Originally posted by Chuck H:
Rob,
You sure you wouldn't like to have one of Doug's Fox guns?
I'd take a nice pair of D's but only if original.
Actually Dougs guns sound nice, but more of a real improvement to the mechanics than an upgrade. He got wood to fit him and chose upgrading it, the metal needed attention, I don't think he had any engraving done. Plus he had it done by the factory. To my mind that's still "original" work if it's done at the factory.
The more I think of it the engraving is the crux of the matter. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way about taking a field grade and sending it out to a third party, no matter how talented, and turning it into something it wasn't.
Funny also that the "upgrading controversy" only applies to American guns. The only foreign gun I rememeber seeing "upgraded" was a Sauer that SDH used one for of his customs.
European guns don't seem to have as much of a "spec sheet" to adhere to as American guns did. At least here in the states you don't see that many identical older guns by English or continental makers, but a Trojan is a Trojan is a G grade is a Sterlingsworth... etc., you get the idea. We know about what serial number they changed buttplate styles, waht the tang safety was supposed to look like in 1914.
For the most part older foreign guns are judged on individual merit, "buy the gun, not the name" whereas older American guns are judged on how close they are to the specs of when they left the factory.
Rob
