What Guns to Leave Original

[NoStepOnSnek]

So some guns are obvious. An AR-15 is gonna be tinkered with. Teddy Roosevelts 405 Winchester wouldnt be fired by most people.

But what about those in between?

I have a Ruger No.1 in 458 Win Mag that was made in 1972/73 and was unfired new in box when I bought it a few years ago. It would be cool to put high grade wood on it, and whenever I kill my first buffalo with it I want to get that buff engraved. But at the same time, it feels weird messing with a gun that was that old but I know every round that went down the pipe.
Then I have a 8mm Turkish Mauser. It’s a Mauser so it would be a good action to build a custom gun on, but it’s a piece of history so it feels sacrilegious to mess with.

What’s y’all’s opinions, and what guns do you have this dilemma with?

 

[Aaron N]

This one’s going to get interesting….

Personally, I think guns should be collected for personal enjoyment, and not as an investment. Re-stock that Ruger, put some scratches in the stock during the buffalo hunt and the memories made will be worth far more than what your heirs will get when you die.

 

[rookhawk]

Valuable American guns should not be restored unless they are completely trashed. Valuable European guns should be lightly serviced at regular intervals as it will not effect value.

As to your examples, neither are uniquely valuable now nor when they are modified, do as you wish.

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

This one’s going to get interesting….

Personally, I think guns should be collected for personal enjoyment, and not as an investment. Re-stock that Ruger, put some scratches in the stock during the buffalo hunt and the memories made will be worth far more than what your heirs will get when you die.

Fair enough. I’m with you with enjoyment over investment, but I didn’t want to do a disservice to the gun if that makes sense

 

[Aaron N]

Fair enough. I’m with you with enjoyment over investment, but I didn’t want to do a disservice to the gun if that makes sense

Would you marry the most beautiful woman in the world and never touch her out of fear of doing her a disservice?

Leaving a rifle in a safe is the biggest disservice you can do to it.

 

[Alistair]

I have strong opinions on this topic.

My hot take; modifying any gun will only ever make it worse. If you didn't like it as is, why did you buy it? If you did like it as is, don't ruin it.

The only exception to this is Lego kit guns like AR platforms or chassis precision rifles. They're already soulless, purely functional bits of scaffolding as new, so might as well make them work as well as you can. I do with mine.

But for anything with a wood stock, a bit of character, a bit of history? Don't mess with it. Fix it if it's broken, service it when it needs it, at most maybe adjust LOP or something so it works properly for you. Give it what it needs to fulfill its purpose. But don't do silly aesthetic mods. They'll just ruin the piece, make it worthless, and probably look crap.

I wouldn't mess with either of the examples you mention, even if they're not ultimately 'special' or 'valuable' even in stock form.

That said though, I'm also of the opinion that guns should be used and definitely should not 'only' be an investment. If I owned the .405 you mention, not only would I definitely shoot it, I'd take it hunting as well. That's what it was built to do, to not use it would do it a disservice. I did that with my old 1870's Lang hammer gun, and it brought me great joy.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It's my understanding those Turkish Mausers were cobbled together from factory seconds and many were modified after arriving in Turkey. They do have a pretty crest on the receiver though. Apparently they are the least desirable of the military Mausers. If yours is still military configuration you could probably sell it for about what a good bare action and new barrel would cost ($1600). Cheapest route is pick up someone's sporterized Mauser mess, rebarrel, restock, new bottom metal, and you've got something with your brand.

As far as engraving the No 1, I wouldn't do that. It generally does not enhance the resale value. Get someone to make a nice wood case for it. Put all manner of decoration on the case and it won't hurt the value one bit.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

So some guns are obvious. An AR-15 is gonna be tinkered with. Teddy Roosevelts 405 Winchester wouldnt be fired by most people.

But what about those in between?

I have a Ruger No.1 in 458 Win Mag that was made in 1972/73 and was unfired new in box when I bought it a few years ago. It would be cool to put high grade wood on it, and whenever I kill my first buffalo with it I want to get that buff engraved. But at the same time, it feels weird messing with a gun that was that old but I know every round that went down the pipe.
Then I have a 8mm Turkish Mauser. It’s a Mauser so it would be a good action to build a custom gun on, but it’s a piece of history so it feels sacrilegious to mess with.

What’s y’all’s opinions, and what guns do you have this dilemma with?

If you want to restock the No. 1, do it. You can save the existing stock and change it back any time, if you want. Having a buffalo engraved on it won't hurt the value if it's properly done, will mean a lot to you, and will become a family treasure to your heirs. An 8mm Turkish Mauser has never had much value, but the action could be made into something wonderful. I would do both of those projects.

Now I have my grandfather's long barrel Model 94. It's a little over 100 years old. I will never modify that rifle due to its history in my family and its monetary value to my heirs if they should want to sell it. So sometimes you should make changes to make yourself happy and sometimes it isn't smart. The two examples you gave are two that I would do.

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

Would you marry the most beautiful woman in the world and never touch her out of fear of doing her a disservice?

Leaving a rifle in a safe is the biggest disservice you can do to it.

I don’t leave them in the safe, this is more of a “marry the most beautiful woman in the world and then ask her to have plastic surgery” situation

 

[Lionheart777]

I am considering the same issue as the OP concerning my early 80’s low serial number Dakota 76 in .300WM. I bought it from the original owner a couple of decades ago for a hunt that sadly never happened. Original owner took the rifle on a couple of Montana horseback elk hunts and so the beautiful Dakota wood has a few dings. There is also some slight bluing loss on the muzzle.
As I do intend to sell the rifle should I just sell it “as is” or would it make better financial sense to have wood/bluing restored to like new condition?
Honestly the phone camera lighting makes the condition appear much worse than when you just pick up the gun. It’s still gorgeous, just not perfect.

