Chuck,
I agonized awhile over whether I should just get the gun repaired or do a full restoration. As with most collectors I would prefer a high condition original gun although with what a high condition XE goes for I most likely could not afford one.
I lucked into this gun for very little and even with the cost of a full restoration will have about 1/2 of what the current asking price is for an original gun. Since my main goal is to have a reliable shooter for years to come and not resale I felt restoration in this case would be the best way to go.
John