doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Value: Refinish or not?

My wife mentioned yesterday that she might like the shiny varnish/lacquer/poly or whatever-it-is finish removed and relaced with an oil finish on her gun. Her next question was "Will it reduce the value?" What do you think, not that she has any plans to ever sell it. It is a 20 ga. 26" IC/Mod Browning Diana Superposed. The gun had some very light pitting along the left side of the bottom barrel when we bought it (used), probably from being laid down or put away while still damp, so it's not in perfect condition. It is NOT a salt gun (I think it was made in 1975). Thoughts, opinions?
Thanks, Joe

It's your gun and you should do what you want with it. Value is not what someone might think it is worth but what someone is willing to pay. If your wife likes oil finish go gor it. Being happy is better than worring about value or what it will bring someday.

Just my opinion.

Regards, Gordon

Hi Joe, I agree with K&J. If you want to refinish and it makes her happy go for it!! I've had several guns that I've had refinished, wood and metal, in ALL cases I've been happy and didn't regret doing it. If your going to buy and sell guns to make $$$ for to collect for future sale, then no, but if your going to shoot it, who cares..only you and your wife. Go for it.

All the best!!

Greg

A 20 Diana is not a common gun and Browning's habit of staining the wood makes refinishing a tough job. I think you would be better off buying her a field grade to refinish and saving the collector grade gun or perhaps reblueing the tubes and selling it.
bill

I would make it what I wanted. My guns belong to me not someone a hundred years from now.The value of keeping the wife happy now is much more than the gun will ever be worth later.

Thanks, Bill, for the suggestions, but this is the gun she always wanted. Although she has no plans to sell it, you never know when that could change. I'm not clear on how stain would make the gun hard to refinish; after removing the finish, I've found that a quick rub with alcohol will show pretty much what the color will be after oil finishing. Couldn't I stain it again before oiling if she did not like the color? I probably will have the barrels reblued someday. I don't mean to be argumentative, just bouncing my thoughts around.
Joe

It could be that the staining problem alluded to above is the FN habit of fitting stocks and forends from blanks with very different grain, color cast, possibly variety and then glazing them heavily to get a match. I think that's a real possibility on a grade 1 but not on a Diana grade. Should be crotch black walnut on the back and a decent piece of same in the front in which case it should match up fine under oil or alkanet and oil.

jack

If this grade of gun has value, then why not remove the wood, put it in the safe, and then have a whole new stock produced with an oil finish.

That way if you ever sell it you can sell it in original condition with the extra wood or sell the extra wood separately to fit someone else's gun.

Additionally if there is any need to have the stock dimensions tweeked, then you can do that.

I would not do it.

Tim

Tim is probably right about the number of Diana 20s produced and the resale. She's probably right that's it's her gun and she can do what pleases her. Everybody's right. Eating the cake may not leave cake for later. Having the cake for later means it gets to where it doesn't taste good. World full of choices and consequences.

jack