Quote:
Just sent you a PM.
Please post this for the rest of us if you know of someone that does this
Hamhead, I'd be happy to...just it wasn't so much a "here's who does it," except to describe my own satisfaction on a few... may be useful for others, and I'd be happy to send a pic(s) to any who may be interested. With a PM and then email off of, happy to supply that person's name (top SAA tunesmith) but he may not appreciate my broad-listing it as he doesn't advertise this type of service as a regular item...though may be glad to do "whatever" to yours. Not that it matters, but I've edited this to be a little more clear/forum-worthy.
Gak
Hi Gary..send me your email and I'll send you some pics. I have two "un-finished" ones:
1) a Cimarron (Uberti) intended to be with old ("original") finish EXCEPT that it isn't the factory aged finish, but done "for me" by Cimarron smith when I had my local shop order me one (Cim said no old finish ones scheduled to be shipped from Italy for the caliber I wanted (44S))... but they just happened to have a polished blue one on the bench...and would "antique" it for me. Like it better than the factory old finish; mine has a bit more sheen--and just a bare hint of case-coloring remaining.
2) I got a USFA Rodeo expressly for the purpose of having a Colt quality gun re internals that I (my smith) could STRIP and "age" (w/o feeling guilty...) I was not a fan of the Rodeo finish and it looked like a prime candidate for "messing" with. Came out great. I don't know about remaining rust protection and likely won't know for awhile as I live in the mostly dry Arizona desert. A friend is taking his exact same project a step further by "accelerating" the aging process further...really wants a beat up, old looking gun with Colt qual, brand new internals. He's strategizing his "steps" now to induce early pitting, etc. (We've both know about and have had "aged" Gunslingers btw, but their prices haven not come down appreciably - unlike USFA's regular model. This process--depending on how much DIY--at least saves a few hundred dollars, and ends up with a slightly different if not "better" look).
The result on mine is very clean--perhaps to some it'd be that "too modern or perfect" someone was referring to, but to me it falls short of that. It isn't as much as as the satin bead blasted finish I've seen some folks do (not to age necessarily but just put a different finish on to get rid of the sheen) but I'd say its just pretty close to the "finish gone" you're talking about ...without gun being beat up look. Close to "in the white" but not that bright. Judicious application of a thin coat of plum brown might "age" it more and provide rust protection if needed/an issue..I don't know. (Someone else can weigh in here-perhaps the original poster of that idea from another thread). In any event, I may age it more but also like it the way it is (part of all this also was to age the grips to match...which I did on both guns...both being the checkered hard black rubber. The Rodeo is the stock factory grips now smoothed of their sharp checkering (about 40% harsh points knocked off...but not totally removed. The Cimarron had the factory "walnuts" which were ok (and the guy even pitted them a little and I later hit it with some 0000 wool to further reduce the sheen...but still not fully satisfied...so my smith adapted some new oversized 3rd Gen eagles (the Cim shape LOOKS like a Colt but are just enough different, including needing to add a locator pin to the Cim frame)...then "antiqued" them to perfect effect!
Let me know.
Gak
PS
I don't know what process my smith used to strip all that ugly flat finish off the Rodeo. I've read of a number of "formulas"--some including things like vinegar, or lapping compound, plum brown and other ingredients--various multi-step processes folks have figured out. [/I]
Later Ed> - BTW, the current base-flat finish Ubertis being sold (perhaps as Cattleman - though that also refers to their "better" ones too)...with the black hard rubber grips...appears to be a perfect candidate as well for my stripping process above (Rodeo) or other antiquing..without feeling like you're messing with a "perfectly good, gloss/case hardened" gun. I'm not referring to the Millenium or such that are being sold in the large warehouse sports/outdoors stores - two tone cheaper Ubertis, that are brass frame/flat black combination...but perhaps one step "up." These only come in .357 or .45 that I've seen, certainly no .44 Special like my Cimarron.
