Steel wire wheel marks

[1988RRC]

What is the best way to cover up, remove, or refinish antique rifle that has been put to the wheel?
Would like to keep the old gray color.

[Pettifogger]

Once an antique has been wire wheeled it usually has zero collector value.  (Except for a really rare gun or something that was personally owned and carried by Jesse James, etc.)  You refinish it by buffing or draw filing out the marks and reblue, brown, or put whatever finish you want on it.  If it was wire wheeled the gray is not the "old grey" color.  It is bare metal that aged a little after the wheeling.