wise collectors used to have "bench mark" guns, original examples that exhibit factory original finishes, not as when they left the factory, but now, as they exist, after many years of natural aging...
for example, the wood finish on a 100 year old gun is not going to look the same now, as it did 100 years ago...it will most likely be darker and perhaps have some crazing of the varnish...
thanks to modern color photography, we now have printed or digital images that take the place of the traditional benchmark gun...
also, perfectly redone guns are easy to spot...their very perfection is a big clue that they are not original...an old, original gun, should have some flaws... a ding here, a scratch there, a little case wear, all good indicators of originality...i jes luv to see crazed varnish...but like stan said, it gets difficult, when a well redone gun has some age to it...
there is no substitute for experience, guided by skepticism...
"if it looks too good to be true, it probably aint"...
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