Wow, only $899.00 for a small bore English hammer double!
I suppose it might be worth as much as a couple hundred to a buyer who needed some orphan barrels or other critical and hard to find parts. It seems the price of parts has increased more than the price of guns in recent years. It might be a good practice piece for a determined budding gunsmith too, at the right price. But even a half decent restoration would put most buyers under water, no matter how cheap they got it.
Ted is 100% right. A friend who did several muscle car restoration jobs advised another friend who wanted to buy a 1965 Mustang to restore to just buy one already done, and save himself a ton of money, time, and aggravation. Six months later, he found one at a fraction of the cost of restoration, and was immediately enjoying driving it. And if he sells it, he may be able to recoup much of his cost. But he will miss out on all the joy of replacing body panels, patching, sand blasting, painting, engine rebuilding, parts searching, and buying thousands of dollars worth of tools and materials.
Been there, done that.
I bought my 1967 442 for $3850 back in 1996, and gave it the once over. I didn’t want a show car, actually considered towing my boat with it, just wanted a driver. I think I added up receipts that, with the purchase price of the car included, add up to $10K. It was expensive to buy paint and materials then, it is incredibly expensive, now. It is what I call “Driver +”, nicer than most cars with a restoration about the same age. I came out OK, I expect I’ll beat the investment I have in it if and when I sell it.
I bought a Tobin 16 gauge about the same time. I think I paid $300 for it. Randy Murray restocked it with some English his dad bought in the 1940s, that the pieces were too small for most projects. He charged me $1K, I had the top lever and barrels rust blued, after I polished them, for $99 at Glen Rock blue, and Stan Baker relieved the extra full and extra full chokes, and relieved the forcing cone steps in the tubes for about $125. I sold the gun only because I was already sick of the Easter egg hunt for short, low pressure ammunition for $1500. The buyer just called me last week to BS, and thanked me for selling the gun to him. I came out pretty close, but, I might not if I tried that same thing again, today.
Unless you can do most of the labor yourself, approach any restoration project with clear eyes. I’d be willing to bet that many marriages end over a restoration that ends up sideways about halfway through.
Best,
Ted
