Gun restoration

offroadralley

restoration question, I have a couple of guns that I was thinking about restoring. A browning A-5 20 gauge Belgium made, the bluing on this gun is about 80% and shows a lot of wear. Next, is a Mossberg 183db 410 gauge bolt action the early model, this gun has 90% of the barrel finish gone. I want to have the Browning and Mossberg blued by a gunsmith and refinish the stock. Will this decrease the gun value by doing so?

Hawk Carse

Ordinary rebluing is not restoring. Nor is an ordinary gunsmith stock refinish. Restoration is tedious and expensive. Look at Doug Turnbull's site for mouth watering pictures and horrifying prices.

Yes, rebluing will reduce the collector's interest and dollar value. But I doubt a couple of well used hunting guns HAVE much collector interest in the first place. A good quality refinish might help their resale for actual use. Get them fixed up to suit yourself.

agostino

The Mossberg has very little value anyway, so refinishing it won't hurt. It will cost more than the gun is worth. I'd recommend leaving the Browning alone. As a 20 gauge, it has some collector interest that would be reduced by refinishing the gun.

rhmc24

Refinishing might be a better term. A question of word meanings. Restoration ? Restoration to what? New ?, only somewhat used ?, etc.

Some gun people are fond of using 'restoration' to mean 'back to new', really an inaccurate or incomplete use of the word. Anyone who doubts and can stand a bit of re-education can look up the word in a dictionary which will tell that it means mainly (my words) to 'put back' - leaves the question open as to returning what to what.