Restoration

[Wilmington]

This is my first day as a member and I recently (5/5/23) inherited a Fox 12 gauge single trigger Serial # 26082 C grade that is in need of restoration. It has some rust and is pitted. One of the ejectors does not work and the trigger guard is slightly bent. I live in Charlotte NC and want to have it restored as an heirloom. I have visited one gunsmith and he recommended case hardening. Is this customary and does it enhance or diminish the value of the gun? Any recommendations for gunsmiths that can take on this project? Wilmington

[Jeff S]

Welcome aboard. It would be nice to get the ejector and the trigger guard repaired. I'm guessing that several members will advise against having the case colors redone. Chances are the new process will not look authentic. I met Matt from Black Diamond while at the Southern and he seems to do exceptionally good work. Jeff

[Researcher]

Probably the top restoration companies in the country are Turnbull -- https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/ -- in Bloomfield, NY and Batchelder Master Gunmakers -- https://www.mastergunmakers.com/services -- in Grand Rapids, MI. There are certainly many other smaller operations, but you want to be careful not to entrust your inheritance to "Bubba the 870 parts replacer down at the corner."

[fox-admin]

Restoration is a subject that boils down to personal taste. The best gun restorers in the country can make a Fox look "new" but no one can reproduce the look of an original mint condition gun. If you want your gun to look new by all means go ahead and have it restored but the dollars spent ($3-4K) on a full restoration will not enhance the value in most circumstances. Many collectors faced with a nice gun that has a ugly major defect will partially restore a gun. First mission is to make the gun mechanically sound. Second is to have a ugly visual defect properly restored. As an example, say you have a gun with normal wear and tear from 100 years of use in 70% original condition except the exterior of the barrels. The barrels have an ugly spot of pitting that a previous owner tried to clean up with steel wool and all the bluing is gone in that spot. The first thing your eye is drawn to when you pick up the gun is that ugly spot. . If that is the case many collectors would have the barrels properly reblued using the proper history correct method. There is also a group of collectors that will never do any restoration on a gun, they don't want to wipe away any of the gun's history. My advise is go slow and really think about what will make you happy.

[Stan Hillis]

I fall in the camp of those who will maintain nice finishes on the wood and barrels, but leave the worn case colors and bluing alone on the other metal parts, like forend iron, screws, etc. Buggered up screw slots should be fixed/replaced, IMO, as well. Being a shooter first I like guns to look nice and be protected by good finishes, much like a great pair of old boots that you keep leather preservative rubbed into, but have no interest in owning safe queens. Having case coloring redone is fine for a full out custom gun that one has built, along with non-original engraving, etc. JMHO, OMV.

[Brian Dudley]

Re-Case hardening a frame should only be done if everything else is being done. And done correctly I may add. it is the LAST thing that should be considered. Nothing looks worse that a painted up gun wth old refinished wood or worn engraving. Slapping lipstick on a pig is a big business for some. And it is embarrassing to the craft.

There is no actual functional reason to have to re-case harden a frame. The hardened surface is still there, even though the colors have worn. Unless a frame is annealed to repair damage or engraving. it does not need to be re-hardened.

[vaturkey]

Beware of what I call the siippery slope.

[Chrisss31]

I am with Stan 100% on his opinion of this topic. I've had few guns that borderline needed cosmetic work and I always regretted having it done. Not that the work wasn't done well, but because I realized the ugly butt pad wasn't so bad or that I actually liked the thin barrel blue better than the new glossy perfect finish. I prefer to let them show their age gracefully. However.... if the barrels are loose that'll need to be fixed. If the barrels are worn white or the stock is beat up and has no finish, that should probably be done too. Worn case colors, wouldn't touch it. The only other thing that can factor into this type of work is the overall condition of the gun. If the barrels, engraving and case hardening are excellent and the wood is beat up, I could probably justify sprucing the wood up.

These are my thoughts and opinions. If you want the gun to look new and that'll make you happy then go for it! If you want a crusty gun to hang over the mantle as a decoration, you can go for that too. C grade guns are very nice but you're probably not going to increase the value by the dollar amount of the restoration. There is nothing wrong with that. You have to decide what's going to make you happy. If I had grand pop's C grade Fox, I'd get it in safe shooting order and put it someplace I could admire it every day. Sorry for the muddy water!

Best Regards,
Chris

[Brian Dudley]

Who recommended that you re-case the gun? I am curious.