 

[Aaron N]

I don’t leave them in the safe, this is more of a “marry the most beautiful woman in the world and then ask her to have plastic surgery” situation

The heart wants what the heart wants

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Refinishing that stock would not be difficult. Consider trying some touch up cold bluing on the muzzle. You might be able to do something with it. I refinished the stock on my Springfield at least twice since restocking it in 1981. And last year I refinished a well used Mauser stock bought from an online auction for my 404 project. A moose outfitter in New Brunswick blued the metal. He charged me $150 but I did all the prep. Bolt, extractor, and striker remained polished in the white so that saved some $$$. You would need to have all metal, including bolt, reblued to make things match.

If you pay to have someone else do all the work, I'm not sure the cost would be recovered in resale.

 

[Lionheart777]

Refinishing that stock would not be difficult. Consider trying some touch up cold bluing on the muzzle. You might be able to do something with it. I refinished the stock on my Springfield at least twice since restocking it in 1981. And last year I refinished a well used Mauser stock bought from an online auction for my 404 project. A moose outfitter in New Brunswick blued the metal. He charged me $150 but I did all the prep. Bolt, extractor, and striker remained polished in the white so that saved some $$$. You would need to have all metal, including bolt, reblued to make things match.
View attachment 705840
If you pay to have someone else do all the work, I'm not sure the cost would be recovered in resale.

My thought when I bought it was..,I’m gonna hunt with it so why not just leave it alone?
Now that I’m considering selling it I am wondering how much the condition hurts the value?
The old saying about “original condition only happens once” keeps popping in my head lol…probably from my Colt SAA collecting days.

 

[JimP]

Unless you are buying one just for its collectors value go ahead and do what you want with it. If that includes engraving a buff on one side and a elephant on the other on a #1 for a upcoming DG hunt then by all means do it.

That 1970's vintage #1 is a shooter with no real collectors value, that is unless it was owned by Bill Ruger and while it has quite likely doubled or more in value it was meant to be used.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

On some guns, even those with wood stocks, modifications can change them from clunkers to useful things of beauty. I'll give you some examples: you have or can get very cheaply, an old Winchester M70, post 64, pressed checkering, etc. Now as ugly as they were, some were great shooters. A new stock, and maybe a barrel can change that rifle into something that you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with, and if it was a mediocre shooter, it might be a tack driver. I once bought two shotguns for $40 An old Montgomery Wards pump gun and a Steven's single barrel.the finish on pump gun was shot, pealing and ugly. The wood was birch or some other white hardwood. I stripped and sanded the stock, then stained it and applied several coats of boiled linseed oil over the next couple of weeks. I touched up scratches in the metal with cold blue and sold it for $150. I pulled the firing pin from the Steven's and sold it as a wedding picture prop for $20.

Many guns can be modified to make them more attractive, more accurate, or a better fit for the individual owner.

 

[Flbt]

Historic or very valuable guns leave alone.
Factory production guns you are going to use. Do what you want to make them fit you or the situation you want to use them in.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My thought when I bought it was..,I’m gonna hunt with it so why not just leave it alone?
Now that I’m considering selling it I am wondering how much the condition hurts the value?
The old saying about “original condition only happens once” keeps popping in my head lol…probably from my Colt SAA collecting days.

I suggest you at least clean up the stock. Refinishing is a relatively easy project even if you've never done it before. Many on here can guide you through it. You can make that stock look like it just came out of the box. The work you put into it would certainly help the price. That is a very nice piece of wood. Making it look AAA again will help resale value I'm sure. If it was just plain Jane walnut it wouldn't matter so much. Touching up the bluing is not something I'm familiar with but my brother did an EXCELLENT job touching up the rusty spots on my 357 Highway Patrolman I left behind in Montana when I moved to Canada in 1989. It can be done.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

My opinion- Firearms are at their most beautiful when they’re being used. If you need to modify it a little, in order to optimize it’s user friendliness… then, by all means… go for it.

But I draw the line at shortening barrels. Absolute sacrilege !

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

While on the subject how hard is it to finish a custom gunstock?

 

[Rare Breed]

So some guns are obvious. An AR-15 is gonna be tinkered with. Teddy Roosevelts 405 Winchester wouldnt be fired by most people.

But what about those in between?

I have a Ruger No.1 in 458 Win Mag that was made in 1972/73 and was unfired new in box when I bought it a few years ago. It would be cool to put high grade wood on it, and whenever I kill my first buffalo with it I want to get that buff engraved. But at the same time, it feels weird messing with a gun that was that old but I know every round that went down the pipe.
Then I have a 8mm Turkish Mauser. It’s a Mauser so it would be a good action to build a custom gun on, but it’s a piece of history so it feels sacrilegious to mess with.

What’s y’all’s opinions, and what guns do you have this dilemma with?

I think it comes down to whether you are a collector or a hunter. For example, I bought a Rigby 450 NE built in 1905 from an estate sale. I found out the barrels had been replaced from a very well respected England gun maker but not Rigby. While it ruined the collector value it now can shoot any bullet I want. For me I have an incredible Rigby fitting my nostalgia need yet I don’t hesitate to take it hunting getting a scratch on it something a collector would never do