Patina finish on your guns?

R

Remington kid

New member
Over the years I have done allot of blueing and rust blueing on my BP guns but have never owned one with or done the Patina finish.
I have seen the original Patina look on so many of the old guns from the civil war err and they look beautiful! I'm going to do my 1858 Remington as soon as I get caught up on a few other things. Have any of you have done this to your guns? Thanks for any replies or info, Mike
 
For guns...

Patina is something that occurs with the lack of conservation. It's aging through handling, holster wear and exposure to the elements, the lack of cleaning and oiling.
 
Gary, I'm aware of what causes it in different medals as well as wood but the look really ads caricture to the piece. One of the company's that produces the replicas offers a Colt or 1858 new army with the pitina look.
Somewhere years ago I read an artical, on how to do it but I can't remember where. They say one of the first things to go with age is your memory and I think there right :confused: Thanks again Gary, Mike
 
Kozak&, The Patina I'm refering to is just what Gary mentioned above but it's done with the rust blueing process which can give you a beautiful blue (takes about a week of hard work for one revolver) but it's the hardest blue I know of .
Instead of boiling the parts between carding like you would do for the deep blueing process you just use warm water and light carding. It will come out looking just like the aged and used revolvers from the Civil war and the wild west days. :)
I found the artical in my junk drawer in my shop and will do it in the next day or two and then post a picture. ;) Thanks for your replys on this guy's, Take care, Mike
 
Patina finish is done

Gary and Kozak6, here is the finished piece. Now it looks more like one that was used in the war. When I got this Remington a few years ago I gave it a total tune up and replaced that pole sight with a German silver blade sight that I made. Looks a whole lot better than the peg sight.Sure do love this gun and it goes in the woods with me all the time with an extra cylinder on my belt. Mike
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strip and refinish

I've seen instructions that say to soak metal parts in vinegar until desired amount of bluing has been removed then refinish with some cold bluing and then repeated applications of gun browning until desired color is reached. I may try that someday. If I ever do, I'd like to remove the printing and logos on the barrel to make it more authentic. There's still room inside the grip to put the Pietta name just so no one thinks you're trying to fake it.
 
Osage, Been doing rust blueing for years and believe me it's the best blueing there is but it takes a week just to do one weapon and if you do rifles or shot guns you need tanks large enough and deep enough to boil them in water for about 10 minutes at a time.
Birchwood Casie makes a blueing remover that's really cheap and it will strip any gun down to virgin steel in short order with no muss no fuss,Lol.
I striped this and then went through the rust blueing for two days but only used warm water so the blueing did not come out dark at all. Then I stoped the rusting process with bakeing soda and water. It will get just a little darker with time and that will be just right for what I want.
The idea of getting rid of the writing is great but then you need to stamp the new writing in the steel and good stamps are not cheap. Wish I had a set, the cheap one's are a joke, been there done that, :( Mike
 
Great stuff!

Here are a couple pics of my antiqued Pietta Remington. I stripped it with navel jelly (took about 5 seconds for the blueing to vanish), then applied (4) coats of Birchwood-Casey Plum Brown.

It turned out pretty good, but I still might take some Flitz polish to it; I did that to my Uberti Cattleman and it made it look 100 years old!

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Cap & Ball

Like I told Remington in another posting, I have two 1858 Remington New Army cap and ball revolvers. The first (this is the one that got me involved with black powder) I bought from someone at work that needed a fast $100.00. It has no numbers or markings on the barrel or frame. It fires a .454 ball pushed by 30 grains of black powder. (I was in error, Remington. It is fffg I use. I verified on the flask. Sorry.) Shoots great. It looked like the cylinder could use some blueing so I used Casey's blueing remover and then dried it and buffed it up. Used Casey's cold blueing and then found pitting jumping out at me. Stopped the process and went to a gunsmith both to get a spare cylinder and to have the old one cleaned up and reblued. He checked it out and asked why reblue it. When he took it out of the box and unwrapped it the cylinder had turned a right nice authentic shade of blue. It matched the rest of the revolver fine. Except for the pitting which didn't detract that much from the gun it looked like it came from the 1800's. He found a cylinder that worked in it from a Pietta. My second I bought from Cabella's with extra cylinders. I've put close to 500 rounds through the first one and only about 20 through the new one. Great shooters both.

Wouldn't let me post the picture of them. File's too big (318 kb). I'll take a picture of each separately and see if they'll post that way. I got the same error on the picture of the Walker.
 
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Thanks for all the info guys! Wish this site was like this a little more. Sometimes getting anyone to reply to your question or info is like pulling teeth in the old day's :D
Johntst, That Rem looks great and can't wait to see more . I never get tired of pics or information about original Remington's . Sure wish I could afford an orginal :( Mike
 
Thanks Mike!

