Refinishing or Restoring
- Thread starter Jaxenro
- Start date
I wouldn't buy a similar "replica" for any more than $300 / $400 however, I wouldn't think twice about doing it, assuming it's something I thought I couldn't live without. Anybody that wants a run of the mill old 32 SA can go buy one for a couple hundred.
Agreed it wouldn’t raise the price by a penny but then again I don’t consider it an investment but entertainment. If I said I was going to drop $1,500 on a 7 day cruise no one would think twice even though at the end all I have are the memories but drop the same $1,500 on a project gun and it is somehow sacrilege?
What a ridiculous comparison. A 7 day cruise with your girl friend?
Come on man.
Come on man.
I take a 7 day cruise with my girlfriend my wife would kill me.
Point being I don’t look at collecting guns as dollars and cents, investment value, or the rest. I look at it as entertainment and the enjoyment I derive from it. Same as I would a cruise, or any other entertainment
think of it like this. the two guns below are from the Chicago fair and in a museum the other three are Eagle Lakes. Will a similar gun come up for sale in my lifetime (I am 62) in a auction I know about when I have the spare cash (probably before I retire)? Or do I have one replicated using one of the three or four run of the mill ones I have with 40% nickel and a value of $250? I would probably get more enjoyment from that then dragging the wife's wheelchair around a boat (not to be blunt)
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I view both endeavors as entertainment. Collecting guns does not even rate as compared to a cruise with my best friend.
StrawHat
Member
I understand what you are saying. When the topic of the New Century revolver comes up, everyone ooohs and aaahs over the ones chambered for the 44 S&W Special and less so over the 455s.
During the Army Trials of 1907, S&W supplied several Triple Locks chambered for the 45 S&W Special cartridge. It is believed two (2) survived. I will probably never see, yet alone be able to purchase, either one. So, if I want one, I need to build one of my own. Or, Andy Horvath can build one with the New Century I brought to him.
Kevin
mmaher94087
Member
Devil's advocate here. I can't help you make a decision, but my take is that if you want a specific item such as an Eagle Lake 1892 then one must save the money and buy it when it is available. Dr. Lloyd Hudson's Eagle Lake was available at auction for $7800. I doubt that the Eagle Lake clone/copy could be replicated for less than $7800.
Model19man
Member
Golfers pay green fees, and rent golf carts. It's part of the hobby.
If you decide to pay for a refinish to your firearm, know this: It will not increase the value.
That being said, it's your money.
If you decide to pay for a refinish to your firearm, know this: It will not increase the value.
That being said, it's your money.
When I look at my antique guns, their patina tells me many things about their past history, where as a restored gun has nothing left to tell. It's become just a gun like any other...
The only case I do something on an antique gun is reblueing it when it has been "put in the white", which was what did the French army for non-officer's American guns bought during the 1870 French_Prussian war.
The only case I do something on an antique gun is reblueing it when it has been "put in the white", which was what did the French army for non-officer's American guns bought during the 1870 French_Prussian war.
Books
Member
Books
Member
There will always be several different opinions when this topic is discussed.
You get the purist collector that will say don't touch it as you will ruin any collector value. The shooter that just likes neat looking firearms and doesn't care if a new paint job ruins collector value may be fine with it.
You could argue that you can go out for dinner and spend hundreds of dollars on a good meal with fine wine and we all know what you get after spending all of that money. But if it makes you happy and you didn't spend the rent money, whose business is it anyway.
It's similar to that here. It's your money so spend it however you want.
The other way that I look at it is that with one less collector grade gun out there then mine is worth more.
TOMATO OR TOMATO
You get the purist collector that will say don't touch it as you will ruin any collector value. The shooter that just likes neat looking firearms and doesn't care if a new paint job ruins collector value may be fine with it.
You could argue that you can go out for dinner and spend hundreds of dollars on a good meal with fine wine and we all know what you get after spending all of that money. But if it makes you happy and you didn't spend the rent money, whose business is it anyway.
It's similar to that here. It's your money so spend it however you want.
The other way that I look at it is that with one less collector grade gun out there then mine is worth more.
TOMATO OR TOMATO
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Yes kind of what I thought any two of us probably have three opinions on it
Collector grade guns I prefer to leave alone. $200 beaters are a different matter. Some people call them shooters a opposed to collectors quality
When dealing with guns I just don’t worry so much about value to me it is entertainment. And a $200 break top 32?
Collector grade guns I prefer to leave alone. $200 beaters are a different matter. Some people call them shooters a opposed to collectors quality
When dealing with guns I just don’t worry so much about value to me it is entertainment. And a $200 break top 32?
What you are thinking of doing is simply called an 'Upgrade' by the gunsmithing/restoration folks.
People like factory engraved, factory stocked and checkered, & orig finishes.
But not everyone can afford an original specimen of their favorite firearm in the higher grades.
So,,people build or have built an 'Upgrade'. Using a factory gun in less than collectible condition (usually orig finish is gone), they have the gun
engraved, blued, plated, stocked, checkered,,what ever to the old factory specs and appearance.
You do have to watch that your Upgrade doesn't end up costing more than what you may be able to buy an orig for. The work is expensive of course.
The practice is common as mud with Colt revolvers and semiautos, vintage USA mfg SxS shotguns like high grade AH Fox, LCSmith, Parker, etc.
