Cimarron's Original Finish

[deerslayer303]

Anyone have one with Cimarron's Original finish? Just wondering how it holds up? Does it take more effort to keep Mr. Rust down? Please post pics if you have one. I don't see on their website a pic of a Navy with the finish on it.

 

[Willie Sutton]

Yes, it's beautiful, really BLUE like blue ought to be, and looks great.

Long term wear... it wears off of the high spots faster. Still looks great.


Willie

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[MJN77]

Yes, it's beautiful, really BLUE like blue ought to be, and looks great.

He said original finish, not charcoal blue. "Original" finish is an aged look.

This is the only "original" finish gun I own. I only bought it because after two years of trying to get one of these guns (about 10-12 years ago) this is the only option I could find. Have had no rust problems. I actually put a cheap blueing solution on it to darken it up a bit. Looks much better. If I wanted an "aged" gun I would've just stripped the blueing and let it go. It looks "alright", but unless you really want an old looking gun, it isn't worth the extra $$$ IMHO. Cimarron offers this finish on all their guns.

 

[deerslayer303]

Wow, see I think that looks SOOOOO GOOD!!! But yeah you're right a hundred extra bucks is a bummer. Brings it to over 400 bucks for a Uberti Cap and Ball essentially. I think I'll just search some Antiquing threads, and check that out.

 

[Willie Sutton]

Ahh... well, Willie's got three o' them too....

I love this finish, have a pair of 1858 Remmies with it and one 1860 Colt, and they are the daily shooters of the bunch. They look good and the finish has been carefree.


Willie

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[deerslayer303]

Thats what I'm thinking Willie, you can beat em around with that finish and they will still look good.

 

[Willie Sutton]

^^ Yeah, I really like it.

The #1 Remmie was my first cap and ball pistol, and I liked the finish so well I bought another and was lucky enough to also score 2 conversion cylinders for .45 LC also with the same finish. They are a great pair. I lied when I said I had an 1860 also, it's a Leech and Rigdon with the finish. It is nearly perfectly indistinguishable from an original as far as finish goes. You would need to to a darned careful job on a blued finish gun to duplicate it.

The grips are still sort of glossy on these, but some steel wool and oil fixes that in five minutes.


Willie

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[Hardcase]

I've got an 1860 with the "original finish" that I bought used from a guy whose dad bought it quite a while back. Never had any rust problems and I don't think that the original owner did anything particularly heroic when he cleaned it.

I just do the usual water flush, then dry and oil after shooting.

 

[deerslayer303]

Is it a "finish" or is it just like a splochy blue job? I mean is it mostly just bare metal or what? Thats what I was thinking which was the reason behind asking about increased rust problems.

 

[Willie Sutton]

I've never had any rust problems, but if I did I'd just wipe it off with a little steel wool. That's the beauty of it... you would not mind taking steel wool to it, you certainly don't mind scrubbing the crap outta of it with a bronze brush and hot water running in a utility sink.

The finish is... a... <dunno>... blue finish that has been mostly removed, or a very crappy blue finish that has been deliberately badly applied? It's one or the other. It's mostly... plain. It's a mottled grey/white metal with "maybe" a trace of finish remaining. It is not perfectly even, and shows blotches and spots.

I shoot BP in the Mojave Desert in the summer, when it's 120 in the shade. I am SWEATING and my salty wet fingerprints are all over my pistols while I shoot. I toss them into a range bag, haul them to the BOQ on base, go get chow, and might not even clean them until the next day. I have never had a sign of rust on them.


It is VERY good looking. For a user, I prefer it above all others.

For a display in a case with accessories, it's either this or the charcoal blue as my favorite. Depends on if I want the piece to look like Grandpops old pistol rescued from the attic, or a product fresh from the Colt production line in 1863. The "standad blue" looks like neither. It just looks like a cheap Italian copy...

Charcoal Blue does not stand up well to routine use, but boy... it sure looks pretty darned good if you are not afraid to let it wear off of the high spots either. Just darned few actually use them as a daily shooter. Most are bought for the display case.


BTW, this finish is also available from Taylors. It's a factory finish applied by the Uberti factory, not done by or at Cimmaron. The finish also includes some dents and such on the metal, and they make a minor attempt on the wood. To really finish it up, you need to remove the finish from the grips and then antique them yourself with the scratches and oil that you would expect from the metal finish.


Is it worth the extra $hundred? In my considered opinion... absolutely. But that's just me. You can probably duplicate it yourself with a blued gun, a towel, some white vinegar, and some plum cold-blue. Depends on how much you like to tinker.


Willie

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[Willie Sutton]

Couple of pics of my Leech and Rigdon with this finish. orry it's not the best, I was in a hurry and just using a phone, but it'll give the idea.



Willie


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[deerslayer303]

Willie,
Thanks for the excellent write up and info. This is the finish I wan't to shoot for on a Navy.

 

[brazosdave]

hey Willie, you at Ft. Irwin or MCLB? I was stationed at Irwin twice, from 89-91 in 177th AR Bde, and from 2004-2006 in Operations Group

 

[Willie Sutton]

Hey Dave,

Neither, I am at Edwards AFB, I fly over Ft Irwin now and then to wave at the Army, but basically our daily AO is just south of China Lake and southwest of Irwin. We run from Mojave east to Barstow and between Lake Los Angeles and the ridgeline that is between China Lake and the Antelope Valley as our normal flying area.

Good shootin' in the desert... pick any dirt road and load 'em up. Just north of Edwards is a butte that was quarried way back when that is a perfect backstop. It's the Sunday meeting spot of choice for the base guys.

I'm just a contractor there, fly fighters but wear no rank. There 3-4 months a year. Great place to visit, great place to see in the rear view mirror too.



Willie

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[jabberwock]

I have attached a photo of my artificially aged revolvers, please see. Instead of paying extra for the antique fnish, i decided to do it myself on my colt clones. i hear that even the factory finish gets rust, so i'd rather not pay extra money for it if it will rust. for my projects, i realize the bare metal isn't protected without a finish, but i have unconventional tastes and love old looking objects. i find beauty in decay. so, i don't mind some rust stains as long it is not serious. i used distilled vinegar to take off the blueing, and on others i used birchwood casey blueing remover, and in one case i even rubbed moist salt on it & put it in the toaster oven. i keep a light coat of oil and rust preventative on it to prevent it from getting really bad. others likely will not appreciate what i have done, claiming that i have ruined the gun but i love the way they look and am happy with the results. blue finish is so boring to me. "antiquing" the gun gives it character. take a look at the attached photo file to see how they turned out. the open top gun is the one i rubbed damp salt on & put in the oven. the other one is just vinegar bathed.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

When old guns were new, guess what? They looked new!
I don't understand artificially aging guns at all.

 

[Hawg]

I don't understand artificially aging guns at all.

I did one to replicate the looks of an original I once had but it was pretty rough to begin with.