doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com color change

Black oxide.
JR

My Vintage gun

"We posted five doughty men with shotguns to ensure no one would play the marsh piano that night, your honor."

“Could one of you ‘fellers help me get this 2X4 out of my eye?

Best,
Ted

It's late, so I will try in the morning with the acetone. If you look at the hinge pin area in both pictures you can see remains of color pattern. Sure hope the acetone brings it back. If it does I will send new pics to Ted for reposting...if you don't mind Ted?
Thanks,
Carl

No problem, Carl. Good luck.

Best,
Ted

Well, the results are in...it was the lacquer, the color is back. Before I send Ted updated pics, I'm gonna do a thorough cleaning.
Carl

I would advise caution and patience. The solvent used to remove the lacquer would likely also damage your stock finish. And removing the stock from an L. C. Smith is far from the easiest home gun repair job you might attempt.

Actually, taking them apart isn't all that hard, assuming you have the correct hollow ground screwdrivers to do it without really screwing up the screw slots and surrounding metal.. Getting them reassembled is the hardest part. If you dislike darkened lacquer, you will really hate buggered screws, scratches, or stripped threads, etc. while fighting the top lever spring. Do a little research on that before you decide to jump in.

My opinion is, screw the lacquer. I don't use it on my guns with case color remaining and don't intend to. Keep a light coating of oil on them and keep it them in the dark.

Congratulations, Carl. Glad you had a successful outcome.

A long time ago, maybe ten years, I threw a bid on a 16 gauge Lefever Nitro Special, that was listed on gunbroker, with poor photos that showed barrels with furry rust on them. I regretted doing so almost immediately, but, consoled myself with the fact it was the first bid, and probably wouldn’t be the last.

I was wrong. I ended up winning the gun, a late production 2 3/4” with 26” tubes choked cylinder and mod, for $257. 6lbs, 2 ozs, for those silly enough to ponder such things, on a $250 gun.

When it got here, I was stunned. Yes, the barrels had some rust, but I turned those over to Ken61, a poster I haven’t seen in a while, and they looked like new when he was done. I had to tell him not to go finer than 320 grit, he thought they were nice enough to go London best, which, wouldn’t have been right in this gun. The stock finish was about 100%, as were the case colors. Stunning, stunning old gun.

I dismantled, cleaned, lubed and lacquered the case colors. I used the artist grade Krylon crystal clear in the can, laid it on a bit too thick, stripped it off in a pan of gun cleaner grade lacquer thinner, and then laid it on too thick again. Left that be.

The gun looks phenomenal. Working grade guns usually end up as beaters, and this one is anything but. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but, not to a typical old gun.

I take it out to a spot that requires non toxic shot, I have a small stash of heavi-metal 1 oz loads, and enjoy the fact that my C R eligible 16 gauge is my non toxic gun.

I’ve lacquered a few. Depends on the gun, I wouldn’t do it to just any gun, but, some things that come my way that are very nice, I try to be a bit of a curator, rather than the guy who used it up.



Best,
Ted