Proper metal finish for matchlock

[Irishmusket]

Your musket looks great

 

[Lead Snowstorm]

the original gun I was thinking of was his 1650 Austrian matchlock with the club butt stock, but I can’t find his post about it. Oh well, this one was a closer fit anyway.

Was it this one?
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=91758#post91758

At least a few were in - presumably? - a more restored condition:
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16881/lot/496/?category=list

I ended up getting, I believe, that exact gun at auction a couple of years ago.

 

[Rudyard]

Lots of ways to cook cockroach, agree mirror bright not a good look .
Rudyard's take .

 

[TobJohn]

Was it this one?
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=91758#post91758

At least a few were in - presumably? - a more restored condition:
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16881/lot/496/?category=list

I ended up getting, I believe, that exact gun at auction a couple of years ago.

Congrats on the purchase!

Here is the gun I am thinking of on Michael's rack of matchlocks:

It has a shorter and more vertical gripping section for the right hand (wrist of the stock?) than a lot of the other Austrian matchlocks.

 

[Lead Snowstorm]

Congrats on the purchase!

Here is the gun I am thinking of on Michael's rack of matchlocks:
View attachment 308799
It has a shorter and more vertical gripping section for the right hand (wrist of the stock?) than a lot of the other Austrian matchlocks.

Yup, that's the one. He had a couple of posts on that one I saved (being interested in it as I ended up with one of the group). The first I posted above as a response to a new Portuguese museum; another of the posts was this one:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=131983&postcount=72

 

[FlinterNick]

My matchlock came in yesterday. It overall was better than expected as it is an Indian made musket. However there are a few small faults to be corrected (as I expected). I ordered this one, it is the crossbow lever model-

https://militaryheritage.com/musket15.htm
My biggest complaint is the grossly over polished metalwork. I can almost see my face in the lock plate and barrel. What would be the appropriate finish for the metal? Left white but not as over polished? Blued? I did do a search on here but did not come up with much of anything.

I would do a single cut smooth file finish or a stoned finish with a 180-220 die maker’s oil stone.

 

[Carteret Kid]

Would a phosphoric acid finnish look relatively period correct on a colonial era fowler?

 

[tarawa1943]

I don’t like the shiny “India Polish” that came on my black stocked matchlock. Just for fun I used Jax on it. No real special prep other than some scotch brite. I evened the finish out the best I could with some 000 steel wool. It’s got that old mottled look.

 

[8Ball]

There is a strange behavior about aged finish on modern day's reenactment guns. In those times if a French officer would have found any microscopic rust on a gun this soldier would have found himself in deep, deep sh*t...

 

[tarawa1943]

There is a strange behavior about aged finish on modern day's reenactment guns. In those times if a French officer would have found any microscopic rust on a gun this soldier would have found himself in deep, deep sh*t...

I understand original guns left in the white, but the Indian guns look like the bumper of a 57 Chevy.

 

[8Ball]

In the French army in those times as for today's a patina look on a gun would attract a kick in the butt from the Commanding Officer...

 

[TobJohn]

In the French army in those times as for today's a patina look on a gun would attract a kick in the butt from the Commanding Officer...

For their first breechloader (chassepot), the metal was required to be kept in a dull grey finish and over polishing was actually forbidden. Not sure if that was first introduced with the chassepot or if it was inherited from the previous minie rifle, but it provides an example of when the dulled look is historically correct.

 

[8Ball]

For their first breechloader (chassepot), the metal was required to be kept in a dull grey finish and over polishing was actually forbidden. Not sure if that was first introduced with the chassepot or if it was inherited from the previous minie rifle, but it provides an example of when the dulled look is historically correct.

If that was the rule someone must remember that the chassepot was far away from the 16-17-18th century. Even in the Napoleonic era the guns had to be spotless as for to this day...