doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why do people 'butcher' barrels....?

Thinking more about this, if one wants a sxs multi purpose shooter, "butchering" a field or lower grade vintage gun could be a very cost effective option.

Say one buys a Sterlingworth for $1000 and puts another $1000 into "butchering" it to his taste. He may not be able to sell the Fox for $2000, but that is only half the calculation. What new sxs he could have bought for $2000? Nada. He is still up $1000 or more versus buying an RBL (or basically any new sxs). Invest the $1000 elsewhere to make up for what one may end up eating on this hypothetical butchered Fox.

It is sad to think of pristine sxs going out this way. I'm not advancing this idea, but I guess I can understand why it happens. I guess it is an issue of selecting the right gun to butcher.

Hey, I have white walls on my Ferrari.

Assuming the gun is in decent shape and the barrels are not bent,badly dented,pitted,etc I can't understand why people just don't try different loads and see how they work before taking metal out of good barrels. There are dozens,if not scores,of load combinations for most guages to try for the most effective patterns.I realize that once you own it you can do as you please but you could at least give the original manufacturer the benefit of the doubt and try at least a dozen different shotshell combinations.I am also a big fan of duct tape and cardboard to make non-permanent stock alterations on good guns.

Doug,
Nice SW. Like Jim, I've never been able to afford collector grade guns. I've always looked for problem guns that others would pass up, but that I knew something about how to fix. I've made out on some, lost on some.

As for the original question, I think many of the mods were done to these guns (primarily American doubles) well before they took a steep turn in value upward. $2000-2500 20g Sterlingworths, more for one that looks like your SW above. If someone knew in 1960 that his dad's heavy barreled old worn looking Fox would be worth many thousands one day, I bet he wouldn't consider cutting the barrels or nailing a recoil pad on (yes I've seen a pad nailed on).

Both sides have valid points but lets be honest and reasonable. Who cares what minor adjustments are made to the many well used field grade guns. They made tens of thousands of them and if they are not in high condition or rare for some reason the supply will not run out in the next fifty years. A graded or rare gun in pristine or even high condition is another thing I agree. But reaming out .010 choke is not a mortal sin.

Some alterations are much more disagreeable than others. Here is my short list. Do these and may you spend an eternity at your mother in laws house, with no chance for escape, or H--- which ever is worse in your case.

1 Never port a double gun.
2 Do not install screw in choke tubes.
3 Never install an adjustable comb.
4 Never install an adjustable butt plate recoil pad.
5 Never remove or polish case color to make the gun a coin finished gun. 10% case color beats a mirror like gleam everyday. 6 Never cut chamber to those 3 1/2" Roman Candles in a 12 bore. Best to say away from 3"chambers as well.
7 Never engrave the shield with your initials if no previous owner did in 75 to 100 years. What, you are the first important owner this gun has ever had?
8 Never put a vent rib on a gun that does not have one on it. They look like crap.
9 Deacals may go on a car bumper, but never on a gun barrel or stock.
10 Do not have your name, initials, SS# or drivers license #engraved on any part of a gun.

I am sure you may have a few more. This is my major list of things that make me want to hammer a few fingers of gun owners.

Here is the perfect example of ruining a good gun. Gun is a 1927 16 ga Specialty, 28" barrels, had from the factory a Hunter One Trigger, but was replaced with double triggers. Stock was cut to 12" from center of front trigger to end of wood, with the hideous recoil pad (Pachmayr, not even period correct), with a total LOP of 13", still short. If gun was for a youth or woman, and whomever had the money to buy this gun, then they should have bought one with the correct dimensions.
Now I have to put a 2" extension on it.

I have had pretty fair luck shooting fiber wad Traditional Gamebores in my old tight choked guns. With less velocity, and less shot, the choke seems to assist in dropping the birds. I don't put choke reaming in the same category with Screw In Chokes.

Gotta run, I have to go finish the wing I am installing on my Vintage Stingray

WTF is wrong with THIS picture???

In your very first post you asked "Why butcher the wood....?"

And "refinishing" the wood on a gun with 99% original metal is OK? How ya liking that "almost a virgin?"

No doubt. I also believe this same gentleman has posted pics of re-case colored and reblacked guns as well. (LC Smiths I believe)

"7 Never engrave the shield with your initials if no previous owner did in 75 to 100 years. What, you are the first important owner this gun has ever had?"

Answer to #7: D..n right! I'm the ONLY important owner my guns have ever had. Do I care if the next owner, possibly a saw-em-off Cowboy Action Shooter wonders who JLL was? Not very much. If my son ends up with them, he'll know who JLL was.