyed this gun with an angry polishing wheel in 1985".
The former may make the gun more desirable in some respects, and only reduce the value a bit.
The latter may make the gun a $200 shooter grade truck gun.
In the case of non factory refinishes I agree. However, a factory refinish was done by the same people using the same processes as the original finish, at least those before 1980 or so. I'll pay almost as much for a factory refinish, sometimes as much, as for the original, and often can't tell that it is not original without seeing the date stamp on the butt.
Here's a no dash Model 48. Cabelas had it priced the same as four other M48s with original finish but later dash numbers. It was factory refinished in 1969, of the 5, it was the one that went home with me.
Jeff
SWCA #1457
https://flic.kr/p/2nE6FAi https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/
Antidotal "I bought or sold this gun for this much" have no bearing on value of someone else's refinished gun. Photos are an absolute necessity to even come close to a dollar value.
Refinished guns fall into the abyss when it comes to determining value. Some collectors like professional refinishes, while others would not touch the gun at any price. Refinish issues like blurred or partially removed/lightened stampings, buffed and obvious sideplate seams, flattened studs, over-buffed mirror jobs, blued or plated trigger or hammer, blued extractor rod knob, over-the-top color case hardening of trigger or hammer, trigger or hammer total loss of case coloring, worn stocks, non-matching stocks, etc. all greatly affect refinished gun values. I do not even want to make a value statement, but if looking for a standard deduction for refinished guns, be conservative and say they are worth 1/2 original high condition examples.
Refinished guns fall into the abyss when it comes to determining value. Some collectors like professional refinishes, while others would not touch the gun at any price. Refinish issues like blurred or partially removed/lightened stampings, buffed and obvious sideplate seams, flattened studs, over-buffed mirror jobs, blued or plated trigger or hammer, blued extractor rod knob, over-the-top color case hardening of trigger or hammer, trigger or hammer total loss of case coloring, worn stocks, non-matching stocks, etc. all greatly affect refinished gun values. I do not even want to make a value statement, but if looking for a standard deduction for refinished guns, be conservative and say they are worth 1/2 original high condition examples.
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To a shooter it doesn't matter. To a purist collector it becomes an untouchable. To a gun accumulator that does not have one and it fills a niche in the hoard then little to 10% discount.
Someday we're going to have to have a discussion of what constitutes a "collector" and the sub categories such as a "purist collector," "serious collector," etc. etc.
I started buying S&Ws in 1974 when I wasn't a collector, not even an accumulator or aggregator. Have bought hundreds since, still have most of them. Having made it to accumulator and after working diligently also made it to aggregator. Would love to become a collector, much less a purist collector or even a serious collector. But, because I'm attracted to 98% condition guns with a factory refinish stamp I'm forever relegated to something other than "collector" status.
Guess I'll just have to live with the ignominy of forever being an "aggregator" or worse, just a "shooter." Maybe I'll have it put on my tomb stone "he was just a shooter."
Jeff
SWCA #1457
I started buying S&Ws in 1974 when I wasn't a collector, not even an accumulator or aggregator. Have bought hundreds since, still have most of them. Having made it to accumulator and after working diligently also made it to aggregator. Would love to become a collector, much less a purist collector or even a serious collector. But, because I'm attracted to 98% condition guns with a factory refinish stamp I'm forever relegated to something other than "collector" status.
Guess I'll just have to live with the ignominy of forever being an "aggregator" or worse, just a "shooter." Maybe I'll have it put on my tomb stone "he was just a shooter."
Jeff
SWCA #1457
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Jeff, forgot the "investor" collector. A big part of the gun fraternity.
Thank you all. I'm not that familiar with 120 year old revolvers. My most recent 1902 is a 1st change. the matching number stocks, the bore, and the mechanical are like brand new. The finish is more worn than I like which makes me wonder if it has been refinished. One person said yes, one said no.
Seems reblue cuts the price in half. I can live with that. My other 1902 no change (second model) has been reblued with a after market target grips, but excellent mechanics. I new that going in it was a shooter. For $420 just to own and shoot something that old is something that appeals to me.
Seems reblue cuts the price in half. I can live with that. My other 1902 no change (second model) has been reblued with a after market target grips, but excellent mechanics. I new that going in it was a shooter. For $420 just to own and shoot something that old is something that appeals to me.
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Modified
Member
There's no real rule on what a reblue does to value because each reblue is unique.
Say you started with a Triple Lock Target Model that was badly pitted, then it was heavily buffed out on a wheel and reblued poorly so the cylinder is a different color than the rest of the gun. You could take a $4,000 gun down to a $500 gun.
Conversely. Say you started with a standard 5" Triple Lock that was re-blued as part of a pre-war service department upgrade to a target model, where minimal polishing was required and the only indication it was reblued at all is a service department mark indicating so. You could have just added 50%-100%+ to the value of the gun before the service department had worked on it.
A long time ago when people still used the want to sell ads in the back of American Rifleman to buy and sell guns, things like the blue book and reblue value effects had % rules. But now we live in an era where everyone carries a pocket radio that takes excellent pictures and we can share those pictures so that a buyer can judge value for themselves.
A quality reblue these days frequently has less effect on value, and more effect on the buyers market for the gun. I, for example, actually seek out service department reblued guns because I love examples of service department work and enjoy the added history. Other's completely shun any reblued gun as unoriginal. The only real reason this effects value is because there are more "original" buyers with deeper pockets and fewer people like me who collect "unoriginal" guns.
Say you started with a Triple Lock Target Model that was badly pitted, then it was heavily buffed out on a wheel and reblued poorly so the cylinder is a different color than the rest of the gun. You could take a $4,000 gun down to a $500 gun.
Conversely. Say you started with a standard 5" Triple Lock that was re-blued as part of a pre-war service department upgrade to a target model, where minimal polishing was required and the only indication it was reblued at all is a service department mark indicating so. You could have just added 50%-100%+ to the value of the gun before the service department had worked on it.
A long time ago when people still used the want to sell ads in the back of American Rifleman to buy and sell guns, things like the blue book and reblue value effects had % rules. But now we live in an era where everyone carries a pocket radio that takes excellent pictures and we can share those pictures so that a buyer can judge value for themselves.
A quality reblue these days frequently has less effect on value, and more effect on the buyers market for the gun. I, for example, actually seek out service department reblued guns because I love examples of service department work and enjoy the added history. Other's completely shun any reblued gun as unoriginal. The only real reason this effects value is because there are more "original" buyers with deeper pockets and fewer people like me who collect "unoriginal" guns.
