[wterrell]

[quote]...he was not a gun dealer. it was from his private collection... <hr></blockquote>

(I have met that salesman several times in my travels.)

aaa, you have a shooter. Let's say that the vet wanted a snub-nose, and had two inches of the barrel cut off. Then realized his mistake and had two more inches of steel welded on and machined. It was ruined whenever the original two inches was cut off. Same with the pistol that has the original finish removed. You can replace finish, but it is not the original finish.

A .45 cal Luger that has been altered would be worth substantially less than a .45 cal Luger that has an honest patina, parts, etc. I do not know that its value would fall as far as a 9mm or 7.65mm but that is trying to say that a junk Rolls-Royce is only worth what a junk Ford is worth. An ex-movie actress will fetch more in a whore house than a housewife. Agree?