A somewhat different topic to a theme I have brought up in the past, but...Case in point: I picked up another import from the big Ethiopian stockpile. It's an 1891 Carcano cavalry carbine. It just happens to be particularly early and uncommon example. It's 1894-dated, and has the first style of bayonet mount and also one originally manufactured without a handguard. The change in bayonet and handguard would've happened around WW1 and nearly all of the previous models would've been retrofitted accordingly so it's rare to see an all-original pattern. BUT, even though it seems mechanically sound, in working order, with an ok bore it's in REALLY sad cosmetic shape.
So that brings me to the point... is the cosmetic shape so poor that it won't hurt anything to do some restoration or should it just be enjoyed as is regardless of how bad it looks?
So that brings me to the point... is the cosmetic shape so poor that it won't hurt anything to do some restoration or should it just be enjoyed as is regardless of how bad it looks?