Beating the snot out of a rifle!

[CaptainKirk]

Now, that's the ticket! Nice work!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Goal accomplished.

They look like manure. :rotf:

 

[jerrywh]

Even the value of an original antique firearm is grudged by it's condition. Collectors are almost always quoted as saying condition is everything.
Every mark detracts from the value of any antique.
Jacob Dickert’s rifles never looked all beat up when he delivered them and I am positive every one that owned one tried his best to keep it that way. I am inclined to wonder about the motive of "makers" who beat the manure out of guns. It seems to me to be a race to the bottom of the craft. I'm just saying what most guys are thinking. Am I making friends yet??

 

[Jason Lewis]

i suppose is someone was paying me to "age" a gun i built for them, i could do it, but i think i'd be crying while i did it.

 

[Bill Hall]

Well Jerry, you certainly echoed my opinions on this subject. I'm getting the feeling that some of you guys are trying to create Hollywood props, rather than buy, or build, a cherished piece of craftmanship. In your attempts to try to act like a man of yesteryear, who depended on his firearm for his very survival, you've chosen the exact opposite attitude of how he would relate to his gun. To each his own I guess. Bill

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Some people just like the look of an antique in a gun that is actually safe to shoot. There is nothing wrong with that. The abuse that everyone here has been decrying certainly doesn't apply to some of today's top builders as is evidenced by this example by Ken Gahagan:
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2010/10/american-club-butt-fowler-by-ken.html

And you certainly can't say he is trying to do anything illegal or immoral. It's all in what you like and what you want to spent your own hard earned money on. No one in his right mind could call the above gun mistreated or ruined. Just sayin'.....

 

[Pete Gaimari]

There's nothing wrong with an aged gun. They say it shows character.

Maybe it does, but I want to put on the character myself naturally. Then i'd have memories of every little mark or worn spot on the gun.

To do it unnaturally is just wrong to me.

 

[Vaino]

That club butt fowler is beautiful and Ken Gahagan is one of the best gunbuilders in the country, but....on this particular gun, the metal is aged and looks at least 200 yrs old but the stock looks like it's perhaps 10 yrs old. Perhaps Gahagan couldn't get himself to really "beat up" the stock? I know I couldn't but again it's a personal choice....Fred

 

[der mike]

I build replicas of blackpowder deringers in the style of H. Deringer circa 1850's. they are completely scratchbuilt and not exact copies. I do like the look that has taken decades of wear and tear to achieve and try to emulate that in my style. Anybody in the know can easily tell they are not originals. I feel anything built for our pleasure can be done as we please. just my opinion.............deringer mike

 

[HAMMERSCHILD]

This tread has shown me my true calling! I am so happy now! I have always wanted to be in the custom gun biz.
Heres the deal. If you want yer gun to look aged. Let me borrow it for a season or so. for a nominal fee I will "distress" your weapon and return it to you looking like hell. I promise!
private message me for my mailing address. :rotf:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

This tread has shown me my true calling! I am so happy now! I have always wanted to be in the custom gun biz.
Heres the deal. If you want yer gun to look aged. Let me borrow it for a season or so. for a nominal fee I will "distress" your weapon and return it to you looking like hell. I promise!
private message me for my mailing address. :rotf:

Better yet. Lets exchange guns, and see who can beat the manure out of the other guys gun the best.

 

[CaptainKirk]

Guys, guys.... :surrender: I'm not suggesting that anyone throw their "pet" down a flight of stairs. I could not do that to my baby. In fact, I was lambasted and ridiculed on another forum for polishing the brass on my Trade Rifle to look like polished gold!
I was speaking rhetorically in the sense that if a guy was a rond'voo'r and wanted to appear in authentic period garb, he might look awfully out of place with a brand-new GPR out of the box.
After all, why do some of you brown or rust your barrels? Is that a crime? Hell no! You do it to obtain the original "period" look!
So don't jump all over the guys that don't want to drag a rifle around in the brush for 30+years in order to let it get beat up "naturally" as opposed to artificial aging. They have their point of view (rightfully so!) and should be allowed to express it without being criticized. That's what this thread is about. If you disagree, that's your right, but as for me, I'd like to see more examples of some clever aging. :wink:

