doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Another Anglo-American cultural difference

Lagopus does have it absolutely correct, a gun in superb original condition will command a much higher price than the same gun fully restored. Though there are levels of restoration and until recently most people restored to usable condition because over and above having the gun safe to shoot the law of diminishing returns comes into play. I would also like to say that action re colour case hardening can be fraught with problems enough to write a gun off if the action should crack also warping can be a big headache, to the point that it can be too big a risk for a vintage top maker offering plus the loss of all that cash. I also be leave that a gun is only original once and restoration can never take a gun to the time it came off the craft mans bench.
Now for my restored London offering in the first photograph its looks are good enough but it is far from a perfect restore because it was only restored to the point of shoot ability, and I do feel it is no worse for it. The gun was never intended to be a cased look at me only gun in fact quite the posit since it was made shootable in the 1960s that is all to the present day. If you look close the barrel browning is showing signs ware the hammers and trigger guard opening leaver where blued because when all the rust was removed they where bright silver it was either re blue or risk colour hardening. The thumb leaver had had a very old repair having a larger bottom anti slip ridge added by Brazing, the barrels where re browned because they where bright silver after the rust was removed and dents lifted.
In the second picture you can see the top action pin has had its slot re cut so it looks like the Grand Canyon, it was not replaced because the gun functions perfectly with it and it is original showing the guns history, also the pin holding both locks has had the same slot treatment. The last photograph shows the trigger guard strap with the finish complacently missing from use, it could be touched up but why bother the gun wont shoot any better and I will miss just the same as you can see by the slightly worn engraving.
The gun has been restored showing a little of its true age and I do hope the next owner will continue to let it grow old gracefully rather turning it into an over restored look at me sad version of the real thing.