Honest restorations?

[ggggr]

It could be argued that any restoration at all is dishonest as it is no longer the original gun, but obviously even maintenance is not the "original" gun.
I plink with my guns and if they are scruffy but working that is fine with me.
When I started to mess again with the old stuff 10 years or so ago, I did buy a lot of rough guns and I did tart a few of them up a bit, but this was only really if the stocks had been tar brushed or damaged or if the gun had been tar brushed or was really rusty. Back in those days, I thought sitting on the back doorstep sanding a stock for a few evenings might help with my crap arms (IT DIDN'T!) and the same with rubbing down metal work. I have given a few stocks an oil finish (mainly linseed oil) and varnished a few. I have also attacked a few with a blowlamp to pattern them. However pretty much all of this was done on really rough things like Relums, Meteors and Diana 22 /25s that were ROUGH! A few rough guns were finished in Platicote but these were for a couple of people who use the guns for hunting.
After learning a few things and gettng a couple of decent results with oil/varnish and G96 Blue, I pretty much stopped doing it on anythng else. I have cleaned off the worst of the rust and given a gun a "wash" of G96 or Plum Brown, but this was just over the worst bits and even the original sweat marks were visiable on the metal work.
I have used wire wool and oil to clean up some rusty metalwork and I quite like the brown colour.
As these things were only for me I have never really had a problem with it.
However what if someone polishes and refinishes a gun? I am talking here really about cold blue even though a hot blued gun is restored.
If a tatty gun is polished up and refinished with cold blue and then punted out, mainly without stating it has been refinished, is it honest? Most "Collectors" would think something was wrong to see blue in good condition on some oldies, but somebody who just wants an "old gun" might be decieved. At some point (no matter how well cold bluing is done) , the blue will wear and somebody might be upset---------or they might think "Bloody hell those old guns had crap bluing!" .

What do you do with your guns and what do you reckon to these restorations?

[thisisdonald]

I'm pretty certain I could tell the difference between a cold and hot blue instantly.. It's not just the colour, but the polish job.. personally I don't Have The tools or skills to do a 'restoration', but , same as you, I have breathed life back into plenty of guns that hopefully will shoot for another 30 or 40 years before needing attention again.
I would say that anyone saying they have 'restored' a gun is being dishonest UNLESS that gun looks like it has been wrapped in an oily rag since manufacture..

[evert]

What do you do with your guns and what do you reckon to these restorations?

Cold blueing is the devil, it smells bad, and yo dont get rid of the smell until you sand it down.

My take is that really worn, abused or rusted guns can be refinished, but if you dont give them a proper rust blueing or hot blueing, its better to just give the metal some oil to stop rust and preserve what is left of the original finish.

I have refinished two air rifles, both because their previous owners had started the refinishing process and really messed things up.

The rest of my spring guns I keep original, give them new seals, springs, hone cylinders, replace missing parts, and sometimes make improved spring guides and sleeve overdimensioned transfer ports.

Unless the cosmetic condition is extremely bad, what is left of original finish should be kept...

[RichardH]

I'm pretty certain I could tell the difference between a cold and hot blue instantly..

Hot blue and an off the shelf cold blue maybe, I'll bet I can fool you though

[thisisdonald]

I'll take you up on that 😂 I've got pals down your way I've been meaning to visit... I'll drop in!
That's what I mean though.. a hot blue and a bottled cold blue... I've never seen that oxpho stuff or the durablue , so I stand a good chance to be fooled..

[RichardH]

I'll take you up on that �� I've got pals down your way I've been meaning to visit... I'll drop in!
That's what I mean though.. a hot blue and a bottled cold blue... I've never seen that oxpho stuff or the durablue , so I stand a good chance to be fooled..

The one in my avatar perhaps?

And yes pop in anytime :-)

[Hsing-ee]

I think most people can tell if a gun is original or not.

The worst finish I have seen was on an old Mk 2 Airsporter I got, which was honestly described as 'rough as a badger's arse'. It was. It had been kept on a boat in the Solent for 40 years and the salty sea breezes had done it no good at all. I sanded off most of the damage, leaving a wavy surface, and did a bit of the G96 to give it some colour at least.

The engine oil or whatever gunk had been used in the poor old thing had done a super job of keeping the bore and cylinder rust-free and after a good scrub and a relube it was a good shooter, putting out over the limit until I clipped the spring.

Sometimes a rifle is restored to better than new; the Feinwerkbau Sport I had done by RichardH had amazing deep black gloss blacking, and a specially treated stock as well. Of no interest to collectors, its been a favorite of all its subsequent owners.

I like your attitude to the guns though, give them a scrub-up and leave them to shoot. Its what they are for, after all. I don't like pristine rifles, you are always waiting for that first scratch or dent....

[RichardH]

Sometimes a rifle is restored to better than new; the Feinwerkbau Sport I had done by RichardH had amazing deep black gloss blacking, and a specially treated stock as well. Of no interest to collectors, its been a favorite of all its subsequent owners.

I can make them look old too Alistair

[ccdjg]

What are people’s take on the following?

A rare vintage air pistol turns up, with little original blued finish remaining and covered in patches of loose brown rust and some pitting. The normal recommendation on here for honest restoration would be to gently rub it down with fine steel wool and oil until the rust is removed and leave it at that, probably exposing much metal in the white, if somewhat patinated. An alternative could be to boil the gun (suitably dismantled of course) in water for 10 minutes and then remove the loose surface oxide by rubbing down with steel wool and oil. This of course is the basis of rust bluing, taking advantage of the red rust that has built up naturally over time. As a result this leaves the gun surface much darker than the first method.

Would this second method be regarded as a less honest restoration than the first? It is actually a method I have used on occasion to good effect.

I personally think that as it returns the gun closer to how it was intended to look than the first method and involves minimal intervention, it is equally "honest".

[Hsing-ee]

I can make them look old too Alistair

Some rifles look good with a plum patina or whatever, I think Weihrauch HW35s and BSFs and those sort of oldie are great with Ye Olde finish. But Feinwerkbau is definitely a 'modernist' design, maybe modern like a 1981 TVR Tasmin is modern, but nevertheless modern. A Weihrauch HW35 is a Rover P4 in era, kind of Edwardian, whenever it was manufactured.

[Shed tuner]

I like your attitude to the guns though, give them a scrub-up and leave them to shoot. Its what they are for, after all. I don't like pristine rifles, you are always waiting for that first scratch or dent....

I probably don;t even need to comment....

[Hsing-ee]

I probably don;t even need to comment....

Plenty of fine wines kept in musty old bottles!