I finaly got to pick up the dirt cheap side lock Suhl SXS today. It was going cheap as the bores were clogged with junk which looked like rust and the wood had faded badly. Expecting the barrels to be junk I gave them a bit of a clean out ,HHHMMM not bad ,then I gave them a bit more of a polish and they turned out to be nice and shiny. I then removed the side locks and it looks as if the gun has hardly been used. All the inletting for the locks looks very well done. I gave the gunk covered stock a bit of a wipe down and founds it seems like it shows promise as well. It was one of those locked away in a barn for 50 years ,deceased estates which I have always missed out on previously.
Next time ,I,m hoping to wipe away the gunk on an old gun to find "Purdey ,Manton or H&H" written on the locks.

Its funny how we walk into a situation hoping 'H&H' thinking it will probably be a lesser brand.

Then we get so disappointed that it really is that lesser brand and not the 'H&H' which our mind built up to be a sure thing.

Congrats on your find.

-Spencer

CR500: Nice find. I'm on the very same budget, and can only hope for a similar deal. Better yet, clean out those gunked up barrels and find out they're rifled ...