Ethics of Rebarreling, What Would You Do?

Now hold on before you get out your torches and pitchforks just listen to what I'm discussing.

Recently I ordered a second M/937B since my first was pretty decent. I got it on a sale and ordered an all matching rifle. Later I got an email, they had made a mistake in adding the rifles to the website and there wasn't an all-matching example to sell me. I agreed to take a "very nice" example that had a good stock and barrel. Once it came in, it was clear the rifle had virtually no finish left on exposed parts. Ok, maybe the barrel will be nice. I then began the usual solvent patches and bore brushing procedure to make sure it's clean before oiling and storing. Just wouldn't come clean so I got out the bore scope and discovered the worst barrel I'd ever seen. Virtually no rifling left, though there is a few small places where it is visible. Numbers aren't matching, either. But the stock isn't too beat up.

Would it be wrong to get a Lothar Walther barrel in the correct profile and have it installed? It seems pretty undesirable already, though better than a sporter. If I resell it, I will lose money. If I rebarrel it, I have a money pit that I can't resell but will be a nice shooter. If I part it out, I lose a nice action and money, but maybe a nicer rifle can be resurrected. Worst part is, the cost was the same as the first one. Lesson learned, not buying from that company again.

Don't plan to make a decision anytime soon but it has been bugging me.

Sounds like an RTI deal.

I probably would have returned it as it was not what was advertised, they changed it and it is obviously not a "very nice" example.

As it now seems to late to return it, I think you have a serious Delima. You're going to lose money no matter what you do from the sound of it. No one's going to be willing to pay what you paid for it in the condition it's in when they get to inspect it.

If it can be done cheaply, I'd probably try to restore it to function as well as possible and then sell it.

I've spun the RTI wheel quite a few times myself and honestly have only been disappointed once and even with that one I was able to restore it to something I was happy with. Just taking it out of the box was an "aughhhh" moment. Turned out to be mostly dirt, which is on all of them but this one just looked beyond salvage.

I also overpaid once but I knew that going in and just wanted an example of that firearm.

It was from Centerfire Systems. Had good luck until now. No returns if transfer is completed, sadly. Didn't expect the barrel to be this bad when I picked it up. Except for finish wear and the barrel, the rifle is still decent. Thought about going with the .308 barrel with duplicate Kar 98k profile to shoot 7.62 NATO for plinking and there's some nice .308 target loads out there, certainly more options than 8x57mm. The S&B 8x57mm is about all that's decent, the PPU 8mm is loaded very light. There was a 6" POI difference at 50 yards between the two.

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Originally Posted by RossMkIIEnjoyer

Would it be wrong to get a Lothar Walther barrel in the correct profile and have it installed? It seems pretty undesirable already, though better than a sporter. If I resell it, I will lose money. If I rebarrel it, I have a money pit that I can't resell but will be a nice shooter.

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As long as you don't misrepresent it later, this is a fine course of action, and still resellable to someone that is okay with a very shootable rebarreled rifle. I have several in my collection, valued accordingly, and many are shot in our local matches as well as CMP matches.

You might derive some benefit from reading a recent thread titled "Early Shirley" where we discussed re-barreling my very low serial number 1941 No.4 MkI. The original bore is in poor condition and I was considering doing the same thing you are contemplating i.e. putting a new barrel on the rifle. I was convinced to leave it in its original form since it was one of the first batch of rifles made at the Shirley factory and it's importance as a historical relic trumped its value as a shooter, at least in most people's opinion and since I have several Lee Enfield shooters of various marks anyway I didn't need another. You might want to consider to do the same.

The way I view it is provided it isn’t some exceptionally rare example of something there is more value in it as a shooter than a collector.

It is already mismatched and the barrel is toast. It is also not a exceptionally rare or uncommon firearm. That means to me its value is more as a shooter than a collector. Therefore rebarreling it (something the armourers who serviced these rifles would have done at this point) is more than acceptable if you wish to spend the cash to do so.

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Originally Posted by Eaglelord17

It is already mismatched and the barrel is toast. It is also not a exceptionally rare or uncommon firearm.

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Two perfectly good reason to put it back in service. I don't have any wall hangers or safe queens in my collection. I would not buy one even if I had the money. So what's your priority? For me, it's a choice of whether I'm trying to make money trading up (no), making sure my posterity have something to look at (no), or making sure they have a working example to enjoy (yes) - and that I can enjoy with them as long as I'm around (more yes). I don't want anything worth so much it won't get enjoyed as intended. I've seen so many beautiful, formerly pristine, rifles rot away in someone's collection, building up that "patina" which is just a synonym for decay.

Sapper's example I think is different. I totally get leaving it as-is as a historical example since it is all matching and very early, but I would bet that he has taken the time to stop the decay and maintains a fully functional rifle which might not win a CMP match, but I sure bet he is grinning ear-to-ear each time he nails a steel gong at 25,50,100yds, or whatever it can still do! Isn't that the ultimate reward? To each their own. I have friends with safes, nay whole closets, filled with queens which they wouldn't dare ever shoot. I think no less of them - and have been most gracious to visit for a cup of coffee, micrometer in hand to take measurements from an original, unmolested example.