A mud puppy

[Major 2]

Every so often something catches your eye that begs to be helped.
an old bike or rusty car.
I like to watch the shows like "Iron Resurrection" and see Joe and his team's work.

I can't afford those big-ticket builds, But I can find and work on OLD Guns aka " Mud puppy "

This is a case in point, it is Gabilondo y Urresti (LLAMA) made "RUBY"... made for the French contract during WW1

It had been rattle can painted I assume to improve its look

Here is the before photo, painted semi gloss black and the walnut grips poly coated or varnished.

I stripped the paint with acetone, fell right off, used Homer Formby's finish remover on the grips.

Total maybe two hours including reassembly...

Here it is and it shoots great....Bore is bright with strong rifling

I say about 60% blue was under the paint and turning brown.   

 

 

[Coffinmaker]

  

Most Excellent Compadre

[Major 2]

Thanks Guy's it was a fun and very easy project....

I'm going to make replica holster for it and display it on loan to the Museum WW1 Exhibit

[Advertising]

[Professor Marvel]

Ah My Dear Major...

That is awesome! Well done!
There seems to be a disgusting plethora of new-age wannabe weapon butchers   ... Gun cranks...  Basement "Smith's"  who regularly support each other's stupidities via yoo toob ...
And one of the more recent atrocities is the use of a variety of rattle can paints as if they were actual finishes....

Fortunately, your recent acquisition was easily stripped and it s gratifying to see the original finish underneath!

If I may offer some unasked for , unsolicited,and probably unwanted advice ( seldom a good thing) might I suggest making sure that you loan includes a suitable amount of paperwork that establishes your ownership, the fact that it is a loan vs a gift, etc etc blah blah... And an appropriate number of copies of said documentation ...

I only mention this asI have recently seen issues arise with some family artifacts "loaned" to various small museums wherein the legal ownership had become "somehow" muddified after he original loaners death and the family wished to retrieve and/or re-establish the proper ownership trail ....


Your humble babbler
Prof ( I love to interfere ) marvel

[Major 2]

Thanks Prof, I agree and do provide proper paperwork, not to mention I'M the Curator. 

Here is the finished and aged holster

[Professor Marvel]

Wow, excellent reproduction!

[Professor Marvel]

 My Dear Major

After the strip what did you do to the finish?

Yhs
Prof mumbles

[Major 2]

After the Acetone soak the frame and slide were emersed in boiling water for about 30 min.
any flash red oxide was converted to black then oiled.
What you see is the original finish, I say about 60 % + remaining blue with no pitting seen.
The bore has no pitting and strong rifling.

[Professor Marvel]

Stripped, flashed, boiled, oiled !  That sounds like the slow rust method!

One might conjecture,  that a few more applications of of dampness, carding with burlap,
etc might add more finish?

However, that would be more “refinishing” than restoration….

That is so awesome….
 Unfortunately for me, our best and most wonderful LGS has retired forever (Ron Petersen)
Except for online sales. So i can no longer find cool old stuff …

Yhs
Prof marbles

[Major 2]

I want the original finish; I won't enhance it.
 Someone suggested it be Cerakoted but total missed my point and my plans for the gun.

I have a shadow box,I also have a WW1 French Croix De Guerre (this very one)
I will mount the gun with the holster, Croix De Guerre, Adrain helmet and some other artifacts and exhibit at the museum for a while.

[Major 2]

Not quite completed