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Herstal-Belgique ABL 1951 30-06

rnodno
On the advice of one of the experts I have had my Belgian ABL 1951 Army Mauser Bead blasted and applied the black fire arm enamel that was recominded by him to restore the rifle to like new condition. Will refinishing the stock ad to or hurt the value of the rifle? And did I make a wise choice following his advice to restore the enamel on the rifle? It looks BEAUTIFUL and I thank him for the info either way.
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  • nononsense
    rnodno,

    First and foremost, since you are happy with the refinishing, please take some time to post some photographs of the rifle so we can all enjoy and appreciate the effort.

    Refinishing any collectible firearm lessens the value of that firearm. But since I'm not a collector, I can't tell you the devaluation. Since it has been refinished already, it shouldn't be a problem to refinish the stock also.

    "And did I make a wise choice..."

    Too late to worry about this.

    "It looks BEAUTIFUL..."

    You've answered your question.

    Best.
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  • gary wray
    rnodno..."restoring" a rifle might, or might not, significantly hurt its value. It depends on several things, including first and foremost, the quality of the "restoration" and who might be interested. If the restoration is poorly done, well, that question is moot. As to a Belgian collector, one might be interested in the well restored rifle. For example, in my Swedish Mauser collection I have several rifles that have been professionally restored and, in my view, actually enhance the collection. So, it depends. As mentioned, photos would be a great help. Good shooting!
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  • Don McManus
    rnodno:

    IMO, a collector would have preferred the rifle the way it was.

    I collect 30-06 battle rifles, though would not classify myself as a 'collector' as that term implies more knowledge than I have, and a greater dedication to research than I have invested.

    That said, the important thing is that you are happy with the results of the finish restoration, and if the work has increased the value of the rifle to you, you done good.

    A good point to remember for the future is that 'Ask The Experts' questions can be answered by anyone who has taken the time to register on the GB forums. Most of the information you will receive here is good. Some is simply personal preference, and though 99 times out of 100 the poster is sincere, he is not necessary a true expert.

    I too would like to see photos of the rework. Beautiful is beautiful, after all.
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