UBB.threads Forums General Militaria Historic and Period Firearms Forum Broomhandle #4

Picked this one up at auction. 100% matching numbers early 6 shot Bolo in the 29xxx range. Has a poor finish but a fine bore. Decided that this one should be in the hands of master restorer Gale Morgan to work his magic. Will post finished product for comparison when returned.

Will having it restored destroy the collector value? I have one that was chromed,thinking about having it removed. Thanks

Nice Bolo. It should clean up real well

Mikee: Some believe that a pistol is only original once and should be kept that way. I can't really argue against that logic. Others feel that it should be restored to the condition it was in when it left the factory. Can't argue with that logic either. The same conflict applies to classic cars. If the decision is to restore, you have to choose the best qualified person to do the job in order to maintain collector value, and that can be expensive. If this was a common broom, I would not invest the money.

Sounds good! Thank you.

Hi Dons,

My vote (add a dollar bill and it might be worth a cup of coffee) is to
leave the pistol as it is. I think it's rarity outweighs the condition.
"my thoughts only"

I agree. One that has been chromed or altered in some way is a different story, but most firearms collectors would pay far more for an original in 75% condition than one that's been refinished to 100%.

Restored Bolo for comparison. Morgan is a real craftsman. After completing the restoration, he was able, at my request, to walk it back to a 99% gun. It takes talent to make a restored pistol look like an unrestored pistol. Difficult to see in the photos, but subtle wear was introduced in the right places to simulate appropriate wear. Bottom line…I'm really pleased with the results.