doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What constitutes "restored"??

Can we break a gun down into barrels, action, forearm, lever work, and wood work? There are, I guess, some slight interface issues as to exactly which bit goes with what part. That said, what work would constitute maintained, repaired, refurbished, restored, and remanufactured for each of these parts?

This is a good discussion to have.
AFAIAC,all the main parts must be original to that serial number. Stock, action, barrels, triggers, forend, trigger guard. Replacing or repairing the small parts within to restore function is OK to me. If you start replacing pieces to make a more modern firearm, you are modifying, not restoring.
Refurbishing barrels, steaming out stock dents, these things are an attempt to return to a "prior state". So I consider them OK.
But I come from the antique furniture side in all this. Original technique and materials count there.

I completely agree ..........when you start grinding out metal such as changing the chambers, cones, chokes, stock dimensions to so called modern, recoil pads and the like, you are modifying.........period.........not restoring ......

Example on this old gun of the same finish materials and methods as in 1912:



I personally don't like years of other peoples "closet dancing" marked all over my guns.....

The biggest cop-out is the statement....'I like my gun as a shooter', meaning it is a less than stellar gun, kind of banged up....?....a gun can be pristine and shot every day......by someone who uses care and also uses the gun as a gun, not like a shovel or machete.......

You've heard the comments like....'has three dents in the barrels, but does not effect operation....

Say we have a gun with maker replaced barrels (properly marked and S/N ed). What is it? Repaired , restored, refurbished, remanufactured?

What if not by maker, but properly marked for the replacement?

What about lined barrels?

Sleeved barrels?

Quote
"Refurbishing barrels, steaming out stock dents, these things are an attempt to return to a "prior state". So I consider them OK.
But I come from the antique furniture side in all this. Original technique and materials count there."

I too have a background in antique furniture and 30 years ago I would have agree wuth you. Back then it was common practice to strip and refinish a piece when the original finish was worn or distresed. However, Thinking has changed radically in the intervening years and now an antique with the original, even if dowdy, finish will bring a substantial premium over a refinished piece.
Additionally even the classic car market has changed and old cars with the the original finish are bringing a premium over refinished examples. Current thinking is this market is "It can only be original once."
My own thoughts inre. to guns is a refinish to a major component,lock,stock or barrel takes a firearm out of the original category forever.
Jim

Some people can drive around in a car full of door dings and dents and still be happy as a hog in slop and other people can't.........just personal choice IMO.........

PA24:
I was not talking about someones beat up jalopy here but an older car in nice original unrestored condition. Here's my 21 year old Corvette with 60,000 miles which is still in original condition as an example. It of course is NOT a trailer queen nor would it win any concours events and it's gets driven on a regular basis. However the paint, interior and drivetrain are all original to the car.
I have several doubles that IMO meet the same criteria. They show honest use but are still in respectible but worn condition. I personally wouldn't even consider getting these restored to "new" condition.
Jim

Jim:

Different strokes for different folks sir......here's my 1948 International KB-1 and I wouldn't consider driving it around unrestored, but after I completely restored it to mint condition, I enjoy driving it around....daily......and I personally did ALL the work myself...including paint and upholstery....and it DOES NOT have six tail lights and seat belts....!... My airplane is also restored mint and I would not fly it around if I had not restored it to it's current condition.....!.........To each his own......

I have many restored guns that are mint and shoot something nearly every day, guns that I personally restored, metal and wood, cc-blueing etc...........and would not enjoy them if they had other owners mods or damage......and closet rash......etc.

I would agree with you that if you had to 'have' the restoration done and could not do ALL the work yourself, metal and wood, exception being engraving, then you are better off leaving them alone........

I am reminded that many ground up restorations of automobiles are actually better (higher finish quality measures) than what originally left the plant. Would you use Viton seals in a rebuilt Corvair engine? Do you add turn signals and seatbelts to a vintage car? Advanced aeronautics to a vintage plane?

The same kinds of choices can be true for shotguns.
More functional, more safe, more easily enjoyed, even these desireable elements do not constitute "return to prior state".

The art-deco liquor cabinet I'm working on now, has veneer problems. I won't be ironing on the repair pieces. It is being returned to it's prior state. (Sans liquor of course)

Doug,

I want your job......restored pickup, restored plane.... :-)

My "angle" is that I like an old gun to look "old"; i.e. with some character but taken care of. I look for old guns that are solid and correct then give them some TLC. In my estimation it seems that most high end guns were prized and taken care of by their original owners and so probably should not be "improved" in any way. On the other hand, I can afford only those guns that have seen honest wear. I like to give them some TLC so that that look good but still have character.