Should I leave it alone, or doll it up?

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PushPuller

New member
Okay so iv been running this decision through my head for a couple months now and after doing a lot of internet research have kind of came to the conclusion that I don't know what I want to do. still..... So id like your guys opinions.

I have an FEG PA-63 that I have had for about 6 years now. I bought it brand new with a single mag, "cleaning kit", holster and mag pouch for $185 for the sole purpose of it being my nightstand gun. Got all the cosmoline out of it ran a couple hundred rounds through it to make sure it functioned properly and then threw it in the nightstand, where it has mostly been since then.

A while back I took it out one day to blow the cobwebs out of it and to my delight it was much more accurate than I remember. it can keyhole at 7 yards and at 25 yards can land the whole mag on a paper plate without a rest. Which is more than sufficient for its purpose. I have used it as my carry gun since then because I like the decocker, and it functions and performs well. but I honestly just think its kind of ugly. the bluing on it is in mint condition but eventually carrying it is going to wear it out. which brings me to my question. Is this gun worth doing a good cerkote job on as well as maybe some light tuning? or is it going to potentially devalue the gun? They still aren't worth a whole lot but are regularly going for $300+ and I don't really intend on selling it. I just don't want to "bubba" a surplus handgun that might be more respected as is.
 
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libiglou

New member
Man this is a tough one. Anything surplus will eventually go up in value. Look at the Mosin Nagants as an example or even the makarov. I would try and get another "used" one from gunbroker that maybe is not in great shape cosmetically but internally is fine. Than you would havee no remorse getting it refinished and tuned. Keep your present one to show and maybe make it a range toy that you can preserve for future value. Eventually there will be no more surplus. Europe is so anti gun that sooner or later they will destroy whats left rather than importing them. Let us know what you decide
 
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smee78

New member
If the bluing on it is mint then just carry it as is. Once the blue wears out then go get it coated.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
"...it can keyhole at 7 yards..." I think you're confusing terms. Keyholing is when the bullet hits the target sideways.
"...Anything surplus will..." An FEG PA-63 isn't milsurp and there's no collector interest or value. It's a PP/PPK clone.
"...regularly going for $300+..." Less than that on Gunbroker. There's one currently at $225. Cerakoting it won't make any difference to its value one way or the other. Doing it or not kind of depends what it'd cost you to have done. That depends a lot on how much prep work the applicator has to do. If you send just the parts you want done, it runs about $150. And it's money you won't get back if you ever sell the thing.
http://tomscustomguns.com/cerakote-price-list/
My "T" stands for Tom, but I'm not the same Tom. snicker.
 
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PushPuller

New member
"...it can keyhole at 7 yards..." I think you're confusing terms. Keyholing is when the bullet hits the target sideways.
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Definite misuse of terminology on my behalf. it can put rounds on top of each other or very closely is what I was getting at.


I also have cerakoted several items already and feel confident in my ability to do the job. I also have access to several color options/variations of cerakote so cost will be very little more than my time. this thought actually derived from the desire to tinker on budget haha!


Man this is a tough one. Anything surplus will eventually go up in value. Look at the Mosin Nagants as an example or even the makarov. I would try and get another "used" one from gunbroker that maybe is not in great shape cosmetically but internally is fine. Than you would havee no remorse getting it refinished and tuned. Keep your present one to show and maybe make it a range toy that you can preserve for future value. Eventually there will be no more surplus. Europe is so anti gun that sooner or later they will destroy whats left rather than importing them. Let us know what you decide
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Iv always wanted to do this on a CZ82, and years ago I remember them being very cheap. After recently searching around iv discovered they have gone up in price and are harder to find
 
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JDBerg

New member
PushPuller: said:
...the blueing on it is in mint conditionbut eventually carrying it is going to wear it out. which brings me to my question. Is this gun worth doing a good Cerakote job
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If any gun, much less a Milsurp, has mint blueing on it, I say you don’t Cerakote it. To keep the original(?) finish as nice as possible for as long as possible, I’d keep it out of a kydex holster and invest in a good lined leather holster. That might be your best investment for this setup.
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
Cerakoteing is not exactly what I would call "dolling it up." It's a paint job. If you really like the gun, send it off for hard chroming or nitriding. Those are lifetime finishes you can be proud of.
 
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Model12Win

Moderator
OP your gun is not valuable, they are not rare, and they in no way shape or form will command the same colelctor's value as say M1911s or Lugers in the coming years.

They are reliable and good guns. Carry the damn thing and stop worrying about it, it's clear it works well for you. Wait until the finish wears then you'll actually have a reason to cerakote it. Also what is "light tuning"? Don't touch the thing if it's been reliable so far. No it is not worth cerakoting (now) or touching anything inside the gun, especially since both of those things can affect reliability negatively if not done properly.
 
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Sequins

New member
If the refinish will improve your pride in the weapon and give you additional confidence carrying it, I'd say refinish. Only you can answer that question. From a functional perspective, you have minimal to gain. I shoot guns I like a lot better than guns I don't, so I make sure I like my carry gun... Maybe that means a new Cerakote finish?
 
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44 AMP

Staff
Anything surplus will eventually go up in value.
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Yes, BUT, how long you have to wait varies and can be a century or more. It depends on two things, primarily, limited supply, and collector interest.

And, any kind of work done, modifications, or refinishing WILL detract from the value it eventually "goes up to".

I saw a beautiful (meaning pretty looking) P.38 on consignment at a shop a while back. Gun was all matching, and included the original Nazi marked holster. The asking price was $900, and after sitting for months, the owner finally took it back. No one was willing to pay that price because the gun had been Nickel plated. Despite being a variant (and with correct holster) which would have been worth that price in original condition, it wasn't worth even half that much because it had been refinished.

Whether or not your gun will ever have the collector interest to significantly increase the value, I don't know. But I do know that it won't ever be worth top value (for its type) if it has been refinished.
 
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tallball

New member
I got the 32acp and 380acp versions for around $150 apiece within the past year or so.

If it ever does have any collector value, and that's a real IF, then refinishing it would make it much less valuable.

The most important thing is that the OP should do whatever makes him happy. It's his pistol.
 
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