doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Restoration Revisited

What is your opinion on a 134 year old fairly rare English double that shows evidence of minor pitting on the underside of the refinished barrels?
Would you turn it down? Or would you buy it if you thought the price was reasonable?
The pitting is most noticeable under the forearm. Otherwise you have to look closely to see a few pin hole pits.
The price is not a distress price.

Mickey don't take this wrong. It isn't aimed at just you but I don't understand why people ask other people if they should by a gun. If you like it, buy it. If there's a hesitation in you, pass on it. If you want to dicker on it make an offer. If someone gave you a buy it or don't buy it, what makes you think they know what they're talking about. Especially with out seeing the gun or knowing the price. Make up your own mind, don't wait for someone to tell you what to do. Ranting done. Good luck.

How deep could those pin holes be ?

Have it looked at and get an opinion from a good gunsmith who knows older English doubles. A little pitting on a well priced and rare gun is not a deal killer in my book.
Steve

One man's pit might be the next mans cavern.

with a little experience you can tell a pit from a cavern......

I've got plenty of experience looking at pits and caverns....I'm still waiting for you to explain "decent bores" on the Scott you have listed to me.

PS....I hold the record at my gun club for guns sent back because the seller thought he had a few Pitts when he really had caverns...more than one knowledgeable gun man has witnessed them,

decent: some light pitting, does not shine like a mirror, overall generally sound and acceptable to most people. You obviosly dont like guns in that kind of condition, others dont mind. Oddly enough J0e, not every gun that has surrvived from 1880 is still pit free. Some of us can get over this, you dont seem to be able to. I have vintage guns that have nary a pit and remain in high original condition, not all of them are like that. This is also why we pay a premium for high original condition. Its not nearly as hard as you make it seem j0e.
Steve

I don't work on old guns....I see you're a Gunsmith.

If the pittings that "light" why don't you hone it out ?

because when you hone you remove wall thickness. It is generally understood that a thicker wall with mild pitting is stronger than thinner wall with no pits. In a perfect world, we would just hone it out, but its not practicle for every old sxs. Sometimes pits cannot be removed and still end up with proper wall thickness. Before the cost of sleeving went up, many of this type of gun would have undergone that process. Today we know so much about low pressure reloading that often times barrels that are marginal will be fine, as long as they are fed low pressure ammo.
Steve