Brand new antique

[Low Key]

Well, I've finally finished the antiqueing of my new 1858 Remington. I managed to get some birchwood casey plum brown and over the Christmas weekend I browned the 58. The plum brown that I got said on the instructions to de-grease the metal and then heat the metal up to 275 degrees, so I took the gun down to the last screw and washed all the metal I was going to brown in a sink full of hot water with a lot of dawn dish liquid, dryed off everything and stuck it all in the oven on a cookie sheet I bought just for this.

After it was all heated up, I put on the first coat of browning and let it work until everything was cooled off to the point of being able to handle without getting burned and then back in the hot soapy water for a wash down then back in the oven for another round. After the second coat of brown I took some 0000 steel wool and took some of the brown off and then washed everything again and did the whole process three more times and then the steel wool again. Everything is re-assembled now and I also took the steel wool to the grips to take some of the shine off and make them more dull looking.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out and I have a comparison picture of an original 58 remington that I got off the net that looks very similar to how mine turned out.
Before the refinish

after the second coat of plum brown

the finished revolver

a picture of an original 1858 Remington that I found on the net for comparison

 

[Low Key]

Ive posted this also over at www.thefiringline.com with a couple of extra pictures both before and after. Its under the same name in the blackpowder and CAS shooting forum.

 

[Beartracker]

OK, My 51 should be here tomorrow, when do you want to start on it?

 

[Low Key]

Just ship it straight on to me and I'll break it in and antique it for you and have it ready and ship it back in...oh say 6-8 months?!

 

[Beartracker]

Low Key, You are just to,to kind Found two packages on my porch at 11:00 last when I turned out the Christmas lights. This navy is really nice! No dings or marks anywhere and the timming is cylinder timeing is perfect. I'll tear it down today and go over it with a fine tooth comb.

 

[Steve499]

I did mine, too, Low Key. I have several old guns of various persuasions around and was able to make mine just about the same shade of brown they are. I buffed it just a touch on a cloth wheel on the corners and high spots to wear it a little there. I'm pleased with the overall appearance. I draw filed the literature off of the barrel and engraved "PIETTA- ITALY" on the frame beneath the grips just on general principles before I browned it. I still have most of a bottle of plum brown, Beartracker. Send your gun to me! I'll get it back to you in 5 or 6 months!
Steve

 

[Low Key]

I filed the markings on my barrel also, but not completely off. They are very faint but still there, almost gone though. You had a good idea though by engraving the info under the grips.
Just in case the gun were to ever leave my possesion I don't want some poor person getting soaked out of a couple of thousand bucks, and I'm no good at engraving so I just went for the worn off look instead.
These guns look awesome when they are antiqued just right don't they?