SIXSKB didn't ask for our opinion on whether or not to restore, but simply who could do a good job in his locale. Still, I agree with OWD's opinion that nice original collectible guns should not be restored. Usually, it's not the guns that are rare. What's rare is original remaining condition. Once restored, that is lost to history forever. It boils down to whether you consider yourself a property owner who can do whatever he damn well pleases, or if you would rather be a custodian who enjoys and preserves a gun for future generations.
There are common and abused guns that will never be hurt by a good and proper restoration and there are guns that should be left alone and enjoyed just as they are with character that can only be acquired by decades of careful use. This gun sounds like it is in the latter category. If I wish to see a gun in it's original pristine glory, then the hunt is on to find such a specimen and pay the price. During the hunt, I am sure to see several that were ruined forever by folks who took the tack that they should do exactly as they please with their guns. Maybe the specimen I buy would be one that someone else has already restored, but at least I will not be adding another restored gun to the pool of surving specimens.
I'm not telling anyone what to do with their own personal property here. But I am giving my opinion and hoping to sway more people into a similar mindset. There are sound arguements from both camps. There are comparisons to auto restorers who do this all the time and there are comparisons to numismatists who abhore the mere removal of tarnish. Since this is a Scottish gun, there is always the possibility that this gun was sent back and refreshed a time or two before it ever made it to our shores. Or not. We all have to decide if we wish to contribute to irreversible removal of one more sound specimen with originality and character acquired by the wear associated with a century of intended usage. I enjoy those quiet time in the woods when I can look at the piece I am using and thinking about previous owners/hunters who are probably in their graves, and about how they picked up this dent or that little scratch. I know I recall every one that I ever added to a gun and I would rather shed blood in the blackberries and hawthornes that let it happen. But it happens. There's a memory and story behind every one. Memories fade easily enough without intentionally erasing them.
