To polish or leave to patina on brass framed guns?

[Octagonal Barrel]

That is an impressive amount of brass to keep untarnished but patina'd.  Here's to hoping my brasser will re-aquire that kind of patina.

Do they actually let you shoot stages with that thing?  Some impractical part of me deeply hopes the answer is "yes."

[Blair]

Octagonal Barrel,

What would you like to know about this Rifle?
No, I have never had a problem using it.
99.99 % of the people have know idea what it is.
Do you? I would be more than happy to share with you.
My best,
Blair

[River City John]

I like the dirty brass look.



RCJ

[Advertising]

[King Medallion]

Me too. That looks great! ^^^

[Octagonal Barrel]

Blair, I was actually referring to the gattling gun when I asked if they allowed you to use it shooting stages...

Not that I have no interest in your rifle.  Wish I had a '66, type I or II.  But now that it's come up, how does the type II '68 differ from the type I?

[Blair]

Octagonal Barrel,

The type I '66 is often called the "flat side" '66.
Both the type I  and II's have a receiver that that is shaped very much the Henry, but, with some form of loading gate, most often in the right hand side plate. (but not in all variations of the type I's)

As to the Gatling Gun... yes! It has been allowed.
I set up a scenario that was off the clock and hits were not counted. When one finished shooting, the timer started for the standard match
My best,
Blair

[Coal Creek Griff]

Wow. Tell me you have a video of that!

CC Griff

[Blair]

CC Griff,

No video, but here is a still photo.
My best,
Blair

[Coal Creek Griff]

Thanks for the photo!  I'd like to have been there.

CC Griff

[Blair]

CC Griff,

Thanks. You would have been welcome as all were that wanted to Shoot it. Of course, Shooting it was not a requirement for that scenario, but I don't recall anyone that didn't want to play that game.
I think we had 4 to 5 Posses and 6 stages and everyone wanted to start on the GG stage first. That could not happen, of course.

I and my loader could not play in any part of the event, and we had a lot of cleaning and cleanup to do afterwards, not to mention the reloading. But yes it was indeed fun, I believe, for everyone!

My apologies to the MOD's on this thread... I had no idea the subject of the thread was going in this direction. Please feel free to remove or move to a better location if you wish. (As a side note; I don't like to polish my brass framed guns.)
My best,
 Blair

[Coal Creek Griff]

I'll help get things back on track too. Do Uberti '66s and Henrys have a coating to prevent tarnishing?   If so, how is it best removed?

CC Griff

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I'll help get things back on track too. Do Uberti '66s and Henrys have a coating to prevent tarnishing?   If so, how is it best removed?

CC Griff

Good honest and responsible USE!

[Coal Creek Griff]

That's actually a good answer.  Thanks.

CC Griff

[Blair]

Most of the Italian Arms Makers farm out or share weapons (parts and pieces) they are known to make to other manufactures, in return for arms (parts and pieces) they may wish to be known for making.
This sharing of parts made, is by no means a new concept within that industry.

To reply to the question about "is the brass finished/covered with something like a clear coat?"... yes, it could be!
IF, one feel this maybe the case... then, one may clean the surface with Acetone and a cotton ball. (stay away from the wood finish unless you plan on refinishing the wood)
My best,
Blair

[Navy Six]

I guess I must be alone on this one. I have five Uberti 66s' that are between 10-15 years old and are used at Cowboy matches with nothing but blackpowder. Every one of them shines like a new penny. I've used nothing but Flitz polish on the brass parts and its supposed to be non abrasive. Can't verify that but I knew someone years ago that took photos of guns to be used in magazine articles. He used Flitz on the blued parts before he photographed them because he claimed they shined up better for the photos. Other than the normal little dings on top of the receivers from ejected cases, none of my 66s' show any abrasion marks from the polishing, let alone any rounded off edges. So the next time you are at a match at Jackson NJ and you see something glittering in the sun, it will be one of my 66s'!   Navy Six

[Sky Soldier]

I've had my Henry almost 8 years and put a few rounds through it. Mostly BP but plenty of smokeless. It gets rinsed and scrubbed with soapy water and scrubbed again with gun oil after each BP session, If I've only shot smokeless then I skip the soapy water. I've polished it twice during that time and it shines up real purty but each time it has moved further away from that original factory shine. That's what "patina" is all about. You can't rush it and you can't fake it.
I'll wager that any old gun you find that has a "beautiful patina" was well taken care of throughout it's lifetime. The trick is to make that lifetime last as long as possible.

Wow, look at me.....waxing philosophical.

SS 

[Virginia Gentleman]

Some of the fingerprints are uneven and look splotchy.  I may polish the brass up and then try to age it more uniformly.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Some of the fingerprints are uneven and look splotchy.  I may polish the brass up and then try to age it more uniformly.

It will all even out with good, honest and responsible use.

[PJ Hardtack]

I've always kept my Henry polished up with Flitz. Just seemed to be the right thing to do for such a classy rifle. Afterwards, I apply a wax which helps it survive a little longer.

However, I let my '66 go and after a few years of BP rds, it looked "old", tired and bedraggled, so I polished it up. Couldn't stand it looking like a poor 2nd cousin alongside the Henry.

I doubt that Cowboys gave a hoot about the appearance of their rifles. I've often wondered about the scenes where Cowboys are fording rivers with their rifles in scabbards, then carrying on with the cattle drive. I don't recall many scenes with a group of Cowboys sitting around a fire cleaning and polishing their guns.

Bouncing around a rifle in a leather scabbard has to be one of the roughest ways ever to treat a gun. I've heard of broken stocks resulting from a horse cramming the scabbard against a tree, etc. Fleece lined scabbards hold moisture, so that's not a good idea either.

[Virginia Gentleman]

It seems that at the end of the day, the cowboys may have cared for their guns by the campfire, cleaning and oiling them or at least wiping them down.  Over time the bluing would wear away, but the nice patina we see on so many of these original guns would remain.  The brass on originals looks like a nice golden brown in patina color.  That is what I am going for in aging my 1866.