Antiquing an SAA??

[medic15al]

I have a Pietta Heritage Big Bore laying around and was wanting to give it and maybe my 1860 an old time antique finish, How would I do this?

[Trooper Hook]

If you go to the Gunsmithing forum on this site the very first post listed is all about different antiquing procedures. Lots of ideas there.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

You will find a lot of different methods - the best one is going to depend on your vision of "Antique Finish".  Most are over done and few are done to actually reflect 20 years of hard use.  One method will leave it looking like it has been left in a leaky barn for 100 years and another will make it look like a fake finish.

Now when I was a youngster, my Grandfather hated the new hat look. When he was forced to buy a new hat, he took into the back of the hat store and got it wet, he then walked out side and stood at the curb.  In a few minutes a log truck came down the street and Grandpa threw the hat under the back wheels.  Instant antique look.  Made Grandpa happy.

If you look old and weathered and you want a gun that looks like you bought it 20 years ago and it has been your life long friend, then do not overlook your leather, clothes, boots and hat.  When wearing new clothes with nice new leather a antique gun just plain looks out of place.

The above are only my views and yours may and will vary.

[medic15al]

Trooper, thanks! I didn't even think to look there....


TwoWalks... Actually you make a good point there. I haven't gotten my leather or clothes yet, just like the grey finish of a well worn SAA type revolver. I shoot blackpowder exclusively out of my Cimmaron and Ubertis and was going for the ol' timey look.

[Curley Cole]

You can see my posts there but bears repeating the gun above was a "kit" gun from EMF years ago and came with brass tg/bs which I hated. I also couldn't afford to get the gun blued so I did it cold blue and some other stuff. It turned out looking pretty good. then add the wear on the cylinder and the bbl, and it ends up being pretty close. the second pix is Doc Holidays gun. my gun almost is identical in finish and wear.

work on it but most times it doesn't end up looking right. as always we require pics here.

curley

[Highlander999]

A little 0000 steel wool on the areas that would have holster wear will give a nice look too if that's what you are looking for...  Here is my old uberti gun I bought years ago that I've done that too and put the Buffalo Brothers John Wayne Grips on(Duke Stetson and large ring model '92 as well). 

[medic15al]

That looks good, Highlander!

[Drydock]

Just me, but I've never understood this.  You shoot an 1870s scenario, with an 1870s weapon, wearing 1870s clothing, and you want it to look like an antique?  Now some Holster wear, yeah.  Stick in in a holster and wear it.  Get some shotshells and go squirrel hunting with it.

An SAA back then was a major investment to a cowpuncher or townie.  I suspect they took mighty good care of them for a long time!

[medic15al]

Reason I took to the look is watching those old western shows were the guns all had that grey antique look to them and the grey finish kinda stuck with me.
Also love the Cimarron Charcoal Blue look as well.

I know... I am warped..... EMS will do that to you after a while...

[Drydock]

One other consideration for me  (and its just me, but I think its a good thought):  When my son inherits my SAAs, all the wear on them will be mine.  And he can add to it.

[Highlander999]

Good Morning DryDock:

I'd generally agree with you on your topic of the wear being "My Wear".  And on most of my guns that I use, that's the way it works.

This gun however I bought for next to nothing, and put the Buffalo Brothers John Wayne Grips on.  I purposefully wanted the gun to have considerable wear on it much like the one the Duke Carried. 

I'd never put "Unnecessary" Wear on my matched pair of Colts nor my matched USFA Turnbulls.  However my wear and tear is different from Unnecessary..

[Cholla Hill Tirador]

I have a Pietta Heritage Big Bore laying around and was wanting to give it and maybe my 1860 an old time antique finish, How would I do this?

Regarding the posters that advocate "natural wear", ain't gonna happen. I own firearms that are decades old, specifically revolvers and NONE of them turn grey like the old guns. All the revolvers show is bluing worn off from the piece being slid in and out of a holster with the remainder of the bluing still, well, blue.

When I acquired my very first Uberti a few years ago I decided to experiment with antiquing. First step was to remove the riginal finish using a cloth wetted with vinegar. Next I tried several methods, but the one that worked far best was mixing table salt in hydrogen peroxide then applying it to the metal. Mind you, all the oil needs to be removed from the metal. This formula tends cling to the metal better in some places than others and therefore leaves a somewhat mottled appearance. As it goes to work, it will fizz and bubble a frightening looking orange/rust, but isn't doing the harm one might imagine. Just leave it for a few minutes then wipe it off. If you don't like it at all, wet a piece of 0000 steel wool with some Hoppe's #9 and it'll come off fairly easily. If you like it, wipe the metal down with some WD-40 or other light oil and you're done. If it's not enough re-apply and let it work some more. This is what mine looks like now:





Cholla

[ndnchf]

The antiquing debate rears it's head regularly. I don't believe there is a definitive answer. In most cases a man's sidearm would be well taken care of and would not see the same wear that a 100+ year old gun would show. But the bluing used in the 1870s was not as durable as modern hot tank bluing. Consider a hard case such as a working cowboy who purchased a new SAA in 1875. He wears it day in and day out on numerous round ups, cattle drives and daily ranching. Rain or shine, snow or dust storms, a cowboy's work was never done. Blowing sand and dirt gets in the holster contributing to accelerated wear. Maybe once a week he would have an opportunity to clean and oil it? Let's say this young cowpoke worked the range for 10 years. By 1885, it is plausible, perhaps even likely that Colt would have most of its original finish worn off, or corroded off from residual fouling (remember he may only get to clean it days after firing it). All these factors could contribute to an excessively worn gun after only 10 years. Certainly not common, but IMHO possible.

Over 30 years ago I bought this SAA clone from EMF. I didn't care for the shiny new look, so I gave it an aged finish. Over the last 3 decades it hasn't changes much, but to my eyes it has a pleasing, comfortable look. To each his own - right?

[Fox Creek Kid]

Take the revolver & put a lot of grease in the bore & chambers and then set it outside in the garden for a month.