I've been hemming and hawing for the last six or eight weeks about whether I want to strip the blue off of my '51 Fake Navy. This was a Christmas present in '09 so it's not getting sold off, and since I'm not into it for very much money (none since wife bought it), I've been trying to convince myself that maybe it would look good "In The White".
Before
No matter how you feel about the Confederate (sic) Navy's, these things are shooters. I knew that stripping the blue off it wouldn't effect the way it shoots, but I just hated to screw around with one of my favorite guns. Given the fact that I sort of live in the desert and humidity isn't usually an issue, I gave in to my curiousity and soaked her in about a half gallon of cheap vinegar.
After
My wife was quite interested in the process and wanted to know if she could help, so I handed her a piece of crocus cloth with Ballistol on it and let her have at polishing the cylinder. I didn't have as much ambition as her with the barrel though, it's got couple of dings on it from handling and I figure that I'll use my finish sander and some crocus cloth on it when we get back home in a couple of weeks. The octogon barrel should suit itself well to mechanized polishing, I hope.
Before
No matter how you feel about the Confederate (sic) Navy's, these things are shooters. I knew that stripping the blue off it wouldn't effect the way it shoots, but I just hated to screw around with one of my favorite guns. Given the fact that I sort of live in the desert and humidity isn't usually an issue, I gave in to my curiousity and soaked her in about a half gallon of cheap vinegar.
After
My wife was quite interested in the process and wanted to know if she could help, so I handed her a piece of crocus cloth with Ballistol on it and let her have at polishing the cylinder. I didn't have as much ambition as her with the barrel though, it's got couple of dings on it from handling and I figure that I'll use my finish sander and some crocus cloth on it when we get back home in a couple of weeks. The octogon barrel should suit itself well to mechanized polishing, I hope.