To Blue Or Not To Blue..

[tjg]

Was rattlin to john yesterday,while he was admiring my lovely Airsporter which has been reblued,we both agreed,that although its lost its originality ,its nicer than a scrathed an tatty example..then lookin at my breakdowns(in Gavins collectables),there is a perfect example of a similar gun,in both states(although the midland is neither scratched or tatty,but you catch my drift)
SO THAT IS THE QUESTION.??
oppinions on a postcardplease
THANX TIM (thinkin about the midland cause i want to do the stock)

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Tim, a dilema we all face from time to time, so here for what its worth is my apprpach . As I believe my guns are for my enjoyment, if they appear in good condition for their age thus steeped in character like my Breakdown (which is in a similar condition to yours) and my Cadet and Cadet Major which are similar, I choose to leave as is. Have sent two rifles to BBS Good Guy DM80 for re-blue work in the past year though, as each was in as tired a condition as maybe your Midland is? Both times I've been over the moon with the results: no regrets whatsoever . If someone was thinking of re-bluing something in as good an original condition as say my Webley MkIII however (extremely good but with one minor 5mm dia area on the barrel of blue flake-off), I'd do all that I could to talk them out of it . In short then, as I feel you are like me and like to take a cosmetic pride as well as a historical pride in your collection, I would say go for it. For it won't detract from its re-sale value (may even increase it), and is bound to improve its visual aesthetics. Note here though, that if very badly pitted, it may be beyond the kiss of life that a re-blue could give it. In these instances I just rub the rifle's metal-work down with engine oil and fine wire wool, and leave as is ready to move on once a better example of the same can be found. Just read back through what I've written so far. Not really helping much am I ... Ha ha ha, I'll get my coat . ATB M8, but my final statement is its your rifle and you have only yourself to please: Gareth W-B.

[tjg]

Thanks Garath,I ken exactly form were you're comeing...ITS YOUR CALL TIM YOU BLOODY IDIOT...haha,but seriously its a hard call,not sure if the bluing will enhance,or detract,How much of the stamping is usually lost ??
TIM

[njaw]

Again, I agree with Gareth (we'll be sharing ice-cream next!)

My dilema is:

Do I reblue my lovely little Relum Taurus? My first ever airgun with a ton load of great memories attached to it. The blueing was never great but I really want to give it a bit of a touch up as thanks for all it's efforts over the years.

I've got many expensive guns but it's the Relum that I hold dear to me, and yet it's anly worth £30!

Do I don't I?, Do I don't I?

Gareth, how much does DM80 charge for a reblue (including preparation)?

[Gareth W-B]

Again, I agree with Gareth (we'll be sharing ice-cream next!) ... Gareth, how much does DM80 charge for a reblue (including preparation)?

Ha ha, just so long as I get the flake . For a strip, prep and full re-blue on my Webley Falcon (the latest one I had done) inc. return secure post it was £65.00 which is no money, but (and its a big but), I had just bought four rifles off him, so the price may have been tailored accordingly ...

How much of the stamping is usually lost ??

When Dave (DM80) did my Webley Falcon, NONE of the engraved words were lost at all (but he is very good and not just an engineer who blues guns for profit, but he is also actually a keen air gun collector too ): Gareth W-B.

[tjg]

Hi njaw,
I know exactly were you is comin from,I am the proud owner of a JW,long long wait..worth every minute,honestly,but its my second favorite gun,the other is goin in the box with me..
Garath ,i am sure we are both aware,the solution is blatantly obvious, but then that poses the problem which midland should i leave in the original state and which one to try and get back to a condition in which its original owner would have recieved it ???But there is to much greed(haha)Lakey usin BSA's as ballistrading,Roger using airsporters instead o wallpaper,people reinforcing gun cabinats to house webleys
TIM(with a tinge of green)(anybody got a midland for sale)
By the way i got a little scope in a box with a meteor today,not too old,(plastic caps)not worth anything really ,but its got Relum 4x15 moving image JAPAN(should be ok glass) on it..yours if you want it..if you don't wont be offended.

[Gareth W-B]

By the way i got a little scope in a box with a meteor today,not too old,(plastic caps)not worth anything really ,but its got Relum 4x15 moving image JAPAN(should be ok glass) on it..yours if you want it..if you don't wont be offended.

