Double barrel from at least 1870

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  • oberyn

    Member
    Apr 19, 2021
    52
    This gun sat in the ground for 100 years and I'm curious about getting it restored. Clearly no interest in it being functional, but I'd like for it to be at least partially restored so I can properly mount it for display, since it's been part of the family (even if buried) for 150 years.
    Any suggestions at all would be appreciated

    view
     

    Dave91

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 25, 2009
    1,988
    Anne Arundel
    Please elaborate on it being "in the ground for 100 years".

    The most I would do is remove any active rust and wipe it down with an oily rag.
     

    oberyn

    Member
    Apr 19, 2021
    52
    Family story about how my great-great-grandfather took the gun away from a son who had jammed the gun with too much wadding and threw it under the family farm house's porch. Dad heard the story growing up and his uncle got up the nerve to crawl under there and dig around and eventually found it. Kind of neat and seems like a tall tale (My father did walk uphill bothways in the snow to school all summer) but have had enough family confirm the story that it all seems to check out.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    Actually , even allowing for a substantial family legand fudge factor , at first glance it seems in remarkably good condition . