To take a really nice wood stocked rifle and have it threaded for a brake and a can ????
Would this
1. Completely ruin any re-sale value?
2. Make the rifle MORE appealing to a future buyer because of less recoil?
Hypothetical of course
How many wood-stocked rifles come threaded from the factory? I can think of one offhand. I know I would be less likely to buy a classic rifle that had an oogly thread cap. Flush brakes machined into a barrel or so fitted look okay, but are still something I’d avoid, because I don’t like them.
Cans have utility; brakes on hunting rifles are a bad idea IMO. I’d much rather drop down in power than use something that requires ear protection to avoid instant, serious hearing damage. Mule Deer has reported that a braked magnum can still damage your ears while wearing both plugs and muffs. He’s not one to toss out such statements without doing the research. I fire one or two CF shots a year without protection, and can still hear fine, despite years of other abuse while bird hunting and 40 years spent working in noisy telephone facilities. A properly-designed can will reduce recoil too, or so I’ve read. That’s the way I’d go myself if necessary, but I’d probably dedicate a synthetic-stocked rifle to that rather than cut up a nice one. If the barrel is fairly long, you could always have it cut and recrowned later for resale, or if you change your mind, but it won’t be “original”, if that’s important. I only have a few where that would be a concern.
So, just what sort of rifle are we talking about?