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how much of a gun....

KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
can you replace and still have it be the "same" gun?

another member posted about finding a parts gun to finish a rebuild project on a gun that IIRC belonged to his father or grandfather. he made it seem like he only needed a few internal parts to make it work, but none the less it got the gerbil up on the wheel and now im wondering the above question.

if you had an heirloom gun that you wanted to redo and in doing so youd need to replace many parts(including big things like stock, forearm etc), how far could you go in your estimation before its no longer an heirloom gun and has morphed over into just another franken gun?
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Comments

  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,704 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it has the original lock, stock & barrel, I would consider it to be the same gun.
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  • CSI21CSI21 Member Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thats a good question, For me, I think I would say the reciever is the main part, Of course I would like to keep as much wood as I could. I have my fathers Uberti brass frame .45 Colt, which needs a new backstrap as the brass has started to peel back like a can. To me my dads gun is still his gun if I replace the backstrap and whatever little parts are needed to have it safe. I still have the frame,cylinder, barrel and what not. Thats just my thoughts on it.
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  • toad67toad67 Member Posts: 13,008 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Guns seem to take on more sentimental value after some pass on. I had an older rifle that was my dads and was pretty well used. While he was still alive he passed the gun down to me and quit hunting. I always wanted to get a new stock and make it look good again. However since his passing I don't want to change anything about it. So I think that it is all in the eye of the beholder. But as a general rule mostly internal parts would only be changed unless there were some other major parts that had to be replaced in order to keep it in service.

    Todd
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  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,024 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With mass produced guns unless it shoots way off from what your original gun was, it's all the same.
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  • KnifecollectorKnifecollector Member Posts: 3,267 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I agree with CSI21, replace the barrel and wood on the original frame and its still the same gun.
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  • bhale187bhale187 Member Posts: 7,798
    edited November -1
    My grandpa's old single shot 12ga was missing the forearm and the buttstock was beyond repair. With the very generous help of 2 GB members I was able to replace those 2 parts and have my grandpa's gun back ready for wall mounting.

    Still the same gun to me.
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  • llamallama Member Posts: 2,637 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    On the same note, I know of a guy who took the data plate from a car - the part that specifies the VIN number, etc. - and built a "correct" car all around it. Original car had been totaled in an accident, and then the junk yard burnt... not a lot left, but the data plate was pristine...
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  • bhale187bhale187 Member Posts: 7,798
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    On the same note, I know of a guy who took the data plate from a car - the part that specifies the VIN number, etc. - and built a "correct" car all around it. Original car had been totaled in an accident, and then the junk yard burnt... not a lot left, but the data plate was pristine...

    That can get you in alot of trouble around these parts [:I]
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  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 26,266 ******
    edited November -1
    That's actually how I got started on GB. I inherited my Dad's Remington 17 shotgun. His mother, who died before I was born, gave it to him. I hunted with it when I was a teenager and dinged up the magazine tube and lost a couple of screws.
    Now, thanks to GB, I have 5 Remington 17's and the parts to restore my dad's gun.[:D]
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  • llamallama Member Posts: 2,637 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bhale187
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    On the same note, I know of a guy who took the data plate from a car - the part that specifies the VIN number, etc. - and built a "correct" car all around it. Original car had been totaled in an accident, and then the junk yard burnt... not a lot left, but the data plate was pristine...

    That can get you in alot of trouble around these parts [:I]


    Nah, car was his, nothing being done dishonestly. He just had the skills, the time, and the money to recreate what he could've gone out and just bought for $30k ... Had at least that in it in parts, never mind his time and labor to do it.

    BTW - my family has the axe that George Washington chopped down that cherry tree with. We've got all records, etc. and have only replaced the head twice and the handle once.
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  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I'm replacing the furniture on my Pop's 1895. If the barrel were shot out, I'd replace that, too. I already replaced the mainspring. Come right down to it, I'd replace anything it took to get the gun up and shooting.

    I'd still have the memories. Those never wear out.
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  • KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
    edited November -1
    That's the point I'm trying to make. If your replaced nearly ever replaceable part, is it still the same gun?

    I don't think there really is a right answer as its likely different for everybody. Like I said, that other thread got the wheels turning and I was curious as to where you all would be on this one...
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  • bhale187bhale187 Member Posts: 7,798
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    quote:Originally posted by bhale187
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    On the same note, I know of a guy who took the data plate from a car - the part that specifies the VIN number, etc. - and built a "correct" car all around it. Original car had been totaled in an accident, and then the junk yard burnt... not a lot left, but the data plate was pristine...

    That can get you in alot of trouble around these parts [:I]


    Nah, car was his, nothing being done dishonestly. He just had the skills, the time, and the money to recreate what he could've gone out and just bought for $30k ... Had at least that in it in parts, never mind his time and labor to do it.

    BTW - my family has the axe that George Washington chopped down that cherry tree with. We've got all records, etc. and have only replaced the head twice and the handle once.

    Still a felony in Illinois
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  • Alan RushingAlan Rushing Member Posts: 8,805 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Figure that a family that has a family heirloom or keepsake firearm, can replace pretty near anything and pretty near everything and still have a family heirloom.

    Suspect that some families might even "split-up" or "divy-up" parts and pieces from the initial piece and create two legitimate family treasures if they had the notion.

    I'd rather have the barrel and forearm or all the stock, from a Great-grandfather's piece than what I got ... Nada! [^]

    Near certain that King Solomon would figure that it's be an OK way to do things in a family if desired. [;)]

    ( Definitely not referring to selling "all original" Frankenstine creation either! ) [xx(]
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