recommendations for cleaning and restoring originals

[hrt4me]

I have just acquired (from the estate of a deceased collector) approximately two dozen (I have not actually counted nor inventoried them all yet) original black powder percussion revolvers, primarily Colt and at least one Remington New Model Army. They all exhibit various levels and depths of rust, and some of the actions function while others are completely locked up due to the corrosion. I intend to clean up as many as I can and 'restore' them to the point I could safely fire them (which I intend to do eventually... given their current condition, I figure it cannot hurt them anymore)

I first plan to completely disassemble and strip each revolver as much as possible and then use WD-40 and fine steel wool to remove as much surface rust as possible, then hopefully free stuck cones after a good soak in Kroil (and maybe apply heat?), and treat all the wood grips with Linseed oil. Does anyone have any further suggestions, tips, recommendations and/or constructive criticism on my cleaning regimen?

Additionally, I realize none of these revolvers have been in production for more than a century and a half... so what would be the best source for any replacement parts (particularly in their actions)? Would, by chance, corresponding parts from modern replicas (e.g. Pietta, Uberti) fit in these authentic antique revolvers?

As an example of the state of these, here is a Remington New Model Army with its corroded frame and barrel, to give you an idea...

 

[hrt4me]

here is the Colt 1851 Navy .36 caliber; the hammer cocks, but it will not drop, and only sometimes does the hand turn the cylinder...

 

[hrt4me]

here is the Colt 1860 Army .44 caliber, which for the most part seems to function well (half **** and full **** both work, the hand rotates the cylinder and the bolt stops the cylinder, and there does not seem to be excessive play)

 

[hrt4me]

this next Colt is a .31 caliber 6-shot, but I am not really sure which model it is...

 

[hrt4me]

this Colt, .36 caliber, unsure whether Sheriff's or Police model...?

 

[hrt4me]

I just figured out this is not a Colt, but rather a .31 caliber 5-shot percussion revolver from Hopkins & Allen Mfg Co in Norwich, CT...

 

[hrt4me]

here are all the ones I dug out and photographed tonight, including the .32 caliber Allen & Thurber Pepperbox

 

[hrt4me]

last photos for tonight... Allen & Thurber .32 caliber Pepperbox

 

[Phil Coffins]

Don’t use steel wool or any other abrasive! Here’s a 1849 I just did that was broken and sad shape. Oil is a good start, it’s to late in the evening to type more.
IMG_0732 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Justin.44]

A really nice score That ought to keep you busy for a while!

 

[hrt4me]

A really nice score That ought to keep you busy for a while!

your first package finally arrived, but unfortunately now this may delay me actually casting my own lead round balls... I plan to fire the Colt 1860 Army first, since it seems to be the best condition in terms of function of its action parts

 

[hrt4me]

Don’t use steel wool or any other abrasive! Here’s a 1849 I just did that was broken and sad shape. Oil is a good start, it’s to late in the evening to type more.
IMG_0732 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

OK, so no steel wool nor any other abrasive, got it! Thank you.

So should I give the revolvers and their parts a good chemical bath then instead?

And is linseed oil still best for the wood?

Was your 1849 in as bad shape as the ones I depicted so far?

 

[Throwdown58]

For that much damage I would use a sandblasting cabinet and just be very careful to only brush the rust off. The damage is done, and that rust needs to come off. You can soak it in as much oil as you want, but you won't turn iron oxide back into iron. A sand blasting cabinet gets every little crack cleaned up. The parts for those guns were hand fitted and tested, and the same will most likely have to be done now. There are parts for original guns out there that differ from the replicas.

 

[Eric Bye]

I would not sand blast any visible exterior surface unless everything else I tried failed to remove the rust. I think that minimal intervention is advisable in dealing with antique guns. One of the first Colts pictured has plenty of rust on the part of the frame that will be covered by the grips; this is a good area to experiment with. You might also want to try EvapoRust, which many people have used with satisfactory results. In any case take good care to avoid damaging any remaining original finish and markings (serial numbers, manufacturer's name and address, inspector's marks, etc). Boiled linseed oil will nourish dry wood; rub it into the wood by hand and let the wood soak up as much as it wants.
You will have great fun working with this instant collection and will learn lots in the process.

 

[hrt4me]

I figure it will take me a year to go through them all and thoroughly clean and restore them!

Also, I believe my Colt .31-caliber 6-shot is an 1849 Pocket model; I was unsure initially because I had been under the impression there were only 5-shot cylinders...

 

[SOLANCO]

Maybe a gentler sand blasting medium like crushed walnut shells?
I second Pilgrim's thought on experimenting with rust on parts normally hidden.
Did this collector store these in water buckets?!?!?

 

[hrt4me]

Maybe a gentler sand blasting medium like crushed walnut shells?
I second Pilgrim's thought on experimenting with rust on parts normally hidden.
Did this collector store these in water buckets?!?!?

allegedly there was a fire, and although most of the guns do not exhibit fire damage, they do show water damage in terms of visible corrosion

 

[Phil Coffins]

The first step is to get a oil like Koil in to every part and avoid the wood. Wipe off any oil that touches the wood. While they oil does its work get a set of good hollow ground screw drivers that fit the slots perfectly. Nipples may not be removable on some of them, don’t destroy them as these are not merely shooters. Once disassembled begin cleaning with soap and water, pausing to oil each piece before moving to the next part. If you have a sonic cleaner that helps. Then put the part into boiling water to convert the red rust into black oxide. This can be rubbed down with a coarse cloth and oil to remove surface rust and stabilize the gun. The wood was originally varnished so a light wipe down with a damp rag will do. Restoring an antique is a art and I don’t pretend to be a restorer but many a fine gun has been ruined by heavy handed good intentions.
Good to see you picked up on your 6 shot 1849, there’s less of them around then the five shot models.

 

[thehawkendoctor]

Try soaking them in Doc Hawkins Blue and Rust remover after removing the wood..Its a very gentle rust remover ...get it from flea bay

 

[rafterob]

To protect value of originals, the existing patina should be left as is. How best to accomplish that, not sure.