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Antique Firearm Restoration.

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Certus

32 Cal
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Jun 29, 2020
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United Kingdom
I recently posted a thread relating to some marks on the bottom of the grips of a couple of original muzzle loading revolvers I own indicting their use as a hammer at some time in its past. There has been quite a bit of controversy here in the UK over the years regarding the extent of "cleaning up" or what might be considered a reasonable restoration of antique firearms. Unless the firearm is non-functional or in extremely poor condition, I strongly believe it should be left with the dings and marks of hundreds of years often adding to its character. Having said that, I don't mind the replacement or repair of small parts screws springs etc which are probably not entirely original anyway. Collectors in the UK will pay a considerable premium for an original firearm with the patchy remains of the original finish, whereas I much prefer an overall grey patina. There is an argument for returning vintage guns, cars etc to their original glory, so I wondered what the general preference was in the U.S.

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Brian
 
I think most here will agree original finish etc. is better than something that is "restored" as it relates to antique firearms. If I did something like replacing the grips on an old revolver, I would keep the originals so they could be put back on. Patina sells. Now, replacing parts to restore function is a different story and I would do that unless the piece had a particularly important history. Example, the remains of a gun dug up at the Alamo or site of Custers last battle, or rarity.
 
Personally, I prefer my old firearms to look like old firearms. I disassemble them to clean out old grease & crud, remove as much rust as I safely can without damaging the finish, use RIG gun grease on internal lock parts & stuff, and Renaissance wax on the exterior surfaces, wood and metal. Also gives me a chance to see how they did it "back then". However, if some parts are really damaged, I do try to replace with the correct items, usually screws. I have an 1819 North pistol that is one step up from relic, which has had just about all the screws replaced with modern ones. Since it appears they are metric in pitch (according to my screw gauge), all I need to do is find what the original heads look like & thread new bolts. By the way, when I do any type of "restoration" work, I make a note of it to stay with the firearm (or sword: I also collect US military swords).
 

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