It’s a great gun and it looks the part. I’d have that gun conserved in about 45 days, but I’d avoid a restoration on it. It will never look right with some things reworked, others too clean and new yet other bits worn. A restoration, properly done will cost many thousands and in the end, it won’t have much value or much looks left in it.
But a conservation? Absolutely. Steam out the heavier dents. Wipe down the stocks with spirits. Recut borders. Dawn dish soap in the checkering. Silvers pad or cleaned up horn butt plate, sure. Bronze wool and oil on the action, claw extractor, etc. 20 cleanings with a variety of bore solvents to get the rifling to shine without damaging it, sure. Hand rubbed oil finish with rotten stone to fill in some of the grain. Sure.
Better to have it look like an honestly used gun that was cared for along the way by a bit of conservation than for a restoration that will sort of deface it, in my opinion.
45 days and less than $150 in supplies and I’d have that gun looking nicer than anything else in the camp’s gun rack.
