Those who have written a check or two for good British guns realize that the "annual" touchup of those guns contributes to a substantial loss of value. It also contributes to the thousands of British guns at auction bearing the caveat "Wall thickness below recommended minimums." A few of those guns were made with thin walls, but the bulk of them were bored and struck to an unsafe wall thickness. An annually messed with Purdey sells for way less than a lightly worn Purdey in original condition, no matter what the old wives tales say. In that respect, the British guns are no different than Parkers or Foxes. I can buy Purdeys that have been annually messed with for $8000. The original guns still sell in the thirties and forties.
