I recall reading a while back that Turnbull would occasionally receive guns for restoration that the owner thought were in original condition. A records check would show that in fact, Turnbull had restored them in the past. I suspect that the same thing happens with Del Grego.
This begs two questions. One, is it possible to inquire to both firms as to if the gun was restored in the past? And two, if a credible restoration was done, certainly possible by others than just those two firms, why should it dramatically alter the gun's value?
A hundred years can obviously age a gun, especially barrel finish and case coloring, as well as the condition of the wood finish. In guns with no significant historical provenance, a credible restoration should improve value, rather than detract from it. How many rusty weapons or pieces of armor have you seen in museums? Sure, there are plenty, but also many that were restored, as long as the piece was in good enough condition to warrant restoration.
Once again, it's the Original vs Restored condition "Kettle of Worms"....
Regards
Ken
Ken, just have a look at collector cars. While there is the glimmer of the beginnings of an "unrestored" market, the big money is for cars that have been taken down and put back together, bolt by bolt. And the money those guys spend make gun collectors looking like pikers.
