doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Dilemma...To Clean or Not to Clean a classic..PICS

Alright guys, I just bought a hammered Ithaca 12 gauge in very good condition. 70% original case colors, stock finish, and damascus barrels. There is a little caked on grease and grime and maybe some original yellowing varnish on the receiver and an even browning patina on the barrels.
Now, my question, do I scrape away the grease and grime and hit the barrels lightly with steel wool or do I leave everything as it is? I think it would clean up beautifully but there is something about some 100 year old grime that gives character....What do you all think?
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]
[img:left][/img]

Will that grime not soak with a solvent & then wipe away or brush with a small brass brush.
Brass brush does no damage, while steel wool is more abrasive.
O.M

Grease and grime add nothing to value and appearance of a gun. Restoration to how it should look for its age with normal wear is easy as a little TLC. Good luck.

not steel wool- use a Frontier pad

it won't hurt the remaining finish- case color or barrels

http://www.exploreproducts.com/big45-frontier-gun-cleaner.htm

Okay so far. Has anyone else tried the Frontier Pad?

70% Case Colors is exceptional. You should remove and renew the lacquer coating. That, and a coating of Renaissance Wax will protect it.

The barrels are a different matter. Brown patina is not what they should be looking like, especially with such a high degree of Case Coloring. You'd expect the barrels to be in much higher condition, IMO 80%+, if they'd been properly taken care of, like the C/coloring.

It would be normal to expect the brown patina on Damascus tubes on a gun with a much smaller amount of C/coloring present.

Since they were originally Black & White, you might consider recoloring.

NIGs often have nice, 2-iron Damascus, made by Heuse Riga-Fils.

How about some pictures?

Regards
Ken

Im going to work on the pictures tomorrow. You have me curious about the browning on the barrels. Ill get the pictures up and let you guys tell me the story. Thanks to all....

I use them when necessary. No harm to bluing. I'd be very careful using it on case colors, tho'.

SRH

I think you would need to scrub awfully hard to damage the case color

There was lots of color under the rust on this one, I didn't lose Any of it

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19335