Gunsmith for Iver Johnson revover

[skipjack]

Hello folks,

I have a customer who wants to get his Iver Johnson top break revolver
refinished. Turnbull, who I have used before, does not work on these,
and I am looking for someone who does.

The gun is mechanically good, but was nickel plated. My customer wants
to get it replated, and the trigger guard and other blued parts reblued.

Any help is appreciated!

Title should read "revolver" not revover...

 

[Old Fuff]

Dave, at www.oldwestgunsmith.com has a national reputation for restoring older revolvers, but explain to your customer that the cost of the work he wants done will probably exceed the value of his revolver, and possibly substantially so. They are easy to disassemble, but tend not to work right when put back together. I fully understand why Turnbull won't take it on, as most gunsmiths and refinishing shops feel the same way.

 

[Jim K]

Few shops will work on those old guns both because they are PITAs and because of the liability factor. As Old Fuff said, the cost involved in the type of work under discussion is a lot greater than the value of the gun. If anyone will do it, he will probably demand a substantial up front deposit; otherwise, the customer will look at the bill, say "keep the d***ned thing", and walk away. (Yes, it happened to me.)

If the customer (or you) will disassemble and reassemble the gun, almost any plating shop can remove the old nickel plating by electrolysis, reversing the plating process, then polish and re-plate. That might be cheaper than having a gun plater work on it.

Jim