The long guns get pricey as there is re-stocking involved with fancy wood that drives the cost way up.
The 'base gun' can also be tough to locate at times if wanting to get specific bbl length, caliber, and with SxS's , factory single trigger, ejectors, etc.
Same with Rifles, Winchester is a prime candidate to take one of their lever actions and restock, maybe convert to pistol grip deluxe. Add or already having things like 1/2 magazine, oct bbl, etc.
Engraving patterns are usally straight factory patterns from the old mfg'rs specs. They can be copied to a T, or get into a bit of custom work and layouts changed slightly to include more coverage for example. Or perhaps adding inlayed figures and such.,
Handguns generally much less of an investment to have made as the entire package is smaller obviously. But there may be grip making involved and usually is, there isn't the big expense of an imported walnut fancy stock blank and turning that into a butt stock and forend. Then checkering both to factory pattern(s).
Since you would be making a 'copy' of a factory produced gun, the upfront thing to add to it is some form of marking(s) that indicate it is NOT a factory original.
Usually just the gun itself will present itself as a non-factory item to most collectors. But there are some that excede that and have been passed off as original.
Mark it and it doesn't have to be a BillBoard, mark it more than one location is my suggestion. Though that can and has been overcome b y some less than upfront individuals.
Also make some small diviation from the factory specimen so as to note their difference.
There are plenty of Upgrades around in the gun world.
Unfortunately many have already been passed off to other buyers as originals.
People are just too hungry for the profit they may be able to make to not try it.
People like factory engraved, factory stocked and checkered, & orig finishes.
But not everyone can afford an original specimen of their favorite firearm in the higher grades.
So,,people build or have built an 'Upgrade'. Using a factory gun in less than collectible condition (usually orig finish is gone), they have the gun
engraved, blued, plated, stocked, checkered,,what ever to the old factory specs and appearance.
You do have to watch that your Upgrade doesn't end up costing more than what you may be able to buy an orig for. The work is expensive of course.
The practice is common as mud with Colt revolvers and semiautos, vintage USA mfg SxS shotguns like high grade AH Fox, LCSmith, Parker, etc.
The long guns get pricey as there is re-stocking involved with fancy wood that drives the cost way up.
The 'base gun' can also be tough to locate at times if wanting to get specific bbl length, caliber, and with SxS's , factory single trigger, ejectors, etc.
Same with Rifles, Winchester is a prime candidate to take one of their lever actions and restock, maybe convert to pistol grip deluxe. Add or already having things like 1/2 magazine, oct bbl, etc.
Engraving patterns are usally straight factory patterns from the old mfg'rs specs. They can be copied to a T, or get into a bit of custom work and layouts changed slightly to include more coverage for example. Or perhaps adding inlayed figures and such.,
Handguns generally much less of an investment to have made as the entire package is smaller obviously. But there may be grip making involved and usually is, there isn't the big expense of an imported walnut fancy stock blank and turning that into a butt stock and forend. Then checkering both to factory pattern(s).
Since you would be making a 'copy' of a factory produced gun, the upfront thing to add to it is some form of marking(s) that indicate it is NOT a factory original.
Usually just the gun itself will present itself as a non-factory item to most collectors. But there are some that excede that and have been passed off as original.
Mark it and it doesn't have to be a BillBoard, mark it more than one location is my suggestion. Though that can and has been overcome b y some less than upfront individuals.
Also make some small diviation from the factory specimen so as to note their difference.
There are plenty of Upgrades around in the gun world.
Unfortunately many have already been passed off to other buyers as originals.
People are just too hungry for the profit they may be able to make to not try it.
Exmilcop
Member
It's interesting that this thread should show up while I'm in the midst of refinishing a pistol. Before I get flamed, allow me to explain. This came to me in pretty grotty condition. Most of the nickel was worn off and someone had attempted to make it look better by bluing it, probably cold blue and rag. Add to that it had been the victim of poor gunsmithing which I'd mentioned in an earlier thread. In short, I'm not taking a piece with history and provenance or honest wear and devaluing it. Up here, it will sell given the shortage of good shootable antiques, and the aesthetics will help a lot. If you can imagine this with a nice professional hot blue and the lovely pearl grips, I think it will "pop". The deal I'd worked out with the gunsmith who'll do the proper hot blue is that I do all the prep work and ship him something ready for the tank. OMG! Did I set myself a chore. When I started removing the old finish I found lots of evidence of old rust or moisture pitting, minor but visible. Add to that the bruises and divots in that older milder steel and my fear is that if I remove all the flaws to get a bare polished steel, I may remove so much metal as to compromise the structural integrity of the pistol. I'm going to talk to the gunsmith and send him pics when I have the parts at a stage that I'd call "good enough" for bluing. The nickel on the foresight is pristine and I'm debating about leaving it in the nickel. How do you think that would look on top of a nice blued pistol? Anyway, here's where I am thus far, first pic being what I got and second 2 being where I am now in my labours. The 4th pic is my keeper and shooter which is mechanically perfect. It went back to S&W in Aug. 1921 and that may explain it's mechanical excellence. I don't know if it was refinished and the look now is after a further 100+yrs. of use, but other than fabricating a foresight that puts me on point of aim, I have no intention of touching the finish as it stands. Comments or observations are more than welcome.
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