How Do I "Antique" a Rifle to look like this picture:

[wavetrain75]

This is a new repro that was antiqued:



I have an old rifle that was pitted pretty bad but as been cleaned up and I'd like it to look like that. Anyone know the process?

[rangerider7]

I bought this Cimarron from Burnt-Mill gunsmiths a few years back. They charge 250.00 to age it. I really like their work. They do 22 different things to it to make it look like an artillery model Colt SAA. I also got this 7 1/2 inch Calvary model from them. They really make them look and shoot great. The gun smith that does the work use to work for Turnbull. IMHO.
http://www.burnt-mill.com/sale1.htm

[olyinaz]

That gray finish could easily be accomplished by soaking the pieces in Evapo Rust overnight but it doesn't really look all that "aged" to me. The other option is stripping it with naval jelly and then browning it with a Birchwood Casey home browning kit. The best results that I've seen involve stripping it, protecting the areas you don't want "aged", and then repeatedly rusting it in a warm moist environment day after day with steel wooling and rubbing each day to knock the rust back down to a nice even "patina" of brown. Add a few dents and dings here and there if you're really in to the job.

Some guys over on the black powder forums are really wizards at this stuff.

I bought an aged Beretta a while back due to a gonga deal sale price but it doesn't look all that "aged" to me either. Not in the traditional sense at least:



Cheers,
Oly

[Hagler]

wavetrain75,

Here is the pitted receiver of a 1975-vintage Winchester 94 that I own:

Bare Receiver looking through loading port.jpg

Here is the same gun after careful sanding & polishing by hand:








I used Birchwood Casey SUPER BLUE liquid, then rinsed the receiver in boiling water. After it was dry, I oiled it. All of the corners & high spots have very thin blue on them. As you can see, the bulk of the receiver is a gray color. The wood was cleaned with acetone & carburetor cleaner, to remove the old varnish that was on it. I put Tru-Oil over the original color that I left in the wood. I used steam to raise just a couple of dents. I did not try to restore this rifle. I wanted it all to look like genuine, working gun. Here are more pictures of the rifle:







I have since added a forearm with the long nose on it. Good luck!

Shawn

[kimwcook]

I know some of the manufacturers actually put their pieces in a big tumbler and tumble them until they reach their aged appearance. Someone had a USFA Rodeo and they antiqued it, but right off the top of my head I don't remember their process. It looked like it was a 100 years old. Maybe someone here will remember what he did.

Hagler, looks like you done good.

[jlchucker]

In the early 1970's, when you could get via mail order a repro of about any Colt or Rem cap and ball revolver from EMF, one of my brothers acquired a repro 1860 Army Colt. While looking for components and accessories at a sporting goods store in one of Vt's bigger towns, he asked the clerk in charge of the gun dept. about cleaning black powder revolvers. He was told to disassemble the revolver and boil it in a mixture of vinegar and water, then oil the parts and put the gun back together. When my brother extracted his new revolver out of the water/vinegar, to his surprise, most of the blueing (and color case) was gone, leaving him with a gun now a couple of shades grayer than the first revolver shown in this thread. We always viewed that gun store expert with a bit of suspicion after that episode. My brother still has the gun--but it looks more like a Civil War relic than a repro. No parts were damaged, since he didn't boil the brass trigger guard, springs, etc. --just the barrel, receiver, and cylinder. I don't know if I'd recommend doing this, but it did seem to get the gun finish that is being sought after in this thread. Anyone ever try this?

[jlchucker]

In the early 1970's, when you could get via mail order a repro of about any Colt or Rem cap and ball revolver from EMF, one of my brothers acquired a repro 1860 Army Colt. While looking for components and accessories at a sporting goods store in one of Vt's bigger towns, he asked the clerk in charge of the gun dept. about cleaning black powder revolvers. He was told to disassemble the revolver and boil it in a mixture of vinegar and water, then oil the parts and put the gun back together. When my brother extracted his new revolver out of the water/vinegar, to his surprise, most of the blueing (and color case) was gone, leaving him with a gun now a couple of shades grayer than the first revolver shown in this thread. We always viewed that gun store expert with a bit of suspicion after that episode. My brother still has the gun--but it looks more like a Civil War relic than a repro. No parts were damaged, since he didn't boil the brass trigger guard, springs, etc. --just the barrel, receiver, and cylinder. I don't know if I'd recommend doing this, but it did seem to get the gun finish that is being sought after in this thread. Anyone ever try this?

[gak]

Shawn (Hagler) - great job on the '94!

[Mike D.]

I bought this Cimarron from Burnt-Mill gunsmiths a few years back. They charge 250.00 to age it. I really like their work. They do 22 different things to it to make it look like an artillery model Colt SAA. I also got this 7 1/2 inch Calvary model from them. They really make them look and shoot great. The gun smith that does the work use to work for Turnbull. IMHO.
http://www.burnt-mill.com/sale1.htm

I like the looks of those guns, but, there were no guns listed on their site. All they had was references to what is available.

[olyinaz]

In the early 1970's, when you could get via mail order a repro of about any Colt or Rem cap and ball revolver from EMF, one of my brothers acquired a repro 1860 Army Colt. While looking for components and accessories at a sporting goods store in one of Vt's bigger towns, he asked the clerk in charge of the gun dept. about cleaning black powder revolvers. He was told to disassemble the revolver and boil it in a mixture of vinegar and water, then oil the parts and put the gun back together. When my brother extracted his new revolver out of the water/vinegar, to his surprise, most of the blueing (and color case) was gone, leaving him with a gun now a couple of shades grayer than the first revolver shown in this thread. We always viewed that gun store expert with a bit of suspicion after that episode. My brother still has the gun--but it looks more like a Civil War relic than a repro. No parts were damaged, since he didn't boil the brass trigger guard, springs, etc. --just the barrel, receiver, and cylinder. I don't know if I'd recommend doing this, but it did seem to get the gun finish that is being sought after in this thread. Anyone ever try this?

