Murphy,
I'd like to make a point. There are plenty of pre-1890 Birmingham hammerguns around that are in the same price range. These would be a better choice for a vintage gun. They will have actual pattern-welded barrels, and are a much better bet for refinishing or restoration. The best values are on guns that have less known names, as the better known names will command higher prices. The interesting thing is, a well known name gun may have been made by the same maker as a lesser known one, especially guns made for the "American Trade" which were more medium price point guns produced for export. Back then many "Makers" were really "Sellers" who put either their names or customer specified brand names on the finished guns. The guns were sourced from the myriad small shops in Birmingham, so quality was fairly consistent with the price point of the gun.
I own quite a few Birmingham hammerguns, all well made and now shootable. I don't have any Belgian spurious ones, at least none that aren't lamps that were bought very cheaply. The trick is to be able to tell the difference between them and the Belgian guns, the first step is to be able to recognize both Belgian and Birmingham proofs. The crazy thing is, often the Birmingham guns are actually priced lower than the Belgian spurious ones, due to the lesser known names on them. It always amazes me when I see the spurious guns priced so high on the auction sites. So, if you want a vintage gun, there's lots of opportunities out there.
Regards
Ken
