Thinking more about this, if one wants a sxs multi purpose shooter, "butchering" a field or lower grade vintage gun could be a very cost effective option.

Say one buys a Sterlingworth for $1000 and puts another $1000 into "butchering" it to his taste. He may not be able to sell the Fox for $2000, but that is only half the calculation. What new sxs he could have bought for $2000? Nada. He is still up $1000 or more versus buying an RBL (or basically any new sxs). Invest the $1000 elsewhere to make up for what one may end up eating on this hypothetical butchered Fox.

It is sad to think of pristine sxs going out this way. I'm not advancing this idea, but I guess I can understand why it happens. I guess it is an issue of selecting the right gun to butcher.