have just picked up a nice 1899 250-3000, made 1919. originally came out of Joplin Missouri. i just wanted one to play with but came on a little problem ----- while checking it out i found that ALL numbers match
right down to the one on the steel screaming indian butt plate. the rotor - counter are still the ww 1 steel and it's never been drilled and tapped. the only sort of bad is the wood. the stock looks good as a somebody's side kick deer gun should but some of the dings are pretty deep looking like somebody wasn't watching their feet when coming down the mountain a couple times. they have weathered into the wood with a ton of years of gun oil so that they are not raw.
would it be ok to have a MILD refinish on the stock and not hurt the value -------- not going to be sold as i am 74 and a couple kids and grand kids are jumping the line for it.
it will not be hunted much as i live on a mtn' pass in wa. state with elk and mulies crapping in my yard plus i hunt Wyoming and places where big, hard hitting, flat shooting calibers are the order of the day. i don't want to screw it up.
is there more value all matched etc.. and if so does any body have a guesstamte. the metal is nice, turning an even bluish white.
sn# 196xxx
thanks to all.
cb
P.S. -- used one of these to shoot my first mulie buck in 1959 at a place called okangan. the old man sold it when i was in nam.
