Best way to remove rebluing

ewmail15

Retired User
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Sep 14, 2017
Is there a best/safest way to remove rebluing on a Civil War era firearm? Vinegar bath, acetone bath? Just wondering...
 
Thats a good one, I don't have a clue as I leave them as I found them and don't get them if they need anything done to them. paging @johan_steele or @Craig L Barry
 
It's an original Merrill (not mine), that looks in beautiful condition, exception being the rebluing. It's the same on the barrel, the saddle bar and lockplate. I couldn't see any imperfections that would have given whoever it was the idea to do this. Best estimate is the nipple is aftermarket, and only the slightest of pitting on the lockplate face.

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If it were mine, I'd at least try the underside of the barrel/receiver/frame that's hidden by the forend section of the stock. I asked about the selling price. I always heard that rebluing an original vintage firearm destroyed the value.
 
Leave it alone.

BTW, at TSJC (gunsmithing skool) we used toilet bowl cleaner to remove bluing. Use rubber gloves and a brush and hosed off when done.

That said, Leave it alone.
 
It's an original Merrill (not mine), that looks in beautiful condition, exception being the rebluing. It's the same on the barrel, the saddle bar and lockplate. I couldn't see any imperfections that would have given whoever it was the idea to do this. Best estimate is the nipple is aftermarket, and only the slightest of pitting on the lockplate face.

View attachment 306879
Thanks for the photo!
Nice piece!
If it were mine, I'd leave it alone...
 
I agree with all my learned colleagues. LEAVE IT ALONE.
 
It's not mine... but if it was mine, I would have removed all the bluing, because to me rebluing destroys all the historical beauty and age of the metal parts. I'd have given it the gentlest of vinegar baths, and restored her to her former gloriously aged look.
 
Thought I'd post this Colt Navy I purchased years ago. I bought it cheap because the person I got it from had reblued it. He was actually firing it too. He also used it to re-enact . I had a friend , who was a Gunsmith take the blueing off. It is an early Hartford CT. model . I think it came out pretty good. All numbers match including the wedge. #96650
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