recommendations for cleaning and restoring originals

[Kansas Jake]

I would try to contact someone experienced in conservation/restoration of antique firearms before doing anything drastic. Having said that, I have had good luck with PB Blaster penetrating oil in softening rust. I would try something like that and maybe coarse denim as a start to rub of surface rust. It will also loosen up rusted internal parts. Again, the wise choice is to do as little as necessary to clean them and get them functioning.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I watched a video made by a restoration gunsmith. He said that he dies inside when seeing folks taking guns down to the metel where they were once blued. He went through a process that turned rust on the gun chemically back to bluing. I'm not a restoration gunsmith, so I'm not sure when this is applicable or how to do it, but it would make sense to look into this resoration technique for those parts of the guns that may have started out blued.

 

[Travler]

The cast iron collectors seem to use a low current electric voltage in a bath of some sort to reverse some rust. Might be worth looking into. I also saw this used on a cannon barrel in some special I watched. Sorry if this is vague but those are some special guns. Best of luck!

 

[hrt4me]

The cast iron collectors seem to use a low current electric voltage in a bath of some sort to reverse some rust. Might be worth looking into. I also saw this used on a cannon barrel in some special I watched. Sorry if this is vague but those are some special guns. Best of luck!

I have considered doing this baking soda-water solution with a 12V battery...

 

[Phil Coffins]

This was a rusted busted piece of junk when I got it. It’s a replica so it’s value is only as a replica. I have the experience and tools to do this refinish work so I did. The other pistol is an original so it won’t get a refinish and retains its value that is much more then the refinished replica. Your old guns are just that so allow them to be what they are. If you want a shooter sell one of them and buy a few replicas.
IMG_0689 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[hrt4me]

fortunately I already have a dozen replicas which I fire quite often and regularly, my favorites being my Euroarms Rogers & Spencer as well as one of my three Ruger Old Army stainless

 

[Silent Cherokee]

This guy has several good videos on conservation vs "restoring".

 

[Notchy Bob]

That is an astonishing collection!

Kerosene works very well as a soak, after removal of the wooden stocks. Kerosene is cheap (relatively speaking), it penetrates, and as far as I know it won't alter the finish on the metal. Many folks may not realize that kerosene is the primary ingredient in Hoppe's No. 9.

If you need to use an abrasive, bronze wool is a good choice, much better than steel wool for this type of work. It will take off surface rust and crusted filth, but you have to scrub mighty hard to make it take off blueing. Brownell's has bronze wool, and I actually found some nearby in a local hardware store a couple of years ago.

Peacemaker Specialists sells sets of two Colt-specific hollow-ground gunsmith's screwdrivers, which I believe are made by Grace. As the name implies, these folks specialize in the Colt SAA unmentionable revolvers, which don't differ that much from Colt's older percussion wheel-guns. You might even call them up and discuss what you have. They are primarily a gun smithing service and may provide some helpful suggestions. Again, they specialize in the somewhat later Colt single actions, but I doubt they are entirely ignorant with regard to percussion revolvers. They have a nice website, but I'm unable to post a link on the device I'm using right now. They are easy to find with a Google search.

I'm not sure what to recommend with regard to nipple wrenches. With the collection of shootable reproductions you have, chances are pretty good that you know more about nipple wrenches than I do. I have acquired a variety of them, but I wouldn't consider any of the nipple wrenches I've seen on today's market to be top-of-the-line, precision tools.

Good luck with your restoration project! We hope you'll submit periodic progress reports, and share any techniques or insights the rest of us might find useful.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[hrt4me]

That is an astonishing collection!

this is just the start, I am still unpacking and cataloging more...

thank you for your tips and recommendations, Notchy Bob

 

[gunnyr]

I have considered doing this baking soda-water solution with a 12V battery...

I have used this process on old tools I collect and clean up with great results. Follow with a brisk brushing with
a brass brush , tooth brush style. Hope you have great results with what ever method you use.
gunnyr

 

[Daveboone]

I would think of another approach, esp. considering the historic nature of the arms...I would carefully research qualified gunsmiths to evaluate each guns potential, then consider a swap of some of the collection for work on the remainder?

 

[2 shots]

as said never use steel wool. i use aluminum wool and oil as it will not remove bluing or polish the bare metal. just 2 cents worth of info. nice find . please leave them as original as you can.

 

[Capnball]

last photos for tonight... Allen & Thurber .32 caliber Pepperbox
View attachment 73991
View attachment 73992
View attachment 73993
View attachment 73994View attachment 73995
View attachment 73996
View attachment 73998

WOW, did you ever step in it! If you did nothing else but preserve what you have, it's both a valuable and beautiful collection. I restored (sympathetic restoration) an 1861 Bridesberg that had been sporterized and long forgotten in a shed. The gun works and I've fired it. I posted a thread called "Bridesberg Resurrection" on this website. I'm not an expert. This gun was quite litterely, on its way to a police buy back and ultimately a crusher. It was worthless in it's form and condition. I spent most of my adult life as a carpenter and an automobile mechanic so I had the fundementles but almost every piece of information about repairing or restoring I got from the members on this site. My strongest advice is to halt any further deterioration then start on the worst of the lot and stick to it till it's done! Starting with the worst will help you hone skills without expensive mistakes on better models. Then on to the next. By the time you're done, you'll have a wealth of knowledge and a whole new group of friends.
Neil

 

[hrt4me]

as said never use steel wool. i use aluminum wool and oil as it will not remove bluing or polish the bare metal. just 2 cents worth of info. nice find . please leave them as original as you can.

I am still trying to determine the best source for replacement parts, as needed...
Does anyone happen to know whether parts from the modern Colt 2nd (and maybe 3rd ?) generation black powder revolvers fit and function in these antique originals from the mid-1800s?

 

[hrt4me]

I would try to contact someone experienced in conservation/restoration of antique firearms before doing anything drastic.

Fortunately I am in Dallas, Texas, and happen to have a good friend who works at Heritage Auctions locally, so he will be a good initial resource!

 

[JCKelly]

As a collector, I missed buying a Flint military pistol in "attic" condition. Dag-gone it.
"Attic" means to me it is a genuine antique that hasn't been messed with. Important to collectors.
My own idea of "cleaning" a collector's gun is treat it like your new S & W that has just been to the range. Wipe off the outside and bore with a little, damp cloth little, bit of Frank Hoppe's No. 9.

 

[Mulebrain]

I would remove any grips, and dunk the entire lot in vinegar for a couple weeks. Hose everything off, and tooth brush the lot, rinse, dry , then oil everything up. Do not steel wool, or use any abrasives on those pistols, it will hurt the value.

 

[hrt4me]

I would remove any grips, and dunk the entire lot in vinegar for a couple weeks. Hose everything off, and tooth brush the lot, rinse, dry , then oil everything up. Do not steel wool, or use any abrasives on those pistols, it will hurt the value.

wouldn't vinegar be pretty aggressive against the metal ?

 

[Kansas Jake]

I would stay away from vinegar unless you are putting it on your salad or spinach.

 

[2 shots]

vinegar will remove any remaining bluing