Here is a pic of my original. It looks newer than my Pietta version because someone re-blued it long ago; I bought it very cheap because of that. Too bad, because it is military-marked & matching numbers everywhere! It is very tight, has a mint bore, and would make an awesome shooter if I wanted to :D

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Wow! Nice looking gun's! You guy's sure know how to hurt this poor dumb hill-billy :)
I do believe that I would have to remove that blueing real quick!!! That original 1858 is in great shape. Guess I would just have to shoot that one too. Mike
 
Stuck Clylinder Pin

Can Any Of You Give Me An Idea On How To Keep The Cylinder Pin From Getting Stuck After A Few Shots From My Pietta 1858?after I Shoot It Several Times I Cant Get The Cylinder Pin Loose With Out Some Love Taps.i Shoot Ffg Of 777.
 
I don't have that problem often. I don't use bp substitute either. What you're experiencing I usually only run into after after about 30 to 40 rounds fired off. When it does happen I just use my sheath knife and pop it loose with the edge. I wash the gun out with soapy water, dry it and put a few drops of gun oil, 3M household oil or Marvel oil. Put it back together again and I'm off and blasting again.
 
MPP1423, You really need to do a little work on that gun.The finish on most reproductions leaves alot to be desired, that's why you can buy them so cheap.
Take out the cylinder rod and polish it with sand paper and steel wool until it feels smooth to the touch. Don't over do it, just make it smooth. Now get a chamfer tool and lightly chamfer each end of the cylinder hole. If you don't have a chamfer tool you can do it with a cone shaped stone that goes on a dremel or drill but take it easy. You just want a slight chamfer. Next get a stick that will fit in the cylinder hole and wrap some sand paper around the stick and polish the inside of the cylinder hole.
Put it back togeather and this time before you install the cylinder place some grease on the cylinder rod and use a que-tip to apply grease to the cylinder hole. Also place a small amount of grease on the star of the cylinder(Thats the end of the cylinder where the nipple are.
When you fire the gun the BP resadue gathers in that cylinder hole and on the rod each time you cock the gun for the next shot.
There are alot of other things you should do to that Remington but it's easier to have someone like you just buy this book, you will love it. It will tell you and show you with large clear pictures just how to work on your Reminton and how to tune it up. Before you start make sure you buy a parts kit for your Remington from Cabelas ( They don't advertise it , you have to ask for it) It's cheap and gives you all the extra parts you will need.
Here is the link to that book. You can buy the book new or used. I bought a used one that was like new for about half price. This is a must have book for anyone who owns and shoots Remingtons or any BP revolver.Mike
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/087349153X/ref=ase_gunnersden-20/103-4623232-8230214?v=glance&s=books
 
Hey Guys,thanks.im Not A Pro By Any Means But I Have Had A Stainless 1858 From Cabelas For About 11 Yrs Now And I Just Bought A Pair From A Guy Off Gunbroker.com With The Old Worn Finish.i Bought Two Sets Of The Old Yellow John Wayne Grips The Other Day And Man They Really Set These Guns Off.these Guns Are A Hoot To Shoot And Very Accurate Too.i Shoot 30 Grains Of Ffg 777 Under My Own 200gr Cast Bullet.i Got The Mould From Lee Yrs Ago But I Love The Accuracy Of These Cast Bullets.i Knew If I Had A Question About These Gun Someone Here Could Help.thanks Again.
 
By The Way,have Any Of You Tried The Conversion Cylinders From R&d For 45 Long?if So Do They Fit Like They Say With No Smithing?
 
How To Remove Stuck Nipples In An 1858

I Have Another Problem Besides My Cylinder Pin I Forgot To Ask About.the Nipples In My 1858 Piettas I Bought Used Are Stuck And Will Not Break Loose.i Have Went Through 3 Nipple Wrenches And A Can Of Wd.any Ideas To Get Them Loose.
 
MPP1423, Never tried the conversion cylinders. I think I would buy a colt repo before I did that. It seems that alot of people are getting them and they seem real happy with the way they work. One of the guy's was having a problem so he sent the gun and all to the people he bought the cylinder from. I like to keep my Remies in the old tradtion, Lol.
Go buy a can of Break Free or Liquid Wrench at the auto parts store. Set the cylinder in a small container with the nipples down . Fill each chamber with the Liquid wrench and make sure you use enough to let them soak submerged in the stuff for 24 hours and then try to loosen them. If that doesn't do it get back to me and I'll tell you how to make a socket fit them so you can use a ratchet. You may also have to heat them a little.
Every time I clean mine I use Liquid lock ease on the threads before I replace them. Some guys use "never seize".
Some of the other guy's on this site know more than I ever will about these guns and I'm sure they will jump in to help.
Where did you get the grips for your remingtons? I have looked every where some that will fit. Mike
 
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