I assume you're referring to the sporterization....
Yeah, I agree in terms of that particular model, but you have to remember that in days of yore surplus rifles were almost a drag on the market and "the thing" to do was make cheap sporters out of them for deer hunting, etc.
As a prime example, I bought an M1 carbine out of a barrel of them in Dave Cook's (a former) sporting goods store. I did not sporterize this one, M1 Carbines are pretty much already sporterized.
The barrel was right out there on the sales floor, the point here being that surplus guns were very plentiful and didn't have much in terms of collector value.
But I did sporterize a Mauser 98 from Amberg and had it converted to "thutty-ought-six." Nowadays I would scream with you about that, even though I'm the guilty "butcher." But then, no big deal. I did a pretty good job on the stock, just about the only way you would know it was a factory stock was the bolt disassembly hole. I later put a regular nicely-figured walnut stock on it, with a cutout for a precision peep sight, gave it to a son since I could no longer handle the .30-06 recoil.
So yeah, "AAAAK!" but remember that times change.
Let's face it, not many people would have kept model Ts around for their potential "virgin" collector value. Instead:
Terry, 230RN
