garands and thongs
I'm with Hillbilly. I prefer this set of analogies:
---- For the wood and steel group ----
Old, used and abused Garand:
...................................Weathered but loved old grandma
Cleaned up "restored" Garand:
...................................Grandma in her prime, dressed for a dance
---- For the synthetic and modern group ----
Cleaned up Garand in modern "tactical" setup
(any _reasonable_ practical set up you fashion):
...................................Grandma in her prime, but in modern "hot
...................................babe" attire, such as a thong bikini
...................................(it's OK to make this someone else's Grandma if that helps)
None of the above are mutually exclusive. There is room for all. Due to men like John Browning and John Garand, we can all choose what of the above to apply. None are wrong if done to one's own property. This IS (still) The U.S. of A!
Note, I'm not condoning destroying collectibles, just recognizing that each to his own is the fabric of which we Americans are made.