Dug up a SA revolver

Actually it looks like a Colt Lightning D/A revolver.

Wonder why it was Buried ?

OldIron86

I'd say Deanimator nailed it: Colt Lightning Model 1877 (.38 Long Colt), or maybe a Colt Thunderer (.41 Colt).

Very cool find. As @Deanimator posted it looks like it could be an old Colt DA. There are a ton of youtube videos on restoring severely rusted metal, may be worth researching to see what the best methods to use are.

You could try placing the revolver in a bucket with Coca-cola for a day or so to remove some of the rust.

Maybe boil in distilled water, it will change the red rust (ferrous oxide) to black rust (ferro-ferric oxide) same as gun blueing. I would do that first.

When I need to get rust off of something, whether a tool or a firearm that I'm going to refinish, I use a product called "Evapo-Rust." It's not chemically dangerous and can be poured down the drain. You could probably even drink it, though I doubt it would be delicious.

Of course, if you pull all the rust off your find, it might completely disappear.

That's a really cool thing to come across in the yard! I'd spray it with plastic and mount it on the wall as-is.

Don't do anything to it yet.
Take your time, there's no hurry.

If your an NRA member, ask their advice.

I would research the history of the property and see who might have lived there and any notable happenings.

There's got to be a reason why it was buried.

Looks to be in a little better condition than a few Colt and Remington cap and ball guns we dug up around home that were leftovers from the great misunderstanding of 1861-65. We never tried to clean any of them up, but their real worth was as battlefield dug relics, plus they'd already been in the Virginia sand/clay for 100 years.

It actually doesnt look that bad, considering. After boiling and dissasembly, I would try a combination of media-blasting, wire wheel, and Naval Jelly to remove the rust. It may never be a shooter again- the Lightning/ Thunderer wasnt known for being a super reliable action in the first place- but it should clean up nice enough for display.

Congrats, very cool.

Is it loaded?

South Prairie Jim said:

Wonder why it was Buried ?

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I have the same thought,I wonder why?

This would be a PERFECT candidate for electrolysis. I’ve used it many times to great effect.

See here for a tutorial: https://forums.gunboards.com/showth...Tutorial-for-Mondragon&highlight=Electrolysis

Wicked cool, if you decide to remove some rust, please post up some pics. Very interesting!

If you remove the rust, there may be nothing left worth having.

Don't remove the rust. What's the point? You'll just have a pitted mess. Just soak the thing down in oil, wipe it off and set it on the shelf

DeRust it.
Useless weapons are .., useless (No telling what you might find when cleaned up)

AZAndy said:

a product called "Evapo-Rust."

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+1 Many times over (whatever you do, don't wire brush it.)

Yeah, whatever he said.

I so regret disposing of my Man From U.N.C.L.E. magic decoder ring ......

Stare at it long enough and you dont even see the code. All I see is blonde, brunette, redhead.......say, have you tried the Tasty Wheat yet?

Wouldn't want to find out the hard way it was crime related. After all, now you have announced when and how you found it.

Meh, something tells me any crimes related to that are long forgotton......

Although, I suppose having the serial number obliterated (through no fault of the finder), could cause the OP some problems if the Man really, really wanted to make an issue of it.

Serial number? From a 1800's revolver? Maybe but it's not worth the search or disfigurement.

Meh. Y’all are thinkin too much about this.