Who refurbishes shotguns?

cote_b

cote_b

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Anyone themselves or know of anyone who they’d recommend for refinishing/refurbishing an old savage single shot shotgun? I have one that I could never part with, but is looking rough these days. Finish mostly gone, trigger guard loose, stock scratched and chipped. Any help would be appreciated
 
cote_b said:
Anyone themselves or know of anyone who they’d recommend for refinishing/refurbishing an old savage single shot shotgun? I have one that I could never part with, but is looking rough these days. Finish mostly gone, trigger guard loose, stock scratched and chipped. Any help would be appreciated
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You could get in touch with Chris Dawe of Stillwater Resorations in NFLD, a member here, who is more than capable of dealing with the problems you mention. But typically the cost of doing so vastly exceeds the monetary value of the gun. So most don’t. He’d be a very good place to start.
 
canvasback said:
You could get in touch with Chris Dawe of Stillwater Resorations in NFLD, a member here, who is more than capable of dealing with the problems you mention. But typically the cost of doing so vastly exceeds the monetary value of the gun. So most don’t. He’d be a very good place to start.
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Chris would be my first choice!
 
Joe Amorosi said:
Give Nick at Vulcan Gun Refinishing a call. He is in Maidstone (Windsor) Ont.
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I see he works on Garands and M1 Carbines. If the work is fit and finish without finding random lost parts, it might be something he can put into the workflow. There is an old saying that goes, if you want something done, give it to a man who is busy.
 
cote_b said:
I think you fellas may be right. Between shipping and the cost of the restoration, may be cost prohibitive
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If shipping costs are a concern, having it done professionally is likely a no go. The rule of thumb I use, having been having doubles restored for close to 20 years now, is $500 for the wood, $500 for the barrels and $500 for what I forgot or didn’t notice. If there are actual mechanical issues I can see….say loose and off face….then it’s going to be more.

I’m not quoting anyone’s prices. I’ve used at least 6 different craftsmen over those years. You’d have to contact someone and get your own quote. But that’s what I do when I’m examining a gun to buy and deciding if I’m happy with what a refurb will add to the price of the gun. That’s assuming all the pieces are there and nothing (like the stock) is broken.

It’s also why lots of people decide to try their hand at it themselves. If you do, we can point you in directions to get good advice on how to do things. I’ve refinished a couple stocks myself. Generally pleased with the result but there are some super easy rookie mistakes that can be made that will mean you won’t be happy with the results. It’s like anything. When people dedicate their careers to doing something well, stepping in and expecting to equal their results just isn’t in the cards.
 
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cote_b said:
Anyone themselves or know of anyone who they’d recommend for refinishing/refurbishing an old savage single shot shotgun? I have one that I could never part with, but is looking rough these days. Finish mostly gone, trigger guard loose, stock scratched and chipped. Any help would be appreciated
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What you are proposing is a "Labour of Love" project and not worth anywhere near the cost if you have to pay a gunsmith. There is lots of info about wood repairs and stock refinishing. Even a hot-bluing job by a gunsmith would cost more than the gun is worth but some elbow grease and cold blue solution could make the metal look respectable. Roll up your sleeves and have at it...the satisfaction of DIY will be worth the effort.
 
Mount Sweetness said:
You guys are recommending Chris Dawe to work on a single shot Savage ??? Lmao
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I think a careful reading of what we are saying is we are specifically not recommending Chris or any other professional gunsmith because of the huge disparity of cost vs value. We are, however, answering his question.
 
Mount Sweetness said:
You guys are recommending Chris Dawe to work on a single shot Savage ??? Lmao
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It's hard to put $$ on sentimental value...
- Like the guy who spend a few $K to restore a Honda CT90, because it was his first bike...

It doesn't have to make sense, and we get older, the $ will often not be as important as the results we want
 
sillymike said:
It's hard to put $$ on sentimental value...
- Like the guy who spend a few $K to restore a Honda CT90, because it was his first bike...

It doesn't have to make sense, and we get older, the $ will often not be as important as the results we want
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Exactly, no different than the people that spend $10K for an operation on a 10 or 11 year old dog only to have it die a month later, then another $1,500 or so to have it euthanized and cremated, your money spend it on the things that make you happy.
 
canvasback said:
I think a careful reading of what we are saying is we are specifically not recommending Chris or any other professional gunsmith because of the huge disparity of cost vs value. We are, however, answering his question.
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get in touch with chris is definetly a reccomindation
explaining the cost factor is fine
 
struff55 said:
get in touch with chris is definetly a reccomindation
explaining the cost factor is fine
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Careful reading again. My "recommendation" was to talk to a real, professional gunsmith (Chris Dawe) to get real world pricing on what he was thinking he wanted done. Most likely a glass of cold water in the face of his plans. That's quite different than "Wow, what a great idea. Chris Dawe is just the guy to do the work. You'll love the results".
 
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