I've faced up to the fact that none of the guns I've bought were of collectable condition and most not even collectable makes/models. Of the few that I have that may have been collectable makes/models, they were somehow altered severely or in unusable condition when I acquired them.
I'd like to have some high condition collectable guns to hunt with, but finding them is often difficult and there's the soul searching issue of whether a collectable should be hunted to further wear and deterioration.
Finding a previously molested example of the collectable make/model has been easier and cheaper and allows me to slightly customize the gun to my specs (stocks, etc.) and breathe new life into an old worthy gun. When they are redone, they feel good, shoot good, and make me feel I did something good by putting the gun right. Sometimes I get a bit more money into them than I may be able to get out right away, but they are still cheaper than finding a pristine example. And frankly, I don't have the slightest remorse about regularly hunting a redone gun.
