Refinishing a Radom P 35

[2ndsojourn]

My P 35 is really rough. Not from wear, but roughly finished due to haste during WWII to get them issued. They never buffed out some of the grinder marks. The bluing is thin, but not from wear, just a light coat. The takedown catch lever is a different color blue - it's almost black - and looks like a roughly finished replacement part. It looks like a truck gun but it's a good shooter.
(Maybe one of these days I'll get around to figuring out how to post photos)

Does this gun have enough collector value now, that would be lost if I took it apart, smoothed it out, and have it re-blued?

[RJay]

The rough finish is part of it's history in WWII. Refinish and the value will drop at lest by 1/2, But you will have a pretty shooter. JMO and I'm sure others will chime in.

[James K]

I agree. You can shoot it as is without doing serious harm to the collector value, but the minute you have it refinished, it loses almost all its collector value, so a gun worth maybe $700 becomes a gun worth $200. Your gun, your choice.

Jim

[2ndsojourn]

Oh, I agree and realize that, but given the somewhat the rough condition, I'm wondering if it has much collector value as is. Most of the ones I've seen are in much better condition.

[Cheapshooter]

As others have said, your gun, your choice. As for me I would let it's history shine through. Not cover it up with "pretty".

[m&p45acp10+1]

For me I would leave it as it was when it was made. I have a bunch of Mosin Nagant 91-30 rifles. I picked up one for a song due to the fact that the owner of it did not take off the stock when he sprayed the thing down with brake parts cleaner to remove the cosmoline. It stripped the finish to the wood. So I sanded it smooth enough to refinish. My wife though it looked nice so she had me do her rifle as well. Note I have several others that will be left just as they are. I would take a shooter over a beauty queen any day of the week.