restoring and older rifle

O

oldknotty

New member
When restoring and refinishing an older percussion rifle should the barrel be blued or left shiny . I just got a Remington zouave and i want to make it look fairly new what advice is out there for me ??? Also I need to clean up the metal on it and get the trigger to sit in the half cock position .

Oldknotty
 
Flayderman says the barrel was blued, the lock case hardened, the brass bright. Don't know about the half cock, it might be the sear or tumbler.

Is this an original or a repro?
If a real 1863 original it will be worth more left alone, not even heavy cleaning.
 
if its a replica then do as you please . there is a product called oxpho blue sp? pretty good easy to use to. I used it on my old deer hunter carbine barrel came out real nice. :)
 
Blued barrel would be appropriate.

If you have problems with it staying on half-cock - check the sear and how it seats in the half cock notch on the tumbler. If necessary, you can easily replace both the tumbler and the sear.

Dixie, Lodgewood Mfg., S & S should have replacements for the Zoli.
 
Great Project !!!

I do some restoration work and usually try to stay with the original type finish. There are times when this is a tough call. For instance, I redid a Lyman Great Plaines and did that in a Plum Brown. Then again, I had a TC Hawken model and was tempted to do another Plum Brown but instead, decided to go with an it's original blue/black. ..... ;)

I've been looking at a product or process called Express Blue, that sounds promising. Gary led me to it ... :)

On the half-cock problem, make sure the lock parts are tight. Pay close attention to the "Fly" and see if it's warn. Understand that I do not know if you even have a fly. ... :confused:

"Pictures" and;
Be Safe !!!
 
Pahoo

I do have a fly other wise i would have to hike my trouser leg to pee :-) I am not familiar with the internal parts of the rifle or what parts are called what , So if anyone can lead me to an exploded view or something that would be great .
 
A "fly" is a little bar on the tumbler to keep the sear from snagging the half cock notch when just barely lifted out of the full cock notch by a set trigger.
Since military rifles don't have set triggers, I strongly doubt your Zouave has a fly.

I found a Youtube on the Zouave at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWyCc2HrlMo

Parts list and diagram at
http://www.euroarms.net/Avancarica/esplosi/V.ESPL.E P.d.R.REMINGTON ZOUAVE 33.pdf

Also at
http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/uploads/prodotti/S291.pdf
and you can even blow that one up to see the individual parts.
 
Jim Watson

THANK YOU SO MUCH Jim you made my day there pal i am very grateful for the items you posted and they will certainly be of great help to me . I hope someday to be able to replay the favor to someone else :-)
martin
 
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