boats,

    What I meant by my response was that you could "have your cake and eat it too" by simply using the parts you need while retaining the other parts to return the rifle to original configuration.  In point of fact, there are about as many of those high-wall muskets out there as available sporters, so the question sort of morphs into one of doing ANYthing with an original rifle.  

    Ultimately, if it is your rifle, you can do what you want with it and ethics are not a real issue...but from a collector's standpoint we can't help but want to both preserve and conserve the items we collect with regard to historic as well as financial value.    There is no single answer and it is sort of a moving target anyway.  The value of a common musket has risen significantly, but mostly for very well preserved pieces.  

    Meanwhile, the value of a complete, original high-wall action has skyrocketted,   so we balance one against the other.  As more of the common models disappear, each remaining example becomes a little more valuable, but then again, the price of the parts continues to rise as well.   You pays your money and you does what works for you and makes you happy, I personally just try to think about it on the long term, both for my future investment value and for the convenience of my heirs.  

Do I have the waters sufficiently muddy yet?  

Froggie

ethics i'm just here to help varmitize the rest thats left. the problem is what is real, all you need is the ser no xxxx and you are ib the game. check wtth KEN on how many numbers he has been ask to engrave to fit a rifle.

I am more a shooter than a collector. I think to that end you may replace a barrel, reline it, add a stock to suit you. I retain those old parts and will pass them along, when I sell the the gun. I fear and dislike the ideal of using old parts to make "original rifles". Once something has been changed, the gun is no longer original, and the price value should reflect that. It becomes a custom gun.  A restored gun should not have the same value as a mint original.  It is getting more difficult, to decipher  original rifles. Honesty is becoming the first casualty, in dealing with antique guns.

what about pope--you know the one that took hws apart

i have at least one his works-regards,ben

There is no right or wrong answer to the original question. It really depends whether one is a shooter or collector. To me it seems overkill to dismantle a rifle just because of import marks. The exportation of the rifle and subsequent importation is part of its history. What if 25 years from now new Winchester records are discovered that show exactly who/where this rifle went, and it could have a very interesting story to tell. 

**Maybe**, if **legally* possible, for the private owner to remove the import markings (or move them to the bottom of the barrel) and reblue/touch up the barrel, I could **maybe* see doing that. 

I have a Ballard Pacific in 45-100 where a former owner etched his name on the bottom of the barrel with an electric pencil (I would guess circa 1950's). Fortunately it's partly hidden by the cleaning rod, but it's still there. Should I break this rifle down for parts because of this? 

32-35

I think it depends on the condition and desireability of the piece. 
If it's already been monkeyed with, then anything goes for me. If it's all original, and in poor or very poor condition, then I wouldn't mind restoring it, or using it for parts.
As for those guns that were "customized" in the 1950's, I think some are just plain ugly, while others have collectable interest for what they re, providing they were expertly done. I'd hesitate to tear a beautifully assembled 1950's custom sporter apart, even to remake it to it's original configuration. They are a part of singeshot rifle history now.