doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Improper Resoration and its affect on Value

I am looking at a Belgian Best Gun that has some refinish issues (or at least I see them as issues)

I am trying to get an idea how much a improper appearance restoration effects value?

The gun should possess the normal French Gray Case finish on the action screws, forend metal, trigger guard, top-lever, and triggers.

All the above appear recently blued on the gun I am considering along with decent wood refinish. While I know some guns are made this way I have little doubt this gun was not as I have a long experience collecting online pics of Belgian guns to include over two dozen of this dealer/makers and own three of them.

I am concerned that simply stripping the bluing off will leave me with other finish issues (i.e. I cannot get the proper French gray back without a great deal of cost) So I am wondering is it worth the risk to remover the bluing (should I buy the gun)

What percentage loss of value am I looking at?

old colonel,
I suggest you take another blued screw and test the following: with worn 320 grit abrasive cloth, take part of the blue off and then rub the rest off with fine valve grinding compound on about 00 steel wool, in circular motion.If it satisfies you, good; if not, you haven't lost much.
Mike

my gut feeling is that the alterations you describe do not affect this guns value much at all.

there is not a lot of collector interest in belgian best guns. so, value is determined by supply and demand. right now it is a buyers market for non collectible and therefore non investment quality pieces...i mean, if it aint a colt or a winchester, dont look to make much money on it very soon.

pictures or a link to same would be interesting to see.

Pass. The problem with guns you need to correct is that you will always see the flaws in the touch up work like giant red lights. Even when others do not seem to see them you are aware that they are there. There is no satisfaction in owning such a gun. Now if the Gun was priced at a steep discount you might be a little happier or you might not depending on how rare a gun is.

I bought such a gun which had been recase colored with some parts colored that should have been blued. I sold it later. It just looked odd to me all the time. Like buying a car with a vinyl roof that was redone with the trunk as well. Even if a perfect job it looks off.

Another vote for Pass on it
Anytime you have to explain a guns condition and poor-or worse is some cases as we have seen here by "plumbers" much worse,"restoration" you going to get hit hard when you sell it(unless to some un knowledgeable buyer-but then you have to have no conscience) and never be happy with the more money spent in attempt it bring it back.

Its like a car thats been in a accident,the value drops and you will never be happy when its fixed.

I never mind "fixing" the right gun, but I sure don't like having to correct someone else's "fixes".

For me, it all boils down to authentic quality of repair/restoration. Has it been done on the cheap or has it been done to properly bring a gun back to well maintained, proper, useable condition. (Not talking about collectibles or deceit here)

To expand on Dave's auto analogy, if people didn't fix/restore old cars, there would be no Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and no extraordinary Bugattis or Duesenbergs or Hispania Suizas to ogle. It all depends on the workmanship.

I'll happily take a "fixed up" Fox from PA24 or a few others.

I'll second that. At least the thing gets done and gets done right.

An improper restoration would lower the price significantly, and a good restoration would lower the price of the same gun in 90% original condition to 50% condition as to value.

if its a really good gun at a good price and you could see your self being happy with it whats the problem. take a pink pearl eraser and go over the blue. niter blue the trigger guard, the other parts you mentioned would have been blued?i have a belgian side lock (8pin?)that's blued and it left the factory that way.try and do a proper restoration.english guns get enough work done on them where it's really difficult to tell if it's original,re blacked,bores honed,barrels re'struck, stock oiled.sounds like an adventure to me.MC

I appreciate the input and thoughts.

The point that it would always be in my head when I looked at the gun is right on, I have been there before.

The asking price for the gun a $15k is out of proportion with many unrestored best grade Belgian 20ga I have seen. Most similar seem to run 7-9k range, but I am not an expert.

The fact the gun matches a 16 and 12 from the same maker, engraver, and engraving pattern makes it tempting, but the newly blued metal including the forend and the price do turn me off.

The problem with being passionate about a particular thing in old doubles is most if not all old guns have defects and trade-offs.