Brass Butt-Plate Care

[paul f]

I had a great weekend shooting however I was loading my rifle in an area with some gravel and picked up a number of surface scratches on the brass butt-plate. What is a good method to smooth these and restore that desirable finish.
I know that I should have used a piece of wood or fabric underneath- this will not occur in the future.
Thanks!

 

[bob1961]

i use a piece of old carpet bout 10" square and lay it on the ground where i put my rifle butt so it don't get scratched....i guess just take the plate off and refinish it...................bob

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

Paul,

What type of finish does it have now? I use 0000 steel wool on my brass to give it the luster I like but a lot of people take it a step further and use a polishing wheel to make it mirror bright. Are the scratches deep ( dents ) or just on the surface? Dents may require sanding with 300 wet and dry followed by 400 and then steel wool and a polishing wheel. You could also choose to leave them as-is to add to the personality that the gun will take on over the years of service. :winking:

 

[sneakon]

Same question only about scratches on the barrel. Damn concrete range bench bit my gun before I saw what was happening.

 

[Slowpoke]

Put the butt of your rifle on your foot if you're in a bunch of gravel. That's what I do !

My 2 Quid
SP

 

[musketman]

Put the butt of your rifle on your foot if you're in a bunch of gravel. That's what I do !

Me too, unless I can find a nice patch of moss on the ground to set my butt on, the musket's butt that is, not Musketman's butt...

 

You could also choose to leave them as-is to add to the personality that the gun will take on over the years of service. :winking:

LEJ,.... I whole heartedly agree!! Once I build a rifle, it gits no further baby'n other than keep'n the bore sqweeky clean and well oiled (same goes for the lock'n triggers), the rest of the rifle gits a rub-down with a slightly oiled rag when I'm in tha "clean'n mode". My rifleguns take on a patina and persona of ther very own which warms my heart.

I figger I'm take'n care of my weapons in a "historicaly correct" manner which I strive to replicate.

YMHS
rollingb