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Dave

I have never really understood this.
If one has an otherwise supurb best gun that it spoiled by having damaged barrels, either by neglect or just happenstance/accident. Why would it be a bad thing to return it to the makers or another skilled gunmaker who could replicate those barrels exactly.
If one accepts refinishing, then aside from the metal composition what has changed. Indeed how would one know ?
Just such things have been done to many guns long before the were "collectors" items and were still working tools.

For me it is like rejecting a vintage fararri because it has has an engine rebuild and the pistons have been replaced.
Now if somebody has bolted on a turbo and wide wheel arches then that is a different matter :-)

Regards

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Sure, if you can get the barrels redone by the original maker, which may no longer be in business or the cost may be prohibitive versus the cost of getting one with better barrels to start with. A good gunsmith can fix virtually anything, reblack, repair wood, case colors, engraving, etc but build a new set of barrels? I guess, or one could order a new set of barrels from a good source, but then would a Rigby still be a Rigby with replacement barrels? Would you ever get your money out of it? I doubt it.

One can restore anything on a gun, except barrels that are pitted, worn out, or the like. That would be like restoring a Ferrari with a blown engine by putting in a Chevy. It used to be done, but left you with an undesirable mutt. Today, it is almost always possible to find the necessary parts to rebuild anything on a Ferrari. The body panels can be recreated by a good metal shop.

Can't do that on a DR. The barrels must be built and proofed, and that means a much different gun and even so, far too specialized for even a good restorer. You would have to send it off to H&H, WR etc and see if they would do a new set of barrels. A lot of time and money.

So if you want a 'working tool' 470 or the like, there are a lot of very good, current production DRs that will suit your needs for far less. Dave

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Time Wounds All Heels

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