doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need advice: Protect barrels from hand contact

Hello Gentlemen:

Our quail season just starts here in central Mexico.

I use a 20 ga Pedro Arrizabalaga shotgun that once belong to my granfather. The shotgun is in excelent condition and I want to keep that way as much as posible, but also I plan to use it untill I passed to my son (in many, many years, I hope!).

The advice I need is: how can I protect the barrels from hand contact in the forend area?. I use a leather glove, but I think the shotgun starts to show some faded in the blueing.
I have Brichwood Stock Wax and, perhaps, I can apply a thick coat in the barrels to avoid friction with my gloved hand.
What do you think is the best way to protect that area from continue use?
As always, thank you for all the advice you can give to me.

Best,

Jose,

I understand you wanting to preserve it the way it was when you got it, but to use it is to honor it, and him. I would wax it heavily, as you said, and try not to worry too much if it acquires a bit more patina.

Think about it like this ................. whoever inherits it after you're gone may appreciate that patina that you put on it. I believe my sons or grandsons would.

SRH

Buena cacer�a hermano. Mi padre se mud� de Juriquilla Quer�taro a Jurica hace 2 a�os.

Johnson Paste Wax
http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/us/en/brands/sc-johnson/sc-johnson-paste-wax

Thank you. I will put a coat of wax over the barrels.

Drew: Queretaro is the place for Scaled quail; do your father hunt?

Best,

No bird hunters in my family Jose - not sure where I got it

He's 91, but his Baptist preacher father lived to 107 after being told by one of the Mayo brothers at the Mayo Clinic at age 17 he would be dead in 2 years!!

Jose, tell us about the quail hunting in the part of Mexico you're hunting. Be very interesting.

I treat my leather gloves with Ballistol, for a little extra protection from sweaty hands.

I am with those who believe handling patina in all part of a gun's history, and I don't believe you will ever prevent gradual wear to the blueing from handling, especially on a s/s where the forward hand directly contacts the barrel metal.

One very good wax is http://www.picreator.co.uk/articles/3_renaissance_wax.htm - but I don't think you will find it easily outside the UK. However - it is really more for preservation in storage rather than protection in use.

The forty plus years of handling patina on this gun from the time of its restoration does not detract from the gun at all. Infact it proves the gun has been used and of course looked after. Also just new looks will not last for ever on guns or people!!

Dang Damascus! That's a revelation that comes as a bit of a shock for me. I was hoping to look new for at least another 40 years or so.

Sweet looking double you've got there.

I've used the Johnson paste wax that Drew posted a link to, for protection from salt water and when hunting in rainy conditions and it works fine for that, don't know why it wouldn't protect, to a certain degree, from the gun being handled.