Screws for stock iron

Olle · 03-21-2013, 08:00 AM

Rick,

Keep in mind that we are talking about historic artifact, if originality isn't important to you, you can just as well buy a reproduction stock. Some people will argue that "this is my gun, and I can do whatever I want to it". This is indeed true, but I still don't see myself as the owner of my old guns. I'm simply a temporary curator and it's my responsibility to keep and preserve the guns for future generations.

If you ask somebody at a museum, they would cringe at the thought of rethreading. Many preservation experts say that you shouldn't even try and hide a repair/alteration, as the repair or repair part can be mistaken for original later on, thus misrepresenting the object as being original and not repaired. Not only would it be dishonest to a possible buyer, it may also cause confusion and mistakes in future research.

Granted, there are situations where rethreading is the only option, but I can't see that this is one of them. I strongly agree with the preservation idea, any repair or alteration should be made in a reversible way. This is not always possible, but in this case it is. I have made many screws for my own projects, and I see rethreading as the very last resort.

If this is not enough to convince you, Jerry's point may. Why decrease the value of an original stock, just to save money on a screw? There's already too many "Bubba restored" guns and parts out there, and even if Bubba himself thought he was doing the right thing, he will know better when it's time to sell.

03-21-2013, 08:00 AM	#19
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	Rick, Keep in mind that we are talking about historic artifact, if originality isn't important to you, you can just as well buy a reproduction stock. Some people will argue that "this is my gun, and I can do whatever I want to it". This is indeed true, but I still don't see myself as the owner of my old guns. I'm simply a temporary curator and it's my responsibility to keep and preserve the guns for future generations. If you ask somebody at a museum, they would cringe at the thought of rethreading. Many preservation experts say that you shouldn't even try and hide a repair/alteration, as the repair or repair part can be mistaken for original later on, thus misrepresenting the object as being original and not repaired. Not only would it be dishonest to a possible buyer, it may also cause confusion and mistakes in future research. Granted, there are situations where rethreading is the only option, but I can't see that this is one of them. I strongly agree with the preservation idea, any repair or alteration should be made in a reversible way. This is not always possible, but in this case it is. I have made many screws for my own projects, and I see rethreading as the very last resort. If this is not enough to convince you, Jerry's point may. Why decrease the value of an original stock, just to save money on a screw? There's already too many "Bubba restored" guns and parts out there, and even if Bubba himself thought he was doing the right thing, he will know better when it's time to sell.