I have never seen more than a small handful of old US guns that hadn't already been messed with, most pretty severely. Once it's been messed with, what's the point in preserving something that's less than useful (i.e. a grossly ill-fitting stock or ridiculously tight chokes)? Really, what harm is done if I take a Fox with lengthened chambers, a poorly fitted replacement stock and a blued action--and put it in working order, do a nicer job of (re)stocking it, refinish the metal and make it choked for the way I'll use it?
Seeing as I have no interest in owning one simply for the sake of owning one, short of a deal too-good to pass up--meaning I could make a significant amount of money on it overnight--I would never buy an original-condition fox or parker because it would be less than useless to me as I need a very long LOP, a high stock and open chokes...I use my guns--what good is an original condition gun with full and fuller chokes and a 14" stock with 3" of drop to a woodcock hunter that shoots a 16" LOP? With that in mind I happily pay way less $ for butchered guns and then "rebutcher" them further because they are more valuable to me that way. You can keep your precious patina--show me patina on a 90 year old gun that has a stock even close to fitting me and I'll be the first one in line to gush about how nostalgic and gentlemanly the patina makes me feel.
What I want to know is why people think they have anything at all to say about what people "shouldn't" do to a SxS? I can see getting your knickers in a twist about altering something that's truly never been touched and is a good-condition collectors item--but on the previously refinished field grade stuff that I mostly see (and that I buy)--spare me the sermon about what is and isn't "right" on my gun.
Last edited by David Furman; 01/17/10 09:13 PM.
