Shotgun Restoration

Feltwad · Feb 16, 2019

The image below is a sxs English Percussion gun which is in a poor state through neglect and left in a barn . What has its future 70% would say scrap it , 10% would scrap it for spares 10% leave it has it is in that state and that would leave 10 % who would try and bring it back to a shooting or collectors condition Has a restorer I decided to restore it which would be few weeks work , what would members have done ?
Feltwad

Kansas Jake · Feb 16, 2019

I admire your willingness to do a restoration and would probably let it go or part it out. I look forward to the end result

DOUBLEDEUCE 1 · Feb 16, 2019

I think I would take it apart completely with the intention of restoring it. If that gets to be too much, then decide which other options are available.

Comfortably_Numb · Feb 16, 2019

I'd have to see more than that picture.

Feltwad · Feb 16, 2019

Comfortably_Numb said:
I'd have to see more than that picture.

Feltwad

Comfortably_Numb · Feb 16, 2019

Who's the maker? Are the ribs solid? how are the bores? All things I would consider before I would restore to a shooter. If you have the ability to resolder ribs, and do some welding around the eroded breeches and ream the possibly bad bores it would seem worthy of the effort.You know, they don't make guns like that any more.

Feltwad · Feb 17, 2019

Comfortably_Numb said:
Who's the maker? Are the ribs solid? how are the bores? All things I would consider before I would restore to a shooter. If you have the ability to resolder ribs, and do some welding around the eroded breeches and ream the possibly bad bores it would seem worthy of the effort.You know, they don't make guns like that any more.

Restoration is not a problem has I have done plenty some in a worse condition than this one The gun is by a provincial gun maker and the name is faint on the lock but may clean up .The idea of the thread was too ask members opining and hopefully restoration would be top of the list they are our gun heritage and every effort must be done for their preservation .
Feltwad

Pete G · Feb 17, 2019

Since you have experience with restoration, I would go that way.

jdw276 · Feb 17, 2019

Pete G said:
Since you have experience with restoration, I would go that way.

I am not a gun builder or restorer. That said i would want to bring it back to close to its glory days. Does not require by me to be a shooter, but one that could be displayed in some manner of respect for what it has accomplished. I don't want any firearm to look so worn. Just me.

Nativearizonan · Feb 17, 2019

I have an similar derelict percussion double, and will be very interested in seeing how you proceed. On mine, someone tried to re-solder the rib and did a poor job of it, leaving lot of gaps and gunks. I'm sure the solder would be fairly easy to melt, but I wouldn't know how to go about replacing it. It has some nice engraving, and would certainly be a worthy candidate for piecing out, but also, if the solder was cleaned up, it would make an attractive wall hanger. I'm not sure I would trust the barrels for shooting, due to the fact they are twist steel and one of the barrels has a thin line between the twists that does not appear to go completely through, but is apparent from a point outside the barrel, near the forend. For now, I have decided to just leave it as is, but I am interested in this other option.

dave_person · Feb 18, 2019

Hi Feltwad,
I would use the gun as a learning tool to further my skills for restoration. In the US, percussion SxSs are very common and not worth a lot unless by a famous maker or having some important historical context. Consequently, they can be good learning tools because you don't risk a lot of value.

dave

Feltwad · Feb 18, 2019

dave_person said:
Hi Feltwad,
I would use the gun as a learning tool to further my skills for restoration. In the US, percussion SxSs are very common and not worth a lot unless by a famous maker or having some important historical context. Consequently, they can be good learning tools because you don't risk a lot of value.

dave

Hi Dave
With me value does not come into it I understand where you are coming from but over the many decades that I have restored shotguns be it a London gun or a provincial in that condition when finished there is little difference only a name
Feltwad

Felix the Cat · Feb 18, 2019

I would strip it, boil it, card it and see what is left..

You then have a four way split decision..

1. You have at least arrested the deterioration and are in a position to preserve what is left as a historic non firing artifact.