 

[HAMMERSCHILD]

Guys, guys.... :surrender: I'm not suggesting that anyone throw their "pet" down a flight of stairs. I could not do that to my baby. In fact, I was lambasted and ridiculed on another forum for polishing the brass on my Trade Rifle to look like polished gold!
I was speaking rhetorically in the sense that if a guy was a rond'voo'r and wanted to appear in authentic period garb, he might look awfully out of place with a brand-new GPR out of the box.
After all, why do some of you brown or rust your barrels? Is that a crime? Hell no! You do it to obtain the original "period" look!
So don't jump all over the guys that don't want to drag a rifle around in the brush for 30+years in order to let it get beat up "naturally" as opposed to artificial aging. They have their point of view (rightfully so!) and should be allowed to express it without being criticized. That's what this thread is about. If you disagree, that's your right, but as for me, I'd like to see more examples of some clever aging. :wink:

hey we were just jokin. I dont care how you treat yer weapon. I was just havin a laugh. You can paint nudie girls on it for all i care.

 

[mart]

I don't post often because I am still a beginning muzzleloader shooter even after several years. I enjoy the information presented here and love to read the posts on all the aspects of shooting, hunting and building muzzleloaders.

I build custom furniture as a sideline to my regular job and cannot bring myself to distress any of my work. By the same token I insist that whoever ends up with one of my pieces of furniture use it and enjoy it but please don't worry about dings, scratches or marks from honest every day use.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I want my furniture and my guns as well, to show honest wear and use. And I want to put it there myself, over time, from years of enjoyable use. For my part I don't want a brand new gun to look like it has had 100 years of use.

I am not a re-enacter nor do I take part in period correct events so I don't need a gun to look the part. I am just a guy who loves to shoot muzzleloaders, especially flinters, and likes good guns.

mart

 

[CaptainKirk]

Most of us are like you, mart. Personally, I can't envision myself beating up a gun I own (or built); I'm total anal when it comes to cleaning & caring for my firearms. Yeah, the dings and scratches are there, but not on purpose.
That being said, it doesn't mean all of us feel the same way, esp. reenactors who want the authenticity thing, and I wanted to get their opinions and maybe some pix of what they've done.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I think we all agree. It's your gun to do with as you please.

If we all thought the same way the world would be a bore.

 

[jerrywh]

The race to the bottom continues. Leave me out.
PS. I'm curious, why does a subject like partially destroying a gun belong in the gun building section. Are we builders or what?
This is always a hot subject and should probably belong in the troll section if there is one. I'm outa here on this one.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Maybe we need a debuilder forum?

 

[Jason Lewis]

if, i were a reenactor i could see owning a gun that is a little distressed. i.e. trying to emulate a typical use of a few seasons as opposed to 100+yrs of wear and tear. the lightly distressed look makes more sense to me.

 

[CaptainKirk]

Jerry:
There is no "race for the bottom".
Nobody is advocating doing a Pete Townshend to their favorite rifle!
In this world, you will always have purists who can't or won't see outside the box on any issues. In fact, I was one of them, until I saw a few "antiqued" firearms on the tube. I don't think I could do that to one of mine, but I could do it for someone who was paying me to "age" their firearm!
Honestly, I don't see the difference between nicking and dirtying up a stock or brass, and browning or rust-coating a barrel. Personally, I like my blued firearms. But if someone gave me a real antique, I wouldn't be rushing off to the 'smith to get it re-blued and re-stocked...would you?
As for this being a "troll" subject and/or thread, as the thread starter, I assure you that was not the intent. I am genuinely interested in seeing what some of the other forum members have done to tastefully "age" their guns. And if you can't understand or agree with that, maybe you're reading the wrong thread? :shocked2: