Restoring abused guns

[kh54]

Hi All. I have acquired six or seven original ACW period guns: revolvers, muskets and a couple of breech loaders. I don’t have the means to buy guns in excellent or better condition - my budget is usually between $1,000 - $1,500 so I expect to get something that might need a bit of work. I recently bought a Spencer rifle (I know, verboten subject) but my questions about it also apply to muzzleloaders that I have. This rifle was “sportefied/sporterized” with an amateurish cut down forestock that was absolutely ruined in the process. Fortunately, nothing was done to any other parts of the gun. I’ve looked for an original replacement forestock but I had to settle for a reproduction. With some work I can make it look more or less original. So now I come to the questions:

1. Does a replacement part (in this case the forestock) diminish the value so much that I shouldn’t worry about “restoring” other parts? Another way to put it - is this gun or any gun only collectible if it’s all original?
2. What about removing a layer of bad finish? The buttstock of the Spencer (again, could apply to muzzleloaders that I have) has a layer of some colored varnish or shellac that is partly worn off and detracts from the original finish. Is it a mistake to clean that?
3. The bore of the Spencer is in good shape but I also have an original 1861 Springfield that has sharp rifling but some pitting in the bore. Is it a mistake to lap the bore a bit? It shoots fairly well but I wonder if a cleaner bore would give it even greater accuracy.

I have collected antique furniture for years but I’ve always only bought pieces that were not usable without removing paint, replacing broken or missing parts, making other repairs and refinishing. I know better than to use that approach with antique guns but I would appreciate y’all’s advice. Thanks!

 

[Conquerordie]

You will get a wide range of answers to this. Personally, I like patina on my ACW guns. If it's been cleaned, I don't even look at it. For me, the guns history is what you see. Someone altered that Spencer for some reason that occurred during the guns use. That's it's history! You can try to remove the old finish, but then you have to try to match the finish of the forearm if you replace it. That could be tough, and then the gun looks mismatched.
For your M1861, why lap it? Are you shooting it? If not, the gun saw a war, there bores are not going to be perfect. Gun collectors are an odd sort, you'll have 100 opinions by the time this discussion ends. You have to do what makes the gun special to you. Others will tell you you ruined it, but it's YOUR rifle. Do what you think is right, just do it well.

 

[wiscoaster]

I think it all depends on your reasons for collecting. If you're collecting instances of original items, then any alteration to their state reduces that type of collectible value. I'm a collector, but my reason for collecting is different. I want an instance of an item that represents history, and I want to be able to use it as such. Therefore I have no problem with such items that have been "restored" to the state they would have been when in actual use. If that means replacing a sporterized stock with a replacement stock, that's OK, but I'd prefer an original replacement stock. This greatly reduces their value to the first type of collector (mismatched parts), but not to me, because it achieves what I want to achieve with that item. For Civil War and earlier periods of firearm history there may no longer be a supply of original replacement parts, and so to restore function to as-was when in use, reproductions are your only choice.

 

[Sam squanch]

Anymore, if you think you may re sell these- don’t touch them. Collectors want guns in found, untouched condition these days. Not an absolute wreck , though. Most people on here know the track of the wolf catalog story about the guy who REFINISHED an old flintlock Indian trade gun.

 

[Whitworth]

If you're not worried about monetary value do what makes you happy. As you mentioned about yourself, there are guys who will buy the best gun they can afford so there is always a market for less then perfect collector grade guns. Having a restored example is much better than having none.

 

[BEP]

That 1861 Springfield has progressive depth rifling; deeper near the breech, shallower towards the muzzle. Lapping that kind of bore is problemetic at best. There may be a suitable method that I'm not aware of (not that uncommon) but I wouldn't attempt it myself and I've successfully lapped several bores over the years.

 

[IanH]

Firelapping, done correctly, works on tapered bores without ruining them.

 

[kh54]

Thanks for the tips about the progressive depth rifling. I was not aware of that. I like to shoot this gun anyway and maybe it’s best left alone.

 

[deerstalkert]

just the thoughts of an old has been collector.
if a collectable needs replacement parts, and originals cannot be found, i look at them like a woman. once a virgin has been bedded , she is no longer a virgin, still to be respected and desired, handled carefully and dressed up in a desirable fashion, but no longer virginal.
fix em up .

 

[Whitworth]

just the thoughts of an old has been collector.
if a collectable needs replacement parts, and originals cannot be found, i look at them like a woman. once a virgin has been bedded , she is no longer a virgin, still to be respected and desired, handled carefully and dressed up in a desirable fashion, but no longer virginal.
fix em up .

At my age I consider a woman to be virgin if she still has all her parts.

 

[deerstalkert]

At my age I consider a woman to be virgin if she still has all her parts.

at the least ........ desirable!

 

[rickystl]

For the 61' Springfield: Does the corrosion appear fairly light -and at the breech end? If it's lighter corrosion up and down the bore, you could sent the barrel off to Bobby Hoyt for what he calls burnishing. Cost is probably no more than shipping the barrel both ways. Other than that, it might be good just to leave it as-is. You have both a collectable and a shooter.

Spencer: If there is anything I've learned about having antique muzzle loaders restored to shooting condition, almost anything can be done given enough time and money thrown at the project. But it doesn't sound like that's what your looking for here.
First you might decide if you want a shooting gun or just a collectable of sorts. (I believe they make replacement parts for originals to convert them to center fire versus rim-fire).

Rick