Collectors vs Restorers

[Meteor]

Where is the line drawn between collecting and restoring firearms?

I have two ideas atm but they do not get along. If you love firearms you will take them as they are and on the other hand if you love a firearm you will want to restore it or at least prevent it from deteriorating further.

How much of that idea you have -of keeping them as is- do you think is defined by what you believe the next owner might want and how much would you be willing to sway on a restoration -if you believed that the work you are doing will bring it close to facotory spec, would you reblue, would you have the stock redone?

Which side are you on?

[A-R]

If the specimen in question has some collector's value, you should not do any work on it. Making it work better, does not make it more collectible. It actually reduces the value.

If, however, the piece is going to be used, then do restore or repair it. Just do not call it a collectible then.

I see lots of people want to keep a 303LE or Israeli Mauser original for various reasons. They are not rare. Modify or repair them as much as you want. But if you own a 1902 Luger pistol with matching parts, please just keep it as it is.

[Meteor]

How would you treat a firearm that is rare but has been recently altered? Would you halt the process?

[Wanderin' Zero]

With rare and particularly collectible firearms the general rule is that you should do the absolute minimum necessary by way of restoration. Where any restoration work is done, it should only use, as far as possible, original or authentic components. Rebluing/ refinishing is usually to be avoided.

Where a firearm has been altered in a non-authentic manner, the alteration should be reversed, if it can sensibly be done. Quite often though, the alteration is irreversible.

When it comes to collectable firearms, as a general rule three things drive value: rarity (scarcity); desirability; and originality. If you have all three elements together in a firearm, you probably have a solid investment (financially speaking).