I have my dad's Model 62A he bought new in 1948. It is in good condition but could use some re-bluing and the stock could be refinished. No major issues with the metal or stock. I was thinking about finding someone in the DFW area who would be good at making it almost like new. I would like to keep it and hand it down to my grandson someday. Any advice?

Send it to Simmons Guns in Olathe, KS you can thank me later.

They have done 3 100 year old Model 12's for me and they came back looking like this.

Now, THAT is an endorsement! Beautiful.

Marc

Wow! Thanks. Will definitely look into them.

Here's another resource for cost comparison. They also offer stock refinishing.

Precision Bluing

Gene Williams out of Princeton does all my restoration work. He's currently working on three projects for me. He does outstanding metal work. He has a good friend that does his stock work. Both do phenomenal work.

thought Mr. Williams passed away

His wife passed at the end of July. Gene is going strong!

There was another Gene Williams from this region...I think he lived out west near Loving, and was quite knowledgeable on 19th century goings on in the region. He knew a lot about the activities of the Comanche and attacks in the western counties of North Texas. He passed around July, I believe.

Appreciate it!

I looked into Precision Bluing for a couple of my restoration projects. I wasn't sure if Gene was going to take some time off after his wife passed. I spoke with Julie at Precision Bluing a few times, who was super helpful. They look like they do really nice work. If you want both metal and stock work done, it's about a year out once they receive your firearm.

Below are the current full restoration projects Gene is working on for me. I've gotten into collecting pre-64 lever actions. The stock work will take the longest as I'm doing a oil satin finish. I'm hoping they'll all be done in January sometime. These will pair nicely with my pops mid 1940's Win Model 94 .32 Special Gene restored for me fifteen years or so ago. It's showroom new. Over the years I also picked up a Uberti Winchester 1873 clone in 45 Long Colt. I still have yet to fire it.

1940 Win Model 94 30 WCF
1947 Marlin 36-RC 30-30
1959 Win Model 94 30-30

Here's an alternative, don't restore it. 15 years ago I was considering doing the same to my S&W K Frame 22 that my Grand Dad bought new in 1947. Someone talked me out of it and I'm glad they did. I look at and think about all it's been through and what I've done with it since I got it. A gun that old didn't have any business looking new, because it's not. If it's clean and fully functional I'd leave it alone and tell him the story behind it. My K frame is still carried by myself and functions flawlessly, looks old but full of character.

All of these will be left to my boys and won't be shot by me. I got them on estate sales which was much less than GunBrokers or Guns International. What I found throughout years of researching and picking up these guns. If they were in the current worn state of seventyish years, there values were much lower than the same firearm in like new condition. What I paid for them and what I'm spending on them to restore them brings them up to the value of a seventy year typical worn rifle. I've also been picking up Western ammo for each of the rifles that were manufactured before or right around year it was manufactured. I'm missing one box of 30-30 from the late 50's, which is easy to find now that I know what I'm looking for. The find of a life time was a full box of Western 30 WCF ammo from 1906. I sent pictures to the Cody firearm museum to see if they could date the ammo and box. With a certain trade mark on the box it was dated at 1906. The super cool part of the ammo, it has an engraved W in the middle of the primer.

I'm reworking my firearms catalog to include the pics of the ammo for that firearm.

That's interesting. As for "value", unless they sell them, there's no real benefit to increasing value. As for my K Frame .22, I think the value would actually decrease if it were to be reblued. It comes down to personal choice and what the individual wants the guns to look like. I can see wanting a gun to look as good as possible. For me, I wanted my family heirloom to look it's age.

[/quote]
That's interesting. As for "value", unless they sell them, there's no real benefit to increasing value. As for my K Frame .22, I think the value would actually decrease if it were to be reblued. It comes down to personal choice and what the individual wants the guns to look like. I can see wanting a gun to look as good as possible. For me, I wanted my family heirloom to look it's age. [/quote]

Who knows what my boys will do when I'm gone. We've had many discussions about keeping them and passing them down to their boys. By that time, most of the firearms will be over a hundred years old. It will all be up to them.