Pro’s and Con’s of lining a barrel on a original Winchester Model 73?

[gmsharps]

I have a 1873 in 44-40 made around 1878. The barrell on its was actualy oval where I guess it was cleaned to much. The bullets would keyhole at 25 yards. So it was going to be a wall hanger or have it relined. I had it relined and made a great shooter out of it. The bore is .429.

Gmsharps

[Bent Ramrod]

Unless your 73 is NRA Very Good or better on the outside, or was owned by somebody famous, I wouldn’t worry about trashing any originality/“collector value” by fixing its accuracy or shootability. I’ve never seen the mythical well-heeled Advanced Collector pick up a brown or gray gun off the table and say, “Oh, no! It’s been relined! Too bad; I’ll have to pass it up!” The ones I see peeling off $100 bills at a table have the minty-looking guns in front of them. The squint down the barrel with the borelight is strictly ceremonial and to adjust the price if possible; they’re never going to shoot it.

Anyone who buys a gun with little original finish but in good working condition and rebored/relined is a shooter who is delighted to get a shootable specimen. The value of such old guns goes up with shootable bores, not down, IME.

[John Taylor]

I agree with Bent Ramrod. Several years back a customer sent a 1-1/2 Remington roller to me for a liner. The last few inches of the bore were rusted out. All his so called friends told him he would loose all collector value. Now he has a wall hanger with a rusted bore.