Hello everyone. Every busy season I take on a new project to help me relax on the weekends and late at night after getting home from the office. This year I bought three side by side wall hanger shotguns for $300 and decided to try my hand at refinishing them. They are as follows; Ithaca NIG made circa 1908 (base A grade model), W.H. Hamilton unknow date of manufacture (anywhere from 1880 to 1920), and an LC Smith No. 0 made in 1891.

Here are the pictures. The Ithaca is the one without a forearm. The W.H. Hamilton is next to the Ithaca. The LC Smith is the one by itself.







Here is my start on the Ithaca. It had very bad rust on the barrel and pitting on the receiver. No finish was remaining on the receiver or other parts. The WH Mailton has severe rust build up on the barrel, receiver, and other small parts. It look pitted up close, but sanding down some of the rust reveals good metal underneath that isnt pitted. Basically I am using the Ithaca to experiment and get some techniques down, then I am moving to the WH Hamilton, and then to the LC Smith. So far I have used all hand sanding and filing where there were pits. I am going to try my hand at rust bluing and fire quenching the receiver to see if I can get a color case hardened look.





What I have learned so far is metal prep takes forever. I am nowhere near where I need to be. Its a lot more tedious then I thought it would be.

And finally to my question. I took the LC Smith apart and then put it back together. When I was cleaning my floor, I cam across this part, does it look familiar? It might go to the Ithaca as I just put that back together to.





Last edited by Dace; 01/19/08 02:59 AM.