I have had several members here and friends off the board contact me about a gun that is selling at auction. Two of them are very interested in the gun, I am not. The auction is described as a "high end firearm in outstanding condition". From that most would infer that it is original condition or a well restored example. It is a clear upgrade. The gun itself is a very attractive gun and bought as a upgrade, at an upgrade price, should be a fine gun to own and shoot. It has zero collectors value.
When you are looking at auctions online and can not examine the gun in person, you need to pay attention to what is not said in the description and what the photos show you when you are looking at them. The buyer is given more than enough information to not make the mistake to buy a gun, thinking it is a very rare and valuable gun. The seller does not say it is a rare and valuable gun. Just high end and high condition. We all want to think we just found that rare, one in a million pearl. One photo alone tells you it is not original and not rare. It is a field grade gun upgraded to a high grade gun. Fairly common thing in some guns. It is a very good looking, upgraded gun, which someone, for some reason decided to choose one of the rarest grades to make it into. And the upgrade most likely was done recently.
Here is the proof it is a later upgrade. The gun by serial number was made in the late 1940's. Simmons Gun Specialties, Inc., moved from 504 East 18th St. (Locust), K.C., Mo. to Olathe, KS in 1965. Now they go by Simmons Gun Repair Inc. Olathe, KS. This "high grade" gun had zero chance of leaving the factory with this rib on it. It would have been a custom shop only made gun, and you could request anything you wanted on it, but nobody could predict the future by 20 plus years.
So what is the difference? If real, in this condition, it should bring 20K or more. As a upgrade, it should bring what the market sells it for, which looks to be near $3500 maybe a little more. Anything way over that is just two buyers fighting to own it. The winner best not take it to a "Expert Collector" for an appraisal as a rare gun. He will be very disappointed I am afraid.
