clean factory residue from never fired gun?

zeus337

October 08, 2002 06:32

I have several gun i plan to never shoot because i have them for collectibility reasons.
question is all guns are shot at factory so will it hurt value of a never shot new in box gun if you clean the factory residue out along with cleaing outer shell of gun?
do collectors steer away from never fired guns with no residue in barrel... since they no a never fired gun will have factory residue in barrel or is it better to clean out the factory residue to keep barrel from pitting?

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  Iroquois Scout

  October 08, 2002 07:20

  If I had purchased these guns for investment,I would clean them well then coat the bore with a light coating of a good gun grease like Rig. I would also wipe down the outsides. Then I would wrap them in a anti-corrosive paper and store them in a good gun safe with a dehumidifier rod in the safe. Be sure to store the boxes and paper work in a safe place as the original boxes add value to the guns,but don't store the guns in the boxes. If your guns are modern collectables and they develop pits in the bore you have lost any collector value. Even in antique guns those with good bores will bring a higher price then one with a bad bore. Best of luck. Scout

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  nmyers

  October 08, 2002 08:02

  Collectors do not look for a trace of residue in the barrel to identify a "mint" gun; every NIB gun I have bought looked like it had been cleaned, although I suspect that the most that is done is that someone runs a couple of patches down the barrel.
  
  What collectors look for is perfection: no wear, rubs, marks, or anything else on the gun or packaging. (Everyone who handles a completed gun at the factories wears cotton gloves.) The more that you unwrap & handle the gun, the greater the wear, and the further away from "mint" that you get. Some finishes, such as Colt's gold-washed commemoratives, will come off with slight rubbing.
  
  I think that your best bet is to keep them in your humidity-controlled safe with minimal handling.
  
  Neal

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