For guidance in stating the guns condition, we suggest that the standard be applied as from the Blue Book of Gun Values Seventeenth Edition by S. P. Fjestad which provides guidance on the grading of firearms. Pages 22 and 23 are provided for guidance:

Grading Criteria

for Firearms

The old, NRA method of firearms grading -- by relying upon adjectives such as "Excellent" or "Fair" -- has served the firearms fraternity for a long time. Today's collectors, however, are turning away from such a subjective system. One man's "Fair" is another man's "Good!".

The leading professionals in the grading of firearms now utilize what is essentially an objective method for deciding the price of a gun: THE PERCENTAGE OF ORIGINAL FACTORY FINISH BLUING REMAINING ON THE GUN. After looking critically at a few firearms, and carefully studying the Photo Percentage Grading System (starts on page 26), even the novice can soon tell whether a piece has 100%, 98%, 95%, or less bluing finish remaining. Remember, sometime an older gun described as NIB can actually be 98% or less condition, simply because of the wear accumulated by taking it in and out of the box and being handled too many times (commemoratives are especially prone to this problem).

Of course, factors such as "depth" and quality of the bluing finish, engraving and embellishment, historical significance, and even the condition of the stock can and do affect the price. But the basic "condition" -- and therefore the price -- is best determined by the percentage of original bluing finish remaining. The key word here is "original" for if anyone other than the factory has refinished the gun, its value as a collector's item is greatly diminished, with the exception of rare and historical pieces that have been properly restored. Study the photographs on pages 26-64. Note how the bluing finish in certain areas of the firearm wear off first. These are usually places where the gun rubs the holster, hand or body over an extended period of time. A variety of firearms have been shown in four-color to guarantee that your "sampling rate" for observing finishes is as diversified as possible.

It should be noted that the older a collectable firearm is, the smaller the percentage of original bluing finish one can expect to find. Some very old and/or very rare firearms are acceptable to collectors in almost any condition! The average collector, however, will probably never have the opportunity to purchase such a specimen.

For your convenience, NRA Condition Standards are shown below. Converting from this grading system to percentages can now be done accurately.

CONVERTING TO NRA MODERN STANDARDS

When converting from NRA Modern Standards, the following rules generally apply:

New/Perfect -- 100% with or without box. Not mint - new. 100% on currently
manufactured firearms assumes NIB condition.
Excellent -- 95%+ - 99% (typically).
Very Good -- 80 - 95% - all original.
Good -- 60 - 80% - all original.
Fair -- 20 - 60% - may not be original (shootable, not very collectable).
Poor -- Under 20%.

These NRA conditions listed below have been provided by the author as guidelines to assist the reader in converting and comparing condition factors to the Photo Percentage Grading System in this publication. In order to use this book correctly, the reader is urged to consult these condition standards when converting to percentages of condition. Once the gun's condition has been accurately assessed, only then can the correct values be ascertained.

MODERN CONDITIONS --

• New -- not previously sold at retail, in same condition as current factory production.
• Perfect -- in new condition in every respect.
• Excellent -- new condition, used but little, no noticeable marring of wood or metal, bluing perfect (except at muzzle or sharp edges).
• Very Good -- in perfect working condition, no appreciable wear on working surfaces, no corrosion or pitting, only minor surface dents and scratches.
• Good -- in safe working condition, minor wear on working surfaces, no broken parts, no corrosion or pitting that will interfere with proper functioning.
• Fair --in safe working condition, but well worn, perhaps requiring replacement of minor parts or adjustments which should e indicated in advertisement, no rust, but may have corrosion pits which do not render article unsafe or inoperable.

ANTIQUE CONDITIONS --

• Factory New -- all original parts; 100% original finish; in perfect condition in every respect, inside and out.
• Excellent -- all original parts; over 80% original finish; sharp lettering, numerals and design on metal and wood; unmarred wood; fine bore.
• Fine -- all original parts; over 30% original finish; sharp lettering, numerals and design on metal and wood; minor marks in wood; good bore.
• Very Good -- all original parts; none to 30% original finish; original metal surfaces smooth with all edges sharp; clear lettering, numerals and design on metal; wood slightly scratched or bruised; bore disregarded for collectors firearms.
• Good -- some minor replacement parts; metal smoothly rusted or lightly pitted in places, cleaned or reblued; principal lettering, numerals and design on metal legible; wood refinished, scratched, bruised or minor repaired; in good working order.
• Fair -- some major parts replaced; minor replacement parts may be required; metal rusted, may be lightly pitted all over, vigorously cleaned or reblued; rounded edges or metal and wood; principal lettering, numerals and design on metal partly obliterated; wood scratched, bruised, cracked or repaired where broken; in fair working order or can be easily repaired and placed in working order.
• Poor -- major and minor parts replaced; major replacements parts required and extensive restoration needed; metal deeply pitted; principal lettering numerals and design obliterated, wood badly scratched, bruised, cracked or broken; mechanically inoperative, generally undesirable as a collectors firearm.