Antiqueing done on my 51

R

Remington kid

New member
Finished antiqueing my 1851 Navy Colt today and it never cost me a dime. My local hardware store had a bottle that just said "browning" on it and it was made by CVA. The owner gave it to me because it was full of dust and he had no idea how old it was. Then my wife gave me a bottle of white vingar to strip the bluing and some baking soda to nutralize the rusting process.
Took two coats to get it to look the way I wanted it too and a little steel wool work. It rained all day here so it was a good day to do it.
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R

Remington kid

New member
Thanks O.D. That means alot.

Tinker, This is my first Colt and I have been going through the learning process on this one and have learned alot about these open tops. It's been fun and took some head scratching on some minor problems that I caused myself but to me that's the way to learn.
This 51 has proven itself to be much more accurate than I would have ever guessed and now that I know what I'm doing it has been very easy to smooth up the inards and make it run smooth as silk. The trigger pull has been lightened and it took me some time to do that but well worth it! Chamfered the cylinder holes including the center arbor hole on both ends of the cylinder.To many others things to list them all here.
#11 caps proved to be to big again just like on my Remingtons.
The #11 CCI fit great but they were not as reliable as I like.It may be because they have a thicker skin. I tried my extra Remington nipples in it and they fit perfectly so now the Remington #10 fits all my my rifles, shotgun, pistols and revolvers like a glove!
If you have a chance to grab one you wont be sorry:) Mike
 
J

johnrtse

New member
Looks fantastic and quite antique looking! Just the right amount of browning.

Thanks for showing it to us!
John
 
W

Wayner

New member
Is it a real antique?

Well Remington Kid. You've out done yourself on this one. If the grips weren't shiny I'd a thought you bought an original. Why not list "all" the tuney-upy stuff you did? Someone somewhere may larn a thang er tooo er geet a ider to thunk up.:D What did it take to get the trigger lightened up? Lots of hassel or "got right to it"? What make 1851 Colt Navy is it? Uberti or Pietta? You mentioned the gun was more accurate than you thought it would be. Is it the balance of the gun that does it for you or the weight or the size of the grips? What load chain do you fire out of it? Any lube at all? Anywhoooo, you can dull that brass out with "heat" in the open air to start oxidation. Propane torch and all. Since the gun looks antique now you'll have to get a belt,cap pouch, extra cylinder pocket, and holster from Cabelers and spend a rainy day with some sandpaper and old black motor oil or some kind of mink oil and dull the leather out and oil it up with old black motor oil and hold it over a good wood fire on the end of a long stick.Maybe just dull it out and at the top oil it to make it look like gun oil got into the leather over the years. Maybe strip the wood of the varnish and get it wet and put it in the oven to raise some wood grain and and with linseed oil mixed with black oil based enamel and mineral spirits get the top of the grip lookin like gun oil is in it and all and then rub linseed oil mixed with mineral spirits into it so it is kinda oiled but not shiny.Maybe before you do that to the wood go find some gravel and put the grip down on it and step on it and throw it down some.Not too much though. Then when you hang the rig on a nail in the barn everyone will thing you picked up an old original. Tell them you found it in an old hollowed out tree in the woods.:p
 
R

Remington kid

New member
Wayner, Bought an extra cylinder with the Colt and also a repair kit. As for the gun belt, holster, cylinder pouch and even a cap pouch I already have it.
I'm going to make another holster for it because the one I have now I use for my .44 Remingtons.
As for making the trigger pull lighter I would not post that here or anywhere else.It's a real good way to get your butt sued.:eek:

Honing and all the parts and polishing with sand paper without removing any more metal than you have to in order to eliminate high spots and burs can and will make a big difference in the smoothnes of the action and over all function. It would be best for anyone doing any of this for the furst time to buy the book "Home Gunsmithing" and Mec's book called " The history of Pistols and Revolvers " Both of these books are worth 10 times what they cost.

The grips on this Colt will be changed to aged faked Ivory with carvings of a salon girl on both side. They cost $55.00 from Dixie and I have to save for them from my mad money,lol.

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L

Low Key

New member
Wayner,

You're giving me some good ideas for my grips! I'm not planning on changing mine to the fake ivory or anything but I may take some of your ideas about fake aging my grips and implement them on my fake antiqued 58. :)

Maybe strip the wood of the varnish and get it wet and put it in the oven to raise some wood grain and and with linseed oil mixed with black oil based enamel and mineral spirits get the top of the grip lookin like gun oil is in it and all and then rub linseed oil mixed with mineral spirits into it so it is kinda oiled but not shiny.
Click to expand...

This sounds like an interesting weekend project for me. I may do this to my grips over the weekend, if I do I'll post a pic if the results. Is there any further info I need before I try this?
 
S

Steve499

New member
Kid, I've been looking at those fake, or should I say imitation, ivory grips on your Remington.Old Dragoon's guns look good, too. I don't know if I can resist buying some of my own if I have to see very many more pictures of them posted here. Your new(old) Colt with ivorys on it would likely kick me over the edge.

Steve
 
R

Remington kid

New member
Steve, Here are the grips I'm looking at. A little priceie for me but I guess I can dig into my mad money without the wife getting mad enough to shoot me with my own gun,Lol.
Just click on the picture of the grips to enlarge them. As you can see in the write on the grips that Dixie has posted on the site they will set you up with a way to age and color the grip's.I also like the idea that they make them a little over sized so you can fit them perfectly for your revolver, Mike
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_237_525&products_id=6102&osCsid=15126d1638c6d773af0642a4d08c0e87
 
O

Old Dragoon

New member
Rk, you put those grips on your '51 and your wife will lock it up so you can't shoot it or even look at it....LOL Course maybe we'd gain a new BP shooter tho....

They'll look good aged.
 
R

Remington kid

New member
Thanks OD, They are a copy of a set that was custom made for one of the bad ombrays back in the good old day's. That's where I first seen them.
There is also a set with a mermaid on them that really looks good naked from the waist up:D Don't think my wife would like them,Lol.
 
R

Remington kid

New member
Thanks OD, They are a copy of a set that was custom made for one of the bad ombrays back in the good old day's. That's where I first seen them.
There is also a set with a mermaid on them that really looks good naked from the waist up:D Don't think my wife would like them,Lol.
 
M

MPP1423

New member
mike,thats a nice lookin 51!! thats my next buy as well.i dont have a .36 yet.im too busy spending money on to hunting trips out west this year so im on a tight budget for a while.lol.
 
O

Old Dragoon

New member
Hey glad to see you back MPP1423! We thought maybe the guys strapped you into the car seat and wouldn't let you out? LOL But I guess you been doing side jobs so you can come out to God's Country(any of the Westrern States) and hunt.
Don't stay away so long we begin to wonder about you. and to not hi-jack the thread... a .36 "51 Navy is on my list too.
 
A

American4guns

New member
Nice gun.
Heres my authentic E Whitney 36 caliber civil war.We did the color case hardening,bluing and grip done by others.Fully functional cap and ball.i would never fire it though.Just nice to look at:D
 

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R

Remington kid

New member
A4G, That really looks great! Is it an original? If so I don't think I would have reblued or case hardened but that's just me. Sure is a beautiful gun.
 
A

American4guns

New member
it is an original e whitney 36 cal cap and ball from the civil war.My father,when he was alive decided to have it redone.at that point it was still his.your right it would have been worth more had it not been refinished
 
R

Remington kid

New member
If I had something like that and it belonged to my Dad it would still be priceless and no one could buy it for any price. It's a keeper for sure! ;)
 
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