The broken count for such a weapon doesn't change.
So although it may looks like a new gun it isn't.
It will deteriorate a lot faster, sometimes 1% per shot.
Try selling it to a trader, you'll see the price is less than for an upgraded crafted assault rifle.
I knew about the prices thing. I wasn't really advocating the technique as a way to make more money easily, I was just lazy, and perhaps assumed people knew about it. As I said, lazy.
I didn't actually know about the break count remaining the same, and the deterioration rate either. That's good to know.
Even so, in my experience, they either get lost after a certain point due to unavoidable, catastrophic circumstances, or failing that, replaced with another broken up rifle that's been repaired or upgraded.
I do agree with you that certain advantages ensue from making your guns, but I wish it was more necessary. As it is, characters that use the best guns only worry about the gun breaking entirely, and suffer relatively few consequences from using a shoddy, half broken gun. I really think that penalties should exist independent of whether your skill is so low that you miss frequently. Something like what games like Stalker and the 3d fallout games do might be good. Guns have condition ratings, and busted ass guns misfire, outright miss, and generally perform less well.
I really think it would make having a gun crafted by an actual person, or failing that, repaired by an actual person, ought to matter. People could make do with shitty guns, looted from drug addled raiders, generally accepting them as "good enough" to gank vulnerable enemies like low level players, and slaughter vermin, and such.
If you wanted an advantage, or not to be at a disadvantage to well equipped players, you would have to have something to do with crafters, whether it was buying stuff produced by them by some means in towns, or as part of a gang.