This one really looked exceptional. Was it right?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=446094696

And rightfully so!

THAT'S nice!!!

Surprised to see one that nice come out of Minnesota! Must not have been drug through the brush like most are...

Nice one

I would want to see a lot more pics if I were going to spend that kind of money, but from what I can see, I think it is stone cold right.

Beautious! What a find.

More I look at it, having second thoughts about the bluing. The lighting sucks so it's hard to tell without handling it.

Be curious to hear what some of the other guys think...

I'm not familiar with what is correct for that one, so it's hard for me to judge.

The lettering is light, like it MIGHT have been buffed in a couple spots. Isn't the stamping normally pretty aggressive in those?

I figured if the wood had been redone, it would show dinks somewhere under the new finish, but it doesn't, and the color looks right.

It seems like every takedown you see that's seen any use at all the takedown metal is a different color than the rest, more wear.

There's a little wear near the muzzle, so I'm betting this one rode in and out of a case and that's it.

If it was correct, where are you going to find another for <$1600? Sucker's 100 years old! I shoulda bid...

Looked redone to me !! looks like its been buffed by the serial numbers and the bluing looks off color on the receiver,JMO Don

She looks mighty spiffy. Might be 2 good 2 be true. I didn't think Minnesotans would waste money on redoing guns though. It is a pretty frugal state.

Regardless it looks very very nice! Thanks for sharing!

for me with out holding it in my hands to get a good look at it .
I'd lean towards it being refinished. its just to nice. pictures can hide a lot..

plab

Always hard to tell bluing in pics. The serial numbers look a bit light as though they'd been buffed, but the checkering looks perfect. I'd have been more confident it was original if the case color was still there.

In summary.. not sure. I'd guess original.

LOOKED RE-BLUED,

I think the wood is OK. Fit, finish and sharp features.

Bluing is suspect: But may very well be original.

Crappy lighting.

I think it is redone. Serial number is light and bluing should be shinner. The wood has a satin finish and I think the originals had a varnish finish. But looks like a good refinish.
Steve

Funky looking serial number. I'd much prefer to see this one in person.

My take is that the receiver was re-blued, but not in the way most of y'all are thinking. I'm guessing (since like the rest of you I can't hold it in my hands) that it was meticulously hand polished down to a very fine grit and then either rust blued or possibly nitre blued. The numbers look shallow, as if they were partially erased, but not by buffing rather by hand polishing with the abrasive backed by a semi-hard backer, making it look very much like the original finishes on pre-WWI rifles. The barrel and fore end iron probably hold their original finishes, IMO.

Stock? Best guess is that it was meticulously re-finished by working right up to the checkering and removing a teeny tiny bit of material. Think museum curator working on a national treasure. Then the checkering was recut- that I would bank on.

All in all, I bet the guy started off with a very presentable rifle and worked some magic on it. Worth the extra jingle? I don't know, but evidently someone thought so. I really wouldn't mind owning it myself for that matter.