Well that would do it I'd say!! (Although truly I'm sorry that gun shop dolt steered your brother wrong. Sheesh...)

The only thing I'll add is to make sure to grease up for protection those parts that you do not want prematurely aged (interior, sears, bearing surfaces etc.) by a corrosion process. That's one thing I like about Evapo Rust - it wont harm steel because it only goes after oxides (as far as I know - someone correct me if I'm wrong). It leaves a nice dull gray finish that's somewhat "aged white steel" looking.

The other item that I've noticed that gives a mottled "working gun" looking finish to blued carbon steel is a stainless steel blackening formula from Caswell (don't ask me how I know...). It leaves more blue but it mottles it and turnes it gray. The effect can be nice if that's what one is looking for.

And yes Hagler, that looks nice indeed!

Cheers,
Oly

[olyinaz]

Rangerider, those look really nice. I especially like the browned model on the bottom!

Best,
Oly

[rangerider7]

MikeD, They do them by custom order only now. You can contact them and see what their order time in now. I haven't contacted them for quite a while. Actually they both are about the same color in finish olyinaz, the top photo just was taken by a different camera. They both appear more like the 7 1/2 inch model.

[Hairtrigger]

Easiest way I know is far from the cheepest.... send it to Turnbull Restorations!!! NO doubt you will be happy with it

[Sixgun]

I know how to do it but I ain't tellin'. It will inspire financially motivated unscrupulous individuals to unfairly replicate the age of antique guns.

I only do it when absolutely necessary and never to enhance value to a false degree.

I did it last month on a very small section of an 1840 Springfield flintlock where someone etched his name on the lock, right next to the eagle. I liken it to a very small dent on a Rolls Royce that is otherwise perfect. It was a section about 1/4" high by 1 and 1/2" long. When I was done, there was 160 years of patina that matched the rest of the lock.

Sorry guys --no PM's----------------Sixgun

[Rube Burrows]

I know how to do it but I ain't tellin'. It will inspire financially motivated unscrupulous individuals to unfairly replicate the age of antique guns.

I only do it when absolutely necessary and never to enhance value to a false degree.

I did it last month on a very small section of an 1840 Springfield flintlock where someone etched his name on the lock, right next to the eagle. I liken it to a very small dent on a Rolls Royce that is otherwise perfect. It was a section about 1/4" high by 1 and 1/2" long. When I was done, there was 160 years of patina that matched the rest of the lock.

Sorry guys --no PM's----------------Sixgun

While I understand your concern with dishonest people trying to pass off fake guns, I also know that if dishonest people are looking to be dishonest, they will figure it out. There are several posts about the process on the net. Not all that hard to find. There are also many different ways of doing it some of which are better no doubt.

I have antiqued a few replica cowboy guns....not to fool anyone but to get a look of a gun that was a cowboys life line. Something he used everyday.



Here is one link and way to do it.

http://members.cox.net/longshot_logan/M ... iquing.htm

I have only been around here for a few months so if this sort of link is a no no here then by all means pull it off or tell me and I will. I just know that criminals will be criminals......and they will find their ways.

[Sixgun]

While I understand your concern with dishonest people trying to pass off fake guns, I also know that if dishonest people are looking to be dishonest, they will figure it out. There are several posts about the process on the net. Not all that hard to find. There are also many different ways of doing it some of which are better no doubt.

Rube,
Absolutely! These net links will enable an individual to "antique" his guns and 99% of unqualified people will not know the difference. Then there's the 99% of qualified people who can spot the "antiquing" a mile away.

This type of "antiquing" is fine as it enhances the owner of the guns "ownership" and our never ending desire to our great nation's past and to own "things" from it, even if they are not real. e.g.--reproduction Western guns made in Japan. (nothin' personal--they make great guns--I just don't care to own guns made by a nation who used our soldiers for live bayonet practice, even if it was just a select few of those japs)

Dishonest people can "want" all they want, but unless they have a degree in chemistry with years of experience to back it up, they will never know how to antique "right". (Oh, I don't have #1 ) -----------------------Sixgun

[rangerider7]

The sixguns I'm talking about still have Cimarron on the barrel. Colt is no where to be found.

[gak]

I've had a few sixguns done--one by Cim--on this side of the pond--at my (local shop's) request as part of a new purchase--to good effect for me. Never dawned on me to fool anyone but myself other than a good-natured "check this neat old gun out" temporary fooling of compadres before revealing the truth of the matter. When they look closely they don't see "Colt" anywhere anyway. A friend has had our smith "age enhance" already humped and buggered up (usually bad re-bluings or other refinishes--over sanding/old pitting, etc) old Colts for his enjoyment only--guns whose value had already been permanently diminished--making a sow's ear into, uh, less of a sow's ear. Though very well done, any Colt expert or serious collector would know. I'd like to antique an older Rossi 92 I have in the stable.

[O.S.O.K.]

Rangerider - that is one fantastic job on that hogleg. Wow - best I've ever seen.

I do know that soaking the disasembled parts - degreased first -in strong vinegar will give it a dark color like that. If you were to first boil the parts in water and let sit until a light rust formed and then soak it in vingegar and then use some oiled emery paper to "wear" the edges and such - it'll come out pretty good.

[kimwcook]

There's the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and urine route.... I've used all the above to etch a blade to show the quench line. Oh, except for the urine route. Didn't really see the need to try that one.