Jagermeister you just don't get it I guess. These buyers are not looking for what we might consider better values. They are hoping to hit a home run with a gun that looks rough but if they get lucky is a well worth it restoration gun.

Deal with the surface rust, clean it up, get it functioning and redo the wood. Rust blue the barrels. Unless they find major hidden problems they will have their dream HE for about half the market price. About five years ago a very high grade Lefever was at auction and everyone saw it as a basket or hopeless case. It cleaned up well and was a very solid, very rare gun. If people had seen the completed redo on the gun it would have brought twice the price.