2. You may be able to restore the gun to working condition with minimal repair and finishing, replacing missing parts. This decision needs to be made by someone who knows what they are looking at!

3. You can throw money at the piece, replacing and refinishing items to return it to new condition..

4. You can break it for parts..

IMHO it comes down to 1 or 2. Option 3 is seldom economically or historically justified, and although Option 4 is feasible, all that happens in reality is the parts get dispersed and rust singly as opposed to together..!

Feltwad · Feb 18, 2019

After removing the barrels and stripping the loose ribs one of the tubes has a hole on the inside about half way along the tube . This hole is large so I will have to put the project on hold may be a odd pair of barrels or even a right hand tube sxs tube may come along so I can finish the job. A gun in this condition one never knows what to expect but not too worry there will be others to restore
Feltwad

mikek793 · Mar 6, 2019

Nativearizonan said:
I have an similar derelict percussion double, and will be very interested in seeing how you proceed. On mine, someone tried to re-solder the rib and did a poor job of it, leaving lot of gaps and gunks. I'm sure the solder would be fairly easy to melt, but I wouldn't know how to go about replacing it. It has some nice engraving, and would certainly be a worthy candidate for piecing out, but also, if the solder was cleaned up, it would make an attractive wall hanger. I'm not sure I would trust the barrels for shooting, due to the fact they are twist steel and one of the barrels has a thin line between the twists that does not appear to go completely through, but is apparent from a point outside the barrel, near the forend. For now, I have decided to just leave it as is, but I am interested in this other option.

Two or three years ago I inherited my great,great grandfather's 50 cal. sxs muzzleloading percussion shotgun. I ordered Duvalls antique gun restoration kit and went to work on it. It was made around 1850 in Birmingham, England by William Moore. Has all the Birmingham proof stamps under the barrel. Tubes we're in pretty good shape after checking them with a borescope. Turned out real nice after I was done and shoots well. I did have to replace the nipples as they were mushroomed bad and you could probably throw a baseball through them. I'll post some pics if I can figure out how to do that.

atllaw · Mar 8, 2019

mikek793 said:
...It was made around 1850 in Birmingham, England ... Has all the Birmingham proof stamps under the barrel. Tubes we're in pretty good shape after checking them with a borescope.

I'm looking at a 16 ga. double made circa 1875 that has Birmingham Proof marks. Did you do anything other than check the barrels with a borescope before shooting it?

mikek793 · Mar 9, 2019

atllaw said:
I'm looking at a 16 ga. double made circa 1875 that has Birmingham Proof marks. Did you do anything other than check the barrels with a borescope before shooting it?

I disassembled the entire gun and cleaned all the old residue from the lock mortises and the locks. Also insepected the barrels for any cracks or bulging and the ribs. After cleaning everything and carding the rust off the barrels with a piece of copper, I used some naval jelly with cottonballs attached to coat hangars and got the bores cleaned out.Then I used a bore brush. Got the borescope out again and rechecked the bores. Came out very clean with just some very slight pitting down by the breech, could barely see it.

sawyer04 · Mar 9, 2019

If the bores are looking good, I would go for it. Most of what I have found the bores were devastated with rust.

mikek793 · Mar 9, 2019

Mine is a 12 ga., don't know what I was thinking saying it was 50 cal. Must have had my rifle build on the brain.

DickS · Mar 9, 2019

I bought a Belgian double. Utility gun. Don't know where it had been left to die, but it was evenly rusted end to end. Paid $100 Canadian, equivalent to 70-odd US. Inspected it carefully. Every darn screw turned out without issues, including the nipples. Wiped out the bores; they were respectable. Locks are mechanically sound. Turns out that it was a gun that had been looked after during its period of use, and had been cleaned and lubricated after it was last fired. Then it had been abandoned. I'm not even considering a cosmetic restoration. Every iron surface would have to be sanded down to clean metal before refinishing. As is, it is a useful shooter.

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