Pimping a vintage gun - moral dilemma!

[Hsing-ee]

I have bought this lovely early HW50 (number 128364) off I.J. (cheers Ian!), and as it is in poor cosmetic condition, I am planning the refurb. I was thinking to make a couple of mods to it 'just for fun', is this a Terrible Faux Pas? Am I supposed to return it to as it left the factory seeing as it is a rare-ish item? One thing I really love about the HW50 is the very elegant hog's back stock, but for some reason Weihrauch made most of them without a recoil-pad or butt-plate, leaving the naked wood to get chipped, so I was thinking of popping the discrete brown pad from a later HW on there. I was also thinking of getting a brass trigger made up for it, or gold-plating the original, and of doing the same with the fore-sight?

What do you all think - is it best to

1. Restore to how it should have been?

2. Bling it up a little?


I'm going to keep it as a shooter by the way, it fits and points really naturally with the open sights.

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Alistair. Yep a nice bit of air gun history, but as not concourse, the odd mod will enhance it imho, not detract from it . Therefore (again imho), butt plate/pad and bling trigger thing yes, foresight bling no (leave/return to black). This is just my two pennyworth you understand, your gun, your call . Atb: G.

[I. J.]

'Poor cosmetic condition'. THATS an understatement.

Im just glad your pleased with the rifle and you can give it the TLC I couldn't. I butt pad would protect the wood work and not detract from the character - but bling ! Its your rifle and theres only you to please. Good luck with whatever you decide and please will you post some piccys of the finished gun.

ATB
Ian

[Murl]

Back in the old days it was expected that guns should be re blued and kept in tip top condition. Engraving was added as were silver ovals as the guns were passed down from father to son. Its only in more recent years that it is sacrilege to have a gun in anything other than its original condition, but to me its meaningless when all its original condition is worn or rusty.

I think you should go for it, a polish and reblue will look wonderful and some choice engraving will really add something special to what is at the moment something very ordinary. I personally wouldn’t go for gold plating, but if that’s what you like then great!! The next owner can change it if he likes too.

There is a guy who runs an antique gun shop in Stratford upon Avon who tarts up old BSA’s and Webley pistols and they look fantastic. The way I see it he’s breathing new life into them, and that what my great grandfather would have thought.

Oooohhhh just spotted the "silver Webley pistol" thread below, have a look there that the chap i'm talking about.

[Silent Sniper]

go for it i have an old bsa mercury that was basically dead when it was given me i have made a new ptfe piston head reamed and tapered the breech port fitted a delrin spring guide and top hat plus new spring (thanks dave )and shortened the barrel down to 10" stripped the stock and refinished it in danish oil the way i see it i have brought it up to date it shoots great looks quite cool and should still be shooting fine for another 10 years it is a million miles from original but its one of my favourite hunting guns its also taught me quite a lot so i can add some of the things to a more expensive gun without fear of ruining it good luck

[harry mac]

I'd treat it to a re-blue and a stock refinish, replace any missing parts and leave it at that. Guns are only collectible these days if they are in original condition, or have been treated specially, such as with professional engraving.
Still, your call, but you may well kick yourself in years to come if the factory original rifles are fetching a couple of hundred quid, while the bubba-ed examples are not worth a penny.