Tim! I would love this if you are looking for a home for it, and will make a donation in your name to the RNLI should it come my way . It is just what I am looking for to top the Webley Falcon detailed above (one of three rifles which as you say, are going in the box with me to meet my maker ). Will P-M you my addy in a mo just in case I am the lucky one . ATB: Gareth W-B.

[pennineway.fswo]

Another interesting thread Tim
I have used a company called SPL Blacking to reblack/blue 12 rifles and pistols over the passed 3 years
They only charge £10/gun and make a superb job. The blacking is much better than most factory finishes. However you have to do the donkey work yourself and the final result is all in the preparation.
I think Gareth is spot on with his advice
With old BSA's, if the etching is still visible I wouldn't reblue/black the gun.
Also if there was bad pitting in areas of factory stamping, I would probably not bother as you would not want to lose the stamping. However I recently bought a Webley pistol that had hardly ever been fired but it had quite a few scratches and knocks that made it look very second hand. After 4 hours of polishing and £10 to SPL the pistol looks like new , and the stamping is still sharp and clear.
In the past I have spent in excess of 8 hours in preparing a rifle for chemical blacking, so paying a company £65 to do the whole job can be money well spent
I know that many serious collectors would rather choose an un-restored example but I get more pleasure looking at that lovely blue/black shiny finish also knowing that the gun shoots well is a big bonus.

[Lakey]

Hi njaw,
I know exactly were you is comin from,I am the proud owner of a JW,long long wait..worth every minute,honestly,but its my second favorite gun,the other is goin in the box with me..
Garath ,i am sure we are both aware,the solution is blatantly obvious, but then that poses the problem which midland should i leave in the original state and which one to try and get back to a condition in which its original owner would have recieved it ???But there is to much greed(haha)Lakey usin BSA's as ballistrading,Roger using airsporters instead o wallpaper,people reinforcing gun cabinats to house webleys
TIM(with a tinge of green)(anybody got a midland for sale)
By the way i got a little scope in a box with a meteor today,not too old,(plastic caps)not worth anything really ,but its got Relum 4x15 moving image JAPAN(should be ok glass) on it..yours if you want it..if you don't wont be offended.

Ha Ha Tim,

Had to respond to the gauntlet you threw down As you know you can never have enough "pretty things". I would like to take all my BSA's with me when I go - Only if I did they would never lift the coffin

As to your bluing dilemma, I would ask the simple question, can you live with the gun as it is or is the finish so bad that you feel the gun is an embarrasment to own? If that is the case, then you have to get it refinished or sell it on for someone else to do.
I once had a very rusty BSA underlever refinished by John Knibbs, (who is the guv'nor on all things BSA as far as I am concerned!) When it came back, I was pleased and saddened by it in equal measure. Sure the gun was now a nice clean example fit to grace any gun collection in the land,and when it went away it was only fit for levering landrovers out of ditches However to me it was not original, and the blacking used on the gun was nothing like the original bluing you find on mint examples.
I could never ever have displayed the gun as it was (it was my very first BSA underlever, and the best that I could afford at the time), however I didn't want to display it when it came back, so for me, from that point on, I decided that I prefer original finish guns.

However that is just my opinion, for what its worth.

Good luck with it

Lakey

[tjg]

Hi garath,will send the little scope on,no probs
hi john,I'm like you i like to see a nice finish,my guns are by far the cleanest things in our house(quick look over shoulder),but i also like to see something has history ??Goin off on a tangent..i've got a dog i worship,a good dog..When she was a pup she chewed the arm of my chair,I was pissed off about it ..now she is eleven i love them teeth marks,soppy i know but true,marks on guns you've had from new can be the same,they piss you off ,but after a while tell a story..but i dont know if thats the case with a second hand guns..
Hi lakey,I can see where you are comin from also,and yes i can live with it,dont think i would have bought it otherwise,you aint got put all them in a box,you could have a box made out of em !!!!!anyway lookin at your profile,one would assume you'll be stuffed..
Your oppinion is worth a great deal.
TIM(still scratchin his head,which is bye far more healthy than scratchin elsewhere)

[nice one]

they all go rusty let them stay rusty ......