Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Turnbull restorations - yay or nay?

There seems to be a good solid market for engraved guns, these are not Turnbull restorations but there are collectors in the market for the engraved guns it appears. Looking at the listings these two went in the sold column today.


https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...rade-243-winchester.cfm?gun_id=101912574


https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...rade-284-winchester.cfm?gun_id=101912554

I would rather buy an original ,nothing against turnbull excellent work but i like the original period built guns. I would rather buy original winchesters,or marlins then restored ones. I still cannot bring myself to buy a new Henry rifle. This is a savage collectors forum, altho it seems to be leaning to mostly savage shooters forum.

Sometimes, Johnson, you DO amaze me.

ROMAC's quote pretty much sums it it IMO. I know of people and friends that will lay $60 grand for a new pickup while others are happy with a $6 grand used one. Old saying that he/she spends $100 for every $10 I spend, while the next person spends $1000 for every $100 I may spend. Priorities! A good lifelong friend of mine who buys/sells alot of firearms buys alot of stuff nobody else will touch, while I won't consider that stuff he buys, but will spend $1000+ for a gun, he thinks I'm nuts. Tells me I buy that expensive stuff, but $2 grand or a tad more is my limit. I've done so a few times, but those were exceptions. Ifin I'd worked a six-figure income all of my life, big investments and such, I'd probably be in the crowd of spending $5-10 grand for a rifle, but maybe not, I'm pretty simple, I think.

Any Turnbull restoration that I would buy would require the owner to be selling it at a loss. The cost of doing a Turnbull is just too high, an original high condition gun usually isn't far from the same price.

Would I commission a Turnbull? Only if it was to save a very rare gun. I'd almost surely be losing money on it, but if it kept something very rare around for another couple hundred years for others to look at - that'd be a good thing.

I always looked at gun restorations like Chris Craft restorations. None of those guys would tell you they made money off their restored boats. You do it because you want to do it and the money can be damned.

Agree with the above!

I admire both very much and glad some people can afford to buy them and save them. I can’t. I would prefer an original, but would never pay the going rate.

https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/re-visiting-how-its-made/

This link should take you to a short video inside Turnbull's restoration workshop. No doubt great work by talented employees but the debate on restored vs original will continue forever. However, I chuckle when advertises for a firearm proudly states "this rifle retains 100% of the original refinish". Personally, I prefer well used/never abused Savages to "refinished" as the character/history of the gun has been destroyed.

only original, restored guns are not like restored cars

The rich English have their fine guns sent back to H&H or Purdy each time new Duke succeeds the old.
No one wants a gun well used by the previous Duke. Resale improved.

I've had Doug do a couple that were well worn. Both were as good as new and a pleasure to use, handle and look at.

If you had a high grade 99 that was whupped, it would be worth it.

Some beautiful rifles here for sure that I'm happy to enjoy with bit of drool! yet I side with, I believe, the majority here. A lot of good points on both sides of such happy choice of original or super restoration. Adding one more point perhaps I missed or 'just me'. Holding an 'original; vintage rifle in my hands, I feel something of a connect with early prior owners. Guys who were feeding families or driving away predators of the henhouse: sportsman hunter or shooter! I like that feeling of 'connect'. Here and elsewhere, I've seen some beautiful restorations and could be 'seduced'... At a price! Just that I've never seen such in rifles at 'my price'. In handguns, only a couple. Both of them coming to me as 'a nice pair' At a deal not to be refused. Great price in context of decades ago pricing! Safe queens, both! Also have a '14 DWM Luger same exact config. Original and cherry!

Below, 1917 Erfurt Artillery Luger & 1896 Bolo Mauser. 9mm & 7.65 respectfully. Super well done, but I have them since they were together at super good prices. All matching SNs respectively. Last, re :engraved" which I'm not into, but if I were... A Colt .25 Auto c. 1924 which came to me from my Dad who wasn't a gun guy or collector of anything & amazed he ever bought it! Verified with Colt expert as not 'Factory' in even the style. But I do like it!

LAST PARAGRAPH HERE AMENDED - BITTEN BY THE MICRO kb PHOTO BUG AS FIRST several PIX - NO GO & GIVIG UP! When is 'The Fire' going to move into the 20th Century - much less the 21st! The MIA guns were handsome!

Best!
John

I'm from the Col Whelen school.

This one was not accurate so I sold it.



Typical of Doug's work (excuse the protective varnish)

I see two points here. One if I had the money to have a high end custom of Turnbull quality done on a common 1899, I don't think I'd do it, I don't like the engraving by most of the current engravers. It looks too deep, and too bold. I like the fine engraving by Tue.

Two, a restoration? I think it was Rory that stated above it would have to be to save a "Rare" specimen. I don't know if my 1902 Engraved, Checkered, Pistol Grip, Shot Gun Butt Plate, rates as a "Rare" specimen, but I don't think I would restore it. I like it the way it is. Same with my 1928K, I like it the way it is.

If I were going to drop 10K, I think I'd save up for an original, and keep my two stray hounds also. I'm not afraid of dropping one. I'd cry for a month if I did, but I'd get over it. I'm working on getting the 1902 Engraved rifle ready for a pig hun in 3 weeks.

As for original vs restored I would always have to give a nod to original. And thats because it represents exactly how the factory made the rifle and that is important information. Given that, I would never pay more money for a restoration than I would for a well preserved original. However, if the price was right I would not hesitate buying a well executed restration. I've been sucked into the world of single shots and restoring old rifles like Stevens, Ballards and 1885 Winchesters is a fairly common practice. As a matter of fact I'm in the middle of restoring a Stevens 044 1/2 right now and last year sent the receiver back to CPA rifles for color case hardening. Will I ever recoup the cost of new stocks, polishing and color case hardening, new barrel and scope mounts? Hell no! But I knew that going into the project. And this will likely be the first of several Stevens single shot projects. Oh well, what can I say. Its still cheaper than a crack habit!

Did you mean a Stevens CRACH SHOT habit!