refinishing a gun

[Alpo]

Do you suppose the stuff we play with will ever be "collectors items"?

 

Y'all know how it works, right? "I've got this Colt revolver, that I've dated to 1926, and it really looks rough. Who should I send it to to get it reblued?"

 

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!! DON'T REFINISH IT!!!! YOU'LL LOSE ALL THE VALUE!!!!!

 

And that applies both to the finish of the metal, and the finish of the wood. Many a time I've seen someone moan about how, "The original varnish has been removed and an oil finish applied. Shame. If the varnish was still there that gun would be worth another five hundred dollars."

 

So, how many folks, when buying a Rossi 92, remove that crappy painted-on-looking black finish on the wood?

 

And there's a thread right now, here in the Saloon (ACS) titled Uberti Rifle Stock Stain. I haven't read it, but based on the title, I guess it is either about removing the stain (to change the color) or repairing the stain - either of which constitutes a "refinish".

 

But I've never seen anyone say NO, NO, NO, DON'T DO THAT, YOU';LL RUIN THE VALUE.

 

Hmmmm.

[guitar_slinger]

It may be a collectors item to our great-grandchildren once all other firearms have been banned and confiscated by our loving and benevolent government.

 

I don't think we'll see these being collectors items in our lifetime.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Alpo, to be considered a "collectors item" it first must be "old" and unmolested. While still playable, there is no collectability. Therefor there

is no thought given to maintaining it's originality.

Unfortunately, in that same vein, while we are "old," we're not unmolested but we're still playable. therefore "we" do not have any real

collectability.

Toys left in the box, unwrapped, unplayed and un-enjoyed aren't really toys. Just dust collectors. Just be glad they didn't leave "us" in the box

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

NO, NO, NO, DON'T DO THAT, YOU';LL RUIN THE VALUE.

 

Hmmmm.

Only if you decide to sell it!

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

Let's say it's 1985 and I pick up a 1st gen Colt in worn condition for $1000. I put it away in the back of the safe and don't touch it for 30 years. Now it's 2015 and I sell it for $4000 (all hypothetical values). So I have made a nice healthy profit of $3000 and it only took 30 years. Completely discounting inflation, I have averaged a $100 gain in investment a year. Heck, on good months I have gone through that much ammo shooting matches. I think I would rather have had 30 years of fun with the Colt, maybe sent it off to get refinished so that I am shooting a really fun and nice looking gun.

 

I like the toy in a box analogy from Colorado Coffinmaker. As a kid, I had a bunch of star wars toys that cost me a lot of lawns mowed to accumulate. I probably could have made a really nice profit on them had I kept them in the box, and the only trade off would be the precious memories I had as a kid. Were I able to do it over again knowing what I know now, I highly doubt even a single box would survive.

[Bad Jeemes Kelly]

The trick is, if you refinish your 2015 Ruger Vaquero or Uberti rifle, by the time it becomes a valuable collectible and originality matters, you'll be long dead, so it doesn't matter.

[Bugs Bonney SASS # 10171]

I would agree with you in the case of rare guns of limited production. However since I can't afford any of those it hardly matters. I once owned a second generation SAA. Shot it in two matches and realized I was devaluing it and it hung on the wall for three years. I ended up selling it because it seems silly to me to own a gun I'm reluctant to shoot. I sold it off and have since bought beat up old clunkers that aren't working. I rebuild and refinish them and bring them back to live. I may have ruined any collector value they might ever have but I did get them doing what they were meant to do and that is shoot.If they have been desecrated in your eyes just think how much more valuable yours is with one less available in original condition. It's OK, you don't have to thank me, my reward comes from putting them back in shootable condition.

[Colt B.A. Blastn Johnson]

Do you suppose the stuff we play with will ever be "collectors items"?

 

Y'all know how it works, right? "I've got this Colt revolver, that I've dated to 1926, and it really looks rough. Who should I send it to to get it reblued?"

 

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!! DON'T REFINISH IT!!!! YOU'LL LOSE ALL THE VALUE!!!!!

 

And that applies both to the finish of the metal, and the finish of the wood. Many a time I've seen someone moan about how, "The original varnish has been removed and an oil finish applied. Shame. If the varnish was still there that gun would be worth another five hundred dollars."

 

So, how many folks, when buying a Rossi 92, remove that crappy painted-on-looking black finish on the wood?

 

And there's a thread right now, here in the Saloon (ACS) titled Uberti Rifle Stock Stain. I haven't read it, but based on the title, I guess it is either about removing the stain (to change the color) or repairing the stain - either of which constitutes a "refinish".

 

But I've never seen anyone say NO, NO, NO, DON'T DO THAT, YOU';LL RUIN THE VALUE.

 

Hmmmm.

Your 1926 colt is only 10yrs away from being a antique, must be 100yrs old to receive this title. So it will have great collector value very soon, and already has some infact as it stands......But a modern 1990's firearm is gonna have to wait atleast 50+yrs before any value is attained above and beyond original price. Some things become collector items more quickly than others, but the price really go's up after 100+ years of age. So that 1990 shotgun will sell big around the year 2105 (put it aside for your great great grandchildren!)

[Michigan Slim]

I Wont own a gun I can't shoot. And I don't want to shoot crappy looking guns. Sand away!

[Utah Bob #35998]

All things are eventually collectible.

Eventually.

[Tom Bullweed]

I have three Winchester 1873 rifles, all made in 1891 and all in 50-70% cosmetic condition and fully functional. I paid $900 to $925 for each since 2008. Books show that these guns sold for about $18-$20 new, when an average job paid about $1.00 to $1.25 per day, or $20-$25 per month, or about three weeks worth of pay.

I, like people who work full time, make much more than $900 in three weeks. The values of these 'collectors' model has actually depreciated. To break even, they would have to sell for $2400 each, based on an average salary of $40k in the US. Some 1873s sell for that. Some sell for more, but many can be found in very decent condition to be 100 plus years old for less.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Hmmmm...I've decided I don't care

 

My Uberti / Cimarron 1873 is a great gun for this game, but the wood came from the factory looking like it had been coated in red plastic. Beautiful wood, UGLY finish. I stripped that junk off with a chemical stripper (I have the checkered version and didn't want to sand the checkering off), and oiled it with about 10 coats of tung oil. It is now perhaps the prettiest gun I own, and looks like what I imagine a brand new one would have looked like in 1873.