Quote Originally Posted by thisisdonald View Post
And you have hit on something there.. we are never really 'restoring' as that implies returning the gun to its former condition. Ill take a wild stab that there are very few gunsmiths able to to do this.. yes, there will be some, maybe lots that can touch up or repair areas of a gun to match the original finish, but to fully 'restore to original' must be nigh on impossible
I agree totally - it is probably nigh on impossible to exactly replicate the original factory finish - and even if it was then the time and cost involved would not make it worth bothering with - better and cheaper to go and find a mint and authentic example and put the cash into that instead.

Different shades and hue of blue finish and the shade and application style of wood varnish would be very time consuming to replicate to the extent that it would not be a practical option.

Making a restoration better than the original however is a different matter altogether and there are many craftsmen with skill, time and patience who can do this.