How do I make My Ruger look 90 years old?

[SharpsDressedMan]

Or any gun, for that matter. If anyone knows how to "age" a pistol or revolver, I think it would make for a great project for a "beater", or gun with half the finish gone, or "antiquing" it, for Cowboy shooting, etc. Do any members have secrets that they can share?

 

[MCgunner]

Feed it Jack Daniels and let it smoke camels. It'll age quickly. Worked for a couple of people I know.

 

[GRIZ22]

Bury it in your back yard for a month or so. It will pick up some patina.

 

[janobles14]

i think ive heard that you can use vinegar somehow to create a patina. i dont how myself though

 

[Rexster]

Keep in mind that before 1899, those guns were not yet 90 years old; they were modern at the time. An SAA would be no more than 26 years old in 1899.

That being said, once upon a time I really antiqued a SIG P229 by leaving it on the metal floor of a Jeep for a bit, and it bounced around for a while with some wrenches and such. I doubt that is the type of antiquing you meant, though. I seem to recall some using lemon juice to "age" steel.

 

[janobles14]

this has some answers. both the vinegar and onion tricks. you might have to take of bluing in order get a truer patina. not sure though.

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/818820/

 

[gilberto]

Naval jelly

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Loan it to my brotherinlaw for a couple of months.

 

[44Dave]

Just wait a while.

 

[chevyforlife21]

dont take care of it

 

[Hammer47]

Got a hitch on your truck?

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I think I'm enjoying the smarta** answers as well as the sincere ones! Keep it up!

 

[David E]

Why not put the age on it yourself ?

That way, there's a real story behind it, not a recipe.

 

[Old Fuff]

Go over to the Black Powder sub-forum and ask the same question. Those yahoos have raised ageing guns to a fine art. They have all kinds of tricks and methods to make a new cap & ball six-shooter look like a Civil War relic.

 

[Gary A]

Why not put the age on it yourself ?

I'm quite an optimistic fellow, but I seriously doubt I have enough time to naturally age my handguns to the 90 year mark. I do plan on trying my best, however.

 

[hogshead]

Take up bear hunting with hounds.

 

[orionengnr]

Carry it every day for 90 years...

 

[Big Bill]

Vinegar and Lemon, etc. doesn't work on stainless - just carbon steel. I've done vinegar, lemon, onion, ect., on ax heads, mora knives, and other carbon steel blades (1095, etc.)

I'd use some very fine sandpaper on the gun, if I were you.

Are you sure you want to do this? Have you thought about case hardening it (but, I'm not sure which parts)?

 

[BCRider]

I've seen the "antique" Uberti and frankly didn't like it at all. Just like the cheezy "antiqueing" with chains, fake worm holes and spattered paint that was so popular with furniture years ago it looked contrived and too even to be a proper look. Just washing it with vinegar, naval jelly or onion juice without a guide to produce the correct effect will be a good way to ruin the gun.

There's only one really good way to make a gun look aged before its time. And that would be to study a genuine antique that has been cared for but suffered from the minor woes that are unavoidable with time and use and try to artfully duplicate various wear points and color fades that constitute the patina.

 

[REAPER4206969]

Throw it down your driveway.

 

[ShakyJake]

Hi SharpsDressedShooter
Have to agree that some of the suggestions are more entertaining than you probably imagined.
If you are starting with a beater, why not strip it and wax it.

TaKe CaRe
Ted

 

[madcratebuilder]

Naval Jelly removes bluing in seconds and leaves behind a phosphate finish similar to French Grey.

Vinegar removes bluing in minutes and well etch the surface slightly. This Paterson was done with vinegar.

 

[19-3Ben]

But since the vinegar etches the surface, would it mess up the bore if it gets in there? I'm sure the last thing the OP wants is to have an 'aged bore'.

 

[StrawHat]

19-3Ben

But since the vinegar etches the surface, would it mess up the bore if it gets in there? I'm sure the last thing the OP wants is to have an 'aged bore'.

Why would he put the vinegar in the bore to begin with?

Some of the suggestions have been good, others funny. There are a few forums or subforums that deal with the topic pretty thoroughly. Worth searching and reading. Not all the bluing needs to be removed, just what would have been rubbed off from wear. Study some old guns and you will see where the bluing is still intact.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Give it to my fiance. She will put it in a kydex holster and proceed to walk down some of the dusty trails around here... as a matter of fact, she even has a technique for aging a tenifer finish off of a glock.