Greg
I agree with what's already been said. However, most "restorations" are done by first time amatuer gunsmiths and unfortunately end up being either untrue to the original quality of work or even much worse.
I recommend not just jumping into a restoration job, no matter whether you are planning to do the work or you are hiring gunsmiths to do the work. First, I recommend you learn something about each of the various finishes on your gun and why they were done that way.
Many a sxs shotgun has been ruined by hot salt blueing the barrels and having them fall apart either in the blueing salt tank or months or yrs later when the solder fails.
Colorcasehardening is not just a decorative finish, it imparts the casehardening that makes the parts wear resistant and stronger.
Stock finish has as many ways to be applied as there are finishes. But the preparation for a re-finishing of a stock is a lot more complex than when the stock was originally made. The biggest pitfalls are how you do the removal of the old finish. Many stocks that are refinished are over sanded and round off features of the original and undersize the area where the stock meets the metal. Sanding should be kept to a minimum. Chemical stripping helps preserve the shape of a stock. But I don't recommend flushing the stripper with water. Wipe with papertowels and final clean with acetone.
Each step of a restoration is a learning process...and not all that many gunsmiths are attuned to vintage sxs gun restoration finishes. Doug Turnbull in NY state being one of the most recognized for his expertise in this area.
My opinion is that much of the restoration process is not all that difficult to do, but some things like making new screws or re-slotting screws, re-laying ribs, and other mechanical work can be something most are not willing or capable of doing.
Learn all you can about it, then decide if you want to do it yourself, send it out, or something in between.
