A Word on Restoration and Refinishing

Any gun user/owner has a gut feeling about how their guns should be treated…I sure do! I’ve had the privilege of helping folks bring old heirloom guns back from the grave for both practical, safe use, as well as for display.  Sometimes, all a gun needs is a very through cleaning or a few parts made or replaced to meet the desires of the owner. On the other extreme, a full stripping of finishes on metal and wood may be needed followed by appropriate metal bluing and stock finish applications to get the arm up to snuff for the owner. 

It is the owner’s desire and intended use/purpose that I strive to meet in taking on any work, whether simple repairs or more involved rejuvenation projects.  

A lot of discussion in the gun world revolves around the relationships of Restoration/Refinishing and Gun Value. Something to keep in mind is that all things including guns have a value, whether monetary for a collector’s purposes or emotional in the case of a family heirloom. Some guns that have been found leaned up between the posts in a barn have been found to have extreme intrinsic and historical value due to their age, provenance and place in history…even in their “as found” condition. Even cleaning a gun like this could erase clues to its history! Others, although they may be classified as curios, won’t carry the same weight by collectors, may be considered a treasure to the owner for family reasons. It is a really good idea to do a bit of homework before making a leap into a full-blown restoration project. 

But you should consider, that Restoration can have many definitions. Restoration may mean returning the firearm to “as new” condition and finish. The term may also mean bringing the firearm back to functional condition, which could entail replacing parts, dent removal, polishing, total or partial restocking/stock refinishing or reblueing. Even that definition can be broadly interpreted, based on the owner’s desires…maybe those dents and wear marks have value to them. I have old wood working tools for instance that clearly show the finger wear of their historical users…which is just plain cool!

Refinishing on the other hand is straight forward: off with the old finish …on with the new. This should be approached carefully with any historical arm and alteration may really impact the monetary/historical value the piece. Your 40 year old goose gun that has seen many a day in the field and incurred its fair share of barrel and stock dents, rust and dirt, could however be a great candidate for rejuvenation…so the grandkids can use it for another 40.

Most of the guns I have had come into the shop for refinishing would not be candidates for Restoration. Very often, the degree of degradation of wood and metal, depth of rust penetration and even the nature of the metal alloys and woods used in original manufacture can limit how close to achieving a “like new” condition is possible. If you are traveling down this path with your firearm, please keep this in mind and listen carefully to the gunsmith in your conversations so that unrealistic expectations are not developed. For instance, I’ve had several customers who wanted rifles reblued that were in, let’s say, rough condition. Attempting to reblue these guns using standard hot caustic bluing methods very often won’t do the trick…shortly after bluing rust spots weep from deep pores and this produces an unsatisfactory finish. If the arm is a hunting gun that will see many more years afield…well, Cerakote may be the answer. There are some Cerakote finishes that have an appearance almost identical to hot caustic blue or slow rust blue. This process can seal and protect the metal and extend the active life of the gun considerably. But…you need to have a certified Cerakoting expert do the job….the fellow I use does astonishing work!

So, the things you should consider when having your firearm worked on, where alteration to the original metal and wood finishes is being discussed, are:

•   Is this truly a historically valuable firearm? and,
•  What is your perceived value of the firearm and your intended future use?
•  Do you understand the limitations posed by your firearm?

I would be happy to discuss these topics with you and can also refer you firearms appraisers, historians and other resources to help you make informed decisions.

Happy Shooting!