doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The wisdom of "Projects"???

I often see posts by members looking for this or that project.
Most recently is a request for a 20G Fox project.
Here is my qestion: Why spend $1000 to $1500 for a restoration Fox 20G Stw and then spend another $1500 to $2000 in "project costs" when if you were willing to spend $3200 originslly you could have bought a mint original Fox Stw 20 Gauge?????
Bob Jurewicz

Great Question!!

I just wish I had an answer!!

I'm slowly but surely getting it into my thick head that it's better to find a high condition gun and spend a little extra upfront, than it is to spend good money on a project gun and then possibly sink more money into it than the gun is worth.

The only way it makes sinse is if you can do the majority of work yourself and go into it knowing that you'll probably lose money on it if you decide to sell it down the road.

Good question, in defense of projects, when you�re done with that Fox Stw 20 gauge you'll have a gun that's been custom restocked to your physical dimensions and I might add to your aesthetic tastes. The gun will look beautiful, yet you won't have to fear the normal wear and tear of enjoyable use affecting the guns original "collectors value" (this is assuming your original gun was worn to the point where it had no collectors value). Besides, it can be a dirty job, but someone�s gotta do it.

As for my latest Sow�s Ear project, so far I�ve spent $295 for the original gun (yah yah, I overpaid), about $20-$25 on materials and have gotten a huge amount of enjoyment and knowledge from the project. I don�t give a damn what others think, it makes it a winner to me.

Steve

I doubt it makes business sense for many of us to buy any gun. All that matters is if that project seems right for you.

Time passes whether your working on guns or not. Not really about the money. Take my current project, a Savage Fox Model B, has been in the family for quite a while. I won't get rid of it because of grandpa bought it for my aunt when she was 16. She doesn't hunt birds anymore so I rescued it from the wall. I always thought the stock was a train wreck of bad finish and pressed checkering. So the I found someone to guide me through the learning process to finish and learn checkering on the old beast. I love the challenge of learning new skills (checkering, refinishing, etc.) and sorting out problems like why the forend keep eating screws. Problem solved and hopefully by this fall the old Fox B will be back in the chukar hills. Then I'll be tuned up for my next project.

Project guns aren't about the money.

Bob J. have you ever calculated the unit costs of your Bobwhite meat from your hunts in Texas? I mean dogs, dog food, vet bills, guns, shells, travel, training, meals, opportunnity costs, property tax, fence maintenace etc...

I have no doubt that it would be at least as high as gold which last I knew was $1600 per ounce.

Best,


Mike

Sometimes you just do a project 'cause you want to.
It may or may not make any financial sense but some of us just enjoy doing that sort of thing.
Others spend hours on the golf course, out on their boat, any number of different activitys. None re-pay in anything other than satisfaction.
That's all we look for in some of these.

Then there are the projects some of us do for the above reason plus they do make financial sense.
We do all or most all the work ourselves.
We're working on something we decided to do, not a 'job' picked out by someone else. Very enjoyable that way.

When finished, there's a nice custom or restored piece to play with for a while and then perhaps sell,,maybe play with a bit longer before selling.
Then do another project,,there's just so many around.

+1.......I've always made money on the guns I restore and sell......doing it all with your own two hands and seeing the results, faithful to originality, is very therapeutic IMO......

"Because it's there......."