Small restoration project.

[Baltimoreed]

Didn’t know the backstory so...I will reverse my previous suggestion. I like the plum brown also, did a couple ml’s that way. Looks fine as frog hair split 4 ways.

[Kev18]

Didn’t know the backstory so...I will reverse my previous suggestion. I like the plum brown also, did a couple ml’s that way. Looks fine as frog hair split 4 ways.

I find it gives it a nice look. Changes things up from seeing black guns everywhere.

[JoeJames]

I find it gives it a nice look. Changes things up from seeing black guns everywhere.

It’s prettier than a speckled pup under a red wagon compared to a black gun. They certainly have their uses but are plumb ugly!

[Kev18]

It’s prettier than a speckled pup under a red wagon compared to a black gun. They certainly have their uses but are plumb ugly!

To each their own but still. I dont find a gun should rot away.

[BigEyeBob]

If you brown it and dont like it juststrip it and boil the metal parts ,they will turn black .Degrease first ,and make sure to oil it good after boiling in distilled water.

[Doolin-Dalton]

It's a nice looking rifle as is. Here is my .02 on this as I've done a few over the years.
1) The wood appears perfect, don't touch it and be very careful if/when you remove it.
2) Hammer and Lever appear to retain traces of original case color, leave them be.
3) Receiver color appears to have already been polished with a brown patina added, not sure Winchester ever had any brown like that? It's interesting but I'd prefer a blue or a blue-gray faded bluing.
4) Doing a worn blue-gray patina is pretty easy, using cold blue. Do a few coats, rub it down using 000 Steel Wool and then oil it. I've always preferred this because it is visually a good way to keep it looking original. You can get it to the point where it still appears to be the original bluing that has faded and worn over time, the nickel steel is protected and your rifle looks nice.
5) Going with a complete re-blue, Cold or Hot Bluing, this one will take alot of time to do it right, must make sure to use blocks when you are polishing your metal, keep the polished areas as flat as possible. You need to polish to some extent to make it a flat, new looking surface. If you don't, it is imho, not such a good look to have new bluing on top of old worn, nicked, pitted metal.

[.45Cole]

I'll throw in my $0.02 and it sounds like it may be contrary to the mainstream. *If it were mine* I'd decide whether it would get saddle use or just soft plinking use. If the latter, I would see about a Turnbull or Runniniron case color on the receiver and lever, and fire blue the trigger, hammer, butt plate, loading gate as well as the receiver screws. Might be able to french grey the screws for more contrast.

On most of the things I do now I have them engraved before the refinish (it's actually very affordable) but I'm not sure that engraving would be tasteful on this. If you want pics of the case/fire blue combo I'll post pics of my .45 BH I had done with engraving. Looking to complete all this and more on a 1893 marlin, just need to get the rifle first.

If you go this route please pm me pics of the completed gun, love me some levergun porn

[Kev18]

I'll throw in my $0.02 and it sounds like it may be contrary to the mainstream. *If it were mine* I'd decide whether it would get saddle use or just soft plinking use. If the latter, I would see about a Turnbull or Runniniron case color on the receiver and lever, and fire blue the trigger, hammer, butt plate, loading gate as well as the receiver screws. Might be able to french grey the screws for more contrast.

On most of the things I do now I have them engraved before the refinish (it's actually very affordable) but I'm not sure that engraving would be tasteful on this. If you want pics of the case/fire blue combo I'll post pics of my .45 BH I had done with engraving. Looking to complete all this and more on a 1893 marlin, just need to get the rifle first.

If you go this route please pm me pics of the completed gun, love me some levergun porn

I already did the rifle, with a browned receiver. I would of liked to get it engraved but no one here does that.

[bisleyfan41]

Thats not the original finish. I made it like that on purpose. Gun looked pretty bad before.

Here are pictures of rust that had been reduced a few years ago. I got tired of the remaining pits and rust eating the rifle. When AI got the rifle, It was terrible.

I did not realize this had already been altered, so I take back my response. This actually looks pretty awesome now with the darker brown. And MUCH better than your before pics. Congrats on a fine old rifle that won't die in a pile of rust.

[Kev18]

Thanks if you want to see the rifle in action:
https://youtu.be/JGIUKchDspk