Restore or Original?
Here's a talking point for you collectors.
How do you guys feel about restoration against original?
You may know I'm searching for a particular Original 75, to an air rifle collector it may just be another 75 that's been cut about and covered in stickers, and they may have bought it (perhaps even for spares) and binned the stock? But they would be unaware that that rifle was one of if not the first one into the UK, it was the only one used by a GB team member in internationals and we believe by any one in internationals. Its non standard alterations were period and done within days of it coming out of its first box. If its been restored to new, is it now better, or a piece of history that has been destroyed?
Classic target air rifles are now collectable, but how many collectors research the guns history before they restore? Would you restore an original Geoff Duke factory Norton or a Stirling Moss car back to as new?
As an example my wife and I own a Malcolm Cooper GX1 Walther stock that he set world and British records (still held from 1986!) with, he used it for 300 mts and the action was moved to his next gun, we have rebuilt it and it is shot again with another 300 mt 7.62 action, but the stock is as he used it with EC stickers from Souel in 1978 and Oulu in 1981, it was saved because the late Bill Welch (good friend of Malcolms and ex AI sales manager) stored it, and passed it to us before his death. Walther do not have any ex Malcolm Cooper rifles in their Museum, and this is booked for them when we move on. We know of a couple of his rifles that his wife Sarah gave to a museum in NZ where she now lives.
But would any air gun collector know if they had restored to mint, as new, one of his LGR's, they look no different! It would take carefull detective work on EC stickers, etc, etc, to even suspect the guns history?
My view is that with the interest in collecting match air guns, in many cases by enthusiasts who have no knowledge of match shooting that the restorers should be very careful and consider competition history and be very selective with what they return to as new.
What do others think?
Walther KK500 Alutec expert special - Barnard .223 "wilde" in a Walther KK500 Alutec stock, mmm...tasty!! - Keppeler 6 mmBR with Walther grip and wood! I may be a Walther-phile?