Is There Anything I Can Do?

[TheSigmaEnigma]

I have an old break action revolver and I am thinking about re-bluing it. One side of it is pretty good, but the other side is shot. What is a good price to get it re-blued? Is there a way to do it myself? If so, how much does that cost? I would appreciate any positive responses!

-Enigma

 

[earplug]

Don't touch it

A refinish won't help it shoot better, I won't be worth more and it might destroy any collector value.
Depending on make and model if a part gets lost or broken in taking it apart you may not find a replacement part.
Keep it oiled and let it be.

 

[mljdeckard]

I won't say NEVER re-blue a classic. It depends on if you really ever want to sell it. We had to decide with a couple of my grandfather's old ones, particularly a Model 97 16 ga. The question we narrowed it down to was if we wanted to sell them or shoot them. We concurred that grandpa's guns weren't going anywhere, and he would have wanted them to be shot and passed down. So we had them completely restored. Destroy resale value? Don't know don't care.

The bluing itself isn't very expensive, but you will want to talk to a smith who knows how to deal with that particular gun well. I would go to one of the gun shows that is more for collectors and antiques and pick up a couple of business cards.

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

The revolver isn't anything special, but it has a lot of sentimental value. It is my first gun and I'll probably never sell it. I guess I'll just leave it alone for now. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Smaug]

What kind of revolver is it?

I've got an H&R break-open revolver, the "22 Special" model. Is it like this?









I think it is rather special, as it is not just another single action cowboy gun or a swing-out Smith. It is very easy to unload the empties and reload the new rounds.

Mine was given to me by my great uncle, who died a few years ago. I think he took it fishing with him, and shot cats that were prowling his back yard with it. The main spring on mine is tired, so it doesn't always have the poop to touch of a round. To be fair, I should try it with some good ammo some time, instead of the bulk crap I feed to my 22s most of the time.

The longer I have this gun, the more it grows on me. It really has a unique character to it. (you will appreciate this as you get older, I think)

The original purpose of bluing was as a corrosion inhibitor. You can take care of that with a bit of oil or WD-40.

I too think it is a good call to keep it original. Spend your money on that new or used Ruger Mk. II or III that we were talking about in the Autoloaders forum.

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

What kind of revolver is it?

I've got an H&R break-open revolver, the "22 Special" model. Is it like this?









I think it is rather special, as it is not just another single action cowboy gun or a swing-out Smith. It is very easy to unload the empties and reload the new rounds.

Mine was given to me by my great uncle, who died a few years ago. I think he took it fishing with him, and shot cats that were prowling his back yard with it. The main spring on mine is tired, so it doesn't always have the poop to touch of a round. To be fair, I should try it with some good ammo some time, instead of the bulk crap I feed to my 22s most of the time.

The longer I have this gun, the more it grows on me. It really has a unique character to it. (you will appreciate this as you get older, I think)

The original purpose of bluing was as a corrosion inhibitor. You can take care of that with a bit of oil or WD-40.

I too think it is a good call to keep it original. Spend your money on that new or used Ruger Mk. II or III that we were talking about in the Autoloaders forum.

Haha, yeah, it looks just like that! Yeah, I think I'll just leave it as is and get a Mark III if I want one to shoot a lot. I appreciate your help!

-Enigma

 

[psyshack]

Do a rust blue and blend it.

 

[451 Detonics]

There is a vast difference between a stove top bluing job and a professional restoration. The bubba job will definitely lower the value while a professional job will not in most cases, especially if the finish is badly damaged. In fact it many cases it will enhance the value. Now if you find the derringer Booth used of course you will want to leave it alone, same with any historically important firearm but a common gun is a different matter altogether.

For example if this Iver Johnson I recently shoots well it will probably get a high quality bluing job.