Stolly
Member
I've been spending a majority of my free time the past few weeks browsing through all the threads regarding how to clean, what to use, etc., etc. The reason for this was that I've inherited a few long guns from my grandfather and would like to get them cleaned up prior to storing them. A few of them are pretty old and weren't taken care of well. Most have rust on the barrels and it looks like the last time they were shot, the shooter failed to clean the barrel. This could be due to the fact that he died before getting the chance. One gun is a Burns Carbine, Model 5. Another is a Parker Brothers Side by Side, and the last one is a Bay State Arms single shot shotgun. All three pre-date 1890. I also received two M1's, one in standard and and one in carbine length as well as an M-14 still in the cosmolene. I'm not concerned with the M-14 because of the cosmolene, but the other's are in poor shape regarding rust and barrell fouling. I went to one of my regular gun shops this weekend and the guy told me that the best thing to do to them was nothing. Is this truly the case? He said that I would remove the patina. Again, is this true and if so, what exactly is patina? I know a lot of you are focused mostly on 1911's, which is my fascination currently as well, I was just hoping that I could get some help here. I know the guns aren't as valuable as they could be with the condition they are in, but I don't want to drop the value any further with my inexperience and lack of knowledge. Thanks for your assistance.