Steve,
I would hold off of the restoring/rebluing of you gun. Really sleep on it. Once its been reblued, it is no longer a collectors piece and the value drops a lot.
Look at the bore. If the bore is in terrific shape then I would consider sleeping a bit longer while thinking about restoration. It is really hard to determine condition from just pictures. What sort of condition are the grip straps?
Take your grips off and look on the back side to see if they have been numbered to the gun. If the smooth grip is not numbered to the gun then maybe that grip was traded off somewhere along the way. Be careful in removing the grip on the left side. It can break easily up near the safety.
I could not see the holster very well. Is the strap broken or is it just folded over? What is the date on it and who is the manufacturer. If it is a 1914 or 1918 dated holster, it may very well be worth more than the gun. Who the manufacturer is is also another story. Generally speaking, the holster doesn't look in that bad a shape and could add considerable value to your purchase. Ask the seller if there is any more leather that comes with the holster. Straps and the cup could add considerably more value to your purchase.
Big Norm
|