When you have a beautiful muzzleloader....

[Eterry]

I once owned an absolutely gorgeous Ruger No One, it had such beautiful figured wood and a deep blue. I was hunting the red river bottom and riding an atv about 5 miles to my stand.
I just didn't have to heart to beat up that rifle, and sold it to a collector.

I went pheasant hunting with a retired Colonel/Lawyer, he took a pair of pidgeon grade over unders, and offered me one to hunt the 2nd day. I was reluctant until i watched him drag it out of an atv and dinged it up. He said he bought it to use.

I have a friend who's a PH in South Africa, he says he loves to see a client uncase a beat up gun, it shows he's used it and is familiar with it.

I think a new gun is a lot like a new car, the first dent is the worst, then it just shows character.

 

[Zonie]

I recently bought a Kentucky style Rifle Made by Pedersoli and marked Euroarms Brescia Italy. I have seen an identical one advertised as an Ohio rifle. I intend to strip and brown the barrel but … it has numerous dents and dings on the stock. I tried steaming them out but it did not work. Now I think keeping the stock with dents and dings is a good thing. I only regret that I did not put them there by use. They look more like careless handling marks. I could strip the stock and try to take out the dents but I think browning the barrel will be enough. All of my guns have some blemishes from use and handling but I like that look. I don't think a mountain man/longhunter would have an unblemished gun very long.

For what it's worth, steaming out dents usually doesn't work if the finish is left on the piece of wood. The wood should be bare so the steam can penetrate into the wood fibers. By wetting the wood fibers or grain, the wood will swell and the dent will rise back to its normal condition. If the wood grain was broken when the dent was made, it will not return to its original shape.

As for the rifle marked Euroarms, it was made by a company called Euroarms, not by Pedersoli.
Euroarms is the company name adapted by the Italian company formerly named Armi San Paolo. The new name became effective in 2001.

 

[Enfield58]

I remember dinging up a nice rifle stock once. All I could say was "dag-nabit, shucky-durn, fiddly-sticks, shiitake mushrooms and mama made a fudge cake!"

 

[Brokennock]

As for the rifle marked Euroarms, it was made by a company called Euroarms, not by Pedersoli.
Euroarms is the company name adapted by the Italian company formerly named Armi San Paolo. The new name became effective in 2001.

Hmmmm?

This would appear to have both stamps. I figured the manufacturer to be Pedersoli, and Euro-Arms to be the distributor and/or importer.

 

[Dale Lilly]

For what it's worth, steaming out dents usually doesn't work if the finish is left on the piece of wood. The wood should be bare so the steam can penetrate into the wood fibers. By wetting the wood fibers or grain, the wood will swell and the dent will rise back to its normal condition. If the wood grain was broken when the dent was made, it will not return to its original shape.

As for the rifle marked Euroarms, it was made by a company called Euroarms, not by Pedersoli.
Euroarms is the company name adapted by the Italian company formerly named Armi San Paolo. The new name became effective in 2001.

Sorry to disagree but on the top barrel flat it says Euroarms. On the left barrel flat [next to top] it very distinctly says "Pedersoli" and has their logo immediately under the word. Perhaps that weapon has been made by more than one maker but mine was absolutely made by Pedersoli. The barrel and all markings are pristine. Polecat

 

[Dale Lilly]

Hmmmm?
View attachment 33388View attachment 33389View attachment 33390
This would appear to have both stamps. I figured the manufacturer to be Pedersoli, and Euro-Arms to be the distributor and/or importer.

Wow, Brokennock. I love the pictures since I was unable to get any. But I am curious about the damage to your barrel. It looks as if a wrench was used and slipped ...and that's a shame.

 

[Eterry]

For what it's worth, steaming out dents usually doesn't work if the finish is left on the piece of wood. The wood should be bare so the steam can penetrate into the wood fibers. By wetting the wood fibers or grain, the wood will swell and the dent will rise back to its normal condition. If the wood grain was broken when the dent was made, it will not return to its original shape.

As for the rifle marked Euroarms, it was made by a company called Euroarms, not by Pedersoli.
Euroarms is the company name adapted by the Italian company formerly named Armi San Paolo. The new name became effective in 2001.

Zonie, I agree with half of that. I apprenticed in a large gunshop for 2 years. He started me out re-shaping screw heads on a bench block then cutting new slots. Then I got to help the old man steam out dents. He put 3 kids thru college doing this. I never got to polish barrelled actions before hot blueing, but i got to watch.

Like you, He said if the grain was not broken, just pushed in, steam would slowly raise the dent. We used a variety of items, a wet cloth and a clothes iron worked best on large areas for me. But he never had me strip the stock/forearm before raising dents unless it was going to be refinished. He strongly discouraged refinishing unless absolutely necessary, saying it added character and wold diminish any collector value.

 

[Shooter1]

If I own it, I shoot it.

 

[mooman76]

A gun you can't or don't shoot, is no longer a gun.

