Mentioned before, if it really is just peace of mind, you can get that with a good gunsmith. There's that old saying that we are just saving some of these classics for the next person. Sooner or later folks die off, and all some are really looking for is to identify and regulate legally unregistered guns. If you are a true fan of classic guns, let's say from a country that didn't mandate proof, why would you want it defaced with modern stamps.
The problem is the shortage of "good gunsmiths"--when it comes to not only vintage guns, but vintage FOREIGN guns. Proof information is out there, but unfortunately is scattered around in various sources. Someone needs to update the work of Baron Engelhardt and Lee Kennett on proof, and collect it all in one place. That'd be a very valuable source to have, but I'm not sure the effort involved would result in sufficient monetary reward. It'd have to be a labor of love.
As for a country that didn't mandate proof, outside of the United States, I'm not aware of any major gunmaking country that didn't mandate proof. And given the fact that proofmarks are located on the barrel flats, I don't consider them "defacing"--or at least not any more so than "IC" or "modified" stamped on the flats.
Last edited by L. Brown; 03/17/15 10:05 AM.
