Complete refinish of antique weapon.

[Russ498]

Up until now, all of my firearms have been modern or reproduction black powder. I noticed that there are quite a few Springfield variations available at fairly reasonable prices. I am thinking about getting one and doing a complete refinish including the metal and wood work. I know as a rule, it is best to leave antiques as is and that this probably would affect the value. Because it is not a scarce item, will the value go up or down?

 

[Pete G]

The value will be cut by approximately 50%.

 

[deerstalkert]

what Pete G said!
once tampered with it can not be returned to it's original state or value.

 

[rafterob]

I have seen a few over the years that guys are still shooting. In all 3 cases only what needed to be fixed/repaired to get them shooting was done. To maintain value that is the smart attitude to take.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Only refinish one that has already been “refinished “. The damage was done by the last guy.

 

[tenngun]

The value will go down. Period
However I did do a 38-55 1888 or 6. It looked like manure when I got it, I sanded refinished, and reblued the barrel. Cut the value but it was a gun I could be proud of shooting. Sold it to a guy who was very happy to get it.
My grandfather had a .33 WCF and got a steel brush to clean it. Soon his tack driver was a key hole shooter. And he got it rebarreled about 1936
He had used the gun in very rough conditions and refinished the wood once.
many old guns were reworked and repaired in the past.
Should you want a shooter and not care about the value loss go for it
Should you buy as an investment just keep it clean
Personally I would want it looking it’s best
But keep in mind there are only so many original guns, they can’t be replaced,so if you refinished you have removed some of the history

 

[Whitworth]

What Phil Collins said.

 

[Rudyard]

I would leave it as it is its bad form to any other . Rudyard

 

[Scota@4570]

I just got done cleaning a rust bucket revolver. Instead of doing anything destructive I boiled the steel parts in water. That somewhat converted the red rust to a darker color. It also softened the rust which made removal with light strokes of steel wool easy. There was no scrubbing or disturbing the remaining finish at all. After oiling it looks very presentable.

Stocks can be gently cleaned and oiled or waxed. Mineral spirits and a rag, no more. IF it was originally varnished, leave it alone. Funny thing, guys clean the wood then seek to reproduce the patina they just removed.

Rubbing the heck out of rusty guns with oily steel wool has not done a good job for me in the past. The lifted rust is abrasive and the original finish is damaged. Sanding the wood of original ML martial arms is wrong. They were scraped. Removing wood will be obvious because the metal parts will no longer fit properly. The original finish will not be reproducible.

I don't know what the OP is working on, generally I would never "refinish" an antique gun that has any value. Home spun efforts are generally a destructive mess. It will look very wrong unless you are an experienced expert. IF the gun is truly sad mess, outfits like Turnbull can reproduce the original finish. The results are so good as to be indistinguishable from a perfect condition original. Some were passed off as untouched originals at auction. He now marks his work.

 

[TFoley]

Meanwhile, here in UK a few years back, a friend had a notchy muzzle crown on his unmentionable all-original and beautiful W*n*h*s*e* Model 1894 with a very low serial number - one of the first to use steel. It was in .32-20 cal and was beautiful, as indeed it needed to have been for the almost $4000 he had paid for it.

He took it to a well-known 'smith here, and asked him to recut the crown into the same radiused form it had originally been. A few months passed, and he went to collect it. I was sitting outside, eating my lunch, but I heard the shouting going on, and then the violent banging of the door as he came back out. The muzzle HAD been recut to replicate the original state, but the complete barrel and magazine assembly had been reblued to match the new crown.

His $4000 carbine had morphed into a 'maybe' $1500 makeover.

 

[Scota@4570]

"Gunsmith" tends to be an attractive pursuit for people of below normal intelligence. There are extremely fine gunsmiths out there. I have seen my share or moron hacks too.

 

[deerstalkert]

"Gunsmith" tends to be an attractive pursuit for people of below normal intelligence. There are extremely fine gunsmiths out there. I have seen my share or moron hacks too.

only topped by "Gun Expert's" behind the counter of the lgs/pawn shop.

 

[cornstalk]

@Russ498 it's your money do what you want. For me, the find would have to be a complete piece of rusted, splintered junk for me to want to sand it down to bare metal and wood so I can then refinish and make it look like a modern reproduction. Doesn't make much sense to me-but that's me-might make perfect sense to you and that's okay.

I love shooting the originals. I look for something that appears to be in shootable shape or really close. I do or get done what is required to be able to shoot it safely. I'm not a collector and I plan on keeping them till I go under so I don't care what the next owner thinks or how much it sells for at that point-I'll be dead. I love the patina the metal and wood take on after hundreds of years, so other than halting any further corrosion I leave the metal alone. Rarely do I apply anything to the wood. And that's me.

 

[Tumbledown]

There is a difference between refinishing, restoring, and preserving. If it's to a point of decay where it is rotting away or becoming unsafe, restoration (or at least preservation) is almost a moral obligation.

 

[FishDFly]

Why ask if you know the answer?

 

[Surfinator58]

I bought a little rolling Block 22 long rifle years ago and refinished it the stock was filthy the metal rust all over. One friend said you destroyed the value another friend said beautiful job it looks like an original I'm very proud of it and I saved it from destruction

 

[Willy]

"Gunsmith" tends to be an attractive pursuit for people of below normal intelligence. There are extremely fine gunsmiths out there. I have seen my share or moron hacks too.

I'm still looking for a good one who knows how to work on old boxlock double barrels. Most I've found these days are plug and play AR hacks. My old "unmentionable" double 12's hammers are "wobbly" and I'm hoping to someday find someone that can properly fix it.

 

[TFoley]

I'm still looking for a good one who knows how to work on old boxlock double barrels. Most I've found these days are plug and play AR hacks. My old "unmentionable" double 12's hammers are "wobbly" and I'm hoping to someday find someone that can properly fix it.

Sir, you are in the wrong country. Sad to say, but pretty much a fact.

 

[Surfinator58]

Larry potterfield did an excellent video on the same problem with YouTube he added metal and ground showing each step of the process you should check it out

 

[FishDFly]

"Gunsmith" tends to be an attractive pursuit for people of below normal intelligence. There are extremely fine gunsmiths out there. I have seen my share or moron hacks too.

About as insulting as a person can get.

I have seen my share of share of fine folks here and morons here as well.

Gunsmiths are asked to do what you cannot do yourself.