 

[Zonie]

Sorry to disagree but on the top barrel flat it says Euroarms. On the left barrel flat [next to top] it very distinctly says "Pedersoli" and has their logo immediately under the word. Perhaps that weapon has been made by more than one maker but mine was absolutely made by Pedersoli. The barrel and all markings are pristine. Polecat

You might be right.
At one time, there was a EUROARMS of AMERICA who imported guns to Cabela's. I suppose that company might have imported a Pedersoli but to me, seeing both EUROARMS and Pedersoli on the same gun is like seeing Buick hubcaps on a Ford.

 

[Brokennock]

Wow, Brokennock. I love the pictures since I was unable to get any. But I am curious about the damage to your barrel. It looks as if a wrench was used and slipped ...and that's a shame.

I don't know how that damage was done, it was like that when I got it. I assume the same as you. I can't even guess when I got it, it was my 1st muzzleloader, long time ago. That damage was/is the least of it's problems.

That Pedersoli stamp has caused me some problems in trying to get it fixed or getting a replacement barrel. I'm the owner of a brand new Pedersoli .32 caliber "Kentucky Rifle," barrel that I can't use. Doesn't come close to matching the wrecked one pictured.

 

[Dale Lilly]

You might be right.
At one time, there was a EUROARMS of AMERICA who imported guns to Cabela's. I suppose that company might have imported a Pedersoli but to me, seeing both EUROARMS and Pedersoli on the same gun is like seeing Buick hubcaps on a Ford.

Yeah … it surprised me too … but the pics from Brokennock show he has the same gun. I built a 34 Ford hotrod in 1949 … I could have used some Buick hubcaps… I did not do a great job. Polecat

 

[Capnball]

Zonie, I agree with half of that. I apprenticed in a large gunshop for 2 years. He started me out re-shaping screw heads on a bench block then cutting new slots. Then I got to help the old man steam out dents. He put 3 kids thru college doing this. I never got to polish barrelled actions before hot blueing, but i got to watch.

Like you, He said if the grain was not broken, just pushed in, steam would slowly raise the dent. We used a variety of items, a wet cloth and a clothes iron worked best on large areas for me. But he never had me strip the stock/forearm before raising dents unless it was going to be refinished. He strongly discouraged refinishing unless absolutely necessary, saying it added character and wold diminish any collector value.

I restored an 1861 Bridesberg and used steam to remove alot of mistreatment. History is one thing, piled up in the corner of a shed with garden tools and scrap wood for decades is just disrespect to a weapon that was in some small part, a tool that shaped this country

Before

After

 

[Coot]

I was always told that a true craftsman had good tools, respected (cared for them) & never blamed his tools for a poor job. There is a huge difference between "use" and "abuse". I watched a young man literally toss his shotgun into the bed of his pickup. Not the kind of person that I would ever loan anything. Use it, clean it, store it with care.

 

[Flintandsteel]

I’ve been building and shooting custom guns for 25 years. ALL OF THEM ARE MEANT TO SHOOT!
if it don’t burn powder, what good is it?

 

[hanshi]

All mine are plain-Jane; nice but far from really nice. Still it makes me cringe to get any ding or scratch on my treasures. I had to come to terms with FW&T (fair wear and tear) to keep my sanity, such as it is. Nothings seen any real damage so far and that spans some 58 or so years.

 

[7MAGMIKE]

Many years ago, about 1984 I bought a mint condition Ruger M77 from my brother. He owned it for about 5 years, when he carried it to and from his stand it was cased then he opened it and started to hunt. I asked why, he just wanted to preserve its original looks (Its just a Ruger). I bought it. When I hunt, I'm hunting when my feet hit the forest floor. That rifle today looks like I carried it through a war, not bad but worn. It shoots as well as it ever did, its a tool not a museum piece. Not abused but well used. It is going to get dinged up if you use it.

 

[Boston Bill]

I restored an 1861 Bridesberg and used steam to remove alot of mistreatment. History is one thing, piled up in the corner of a shed with garden tools and scrap wood for decades is just disrespect to a weapon that was in some small part, a tool that shaped this country
View attachment 33498
Before
View attachment 33499
After

Wow! Awesome! Good Job!

 

[Col. Batguano]

If it is an original or historically significant item I don't shoot it. No point to doing so, as, once at the shoulder, there is little difference between a reproduction and an original. The actual greater source of damage tends to be "rack rash" wear more than that from honest use.

 

[fleener]

I have a Rigby long range ML that was made in 1864 that I use and shoot. I really try and take great care of it. I have spent a few pennies with one of the best ML gunsmiths in the USA to take care of all the little problems with it when I bought it.

This rifle was bought new by Robert Greenhill, one of the Irishmen shooting in the Creedmoor matches.

I have put a few new dings in it, and it does not liberate me. I really try to do the best I can with taking care of it, but I did buy it to use. I even took it to AU for a match and I worried about it all the time when it was not in my possession.

IMO there are guns that I can use and not worry about and then there are ones that I use and really dont like putting dings or scratches in them.

Fleener