One can buy solid hammer doubles for USD300-1000, you just have to know what you are doing and not be in a hurry. I almost refuse to buy them unless I can inspect them my self, before buying, which means little or no Internet buying. I don't want guns that someone else has "refurbished", unless I know the work to be really good and totally safe.
I also stick to guns I know well, that is, Husqvarnas, Sauers Merkels and Brownings. I almost won't look at anything else. I no longer even give "project guns" a serious look. I do buy guns that have honest wear but, only if the innards are in solid condition and lock up tight and barrels appear to have original internal and external dimensions (no agressive polishing on outside, original chamber lenghts, forcing cones, chokes and little, if any reaming of bores. Pitting of bores has to be minor, more of a "frosting" than a bunch of deep pitts. Dents have to be small (less than 1,0 mm deep and a few mm wide).
I want all the barrel metal that was originally there, in near original condition. I want tight lockup and no evidence of "blacksmith fixes" to loose hinge pins or locking bolts. I want no cracks or chips around head and tang of stock and no stock repairs in these areas. Aside from through cleaning of metal and limited refinishing of stock and, sometimes, recutting of net checkering, I do nothing but shoot the gun. I do no lengthing of chambers, no recutting of forcing cones or chokes, no reaming of bores.
Yes, I have and do shoot some old hammer doubles with ugly bores, reamed bores, extended chambers. But, those guns got lots more careful examination before deciding to keep and use them. One has given years of heavy service with low pressure, low shot weight loads -- but, lots more time and effort went into checking out that gun. Never again.
Niklas
