Be aware that the British military personnel who carted sporting rifles off to the colonies for personal use were officers. The officer class came virtually entirely from the money class- promotion up from the enlisted ranks was unheard of and practically impossible. (You needed private income in order to purchase your uniforms, pay your mess bill, and buy all your own kit including sidearms.) Enlisted men got paid pennies per day and could no more own a Rigby/Holland's/Westley Richards/etc. than they could own the Crown Jewels.
I still say we can't look at the artifacts from 90-140 years ago with modern eyes and see what they looked like new unless said artifacts were kept in a dark temperature controlled vaccuum from the minute they were finished. It is fair though to want to try and create the look of something that has aged.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 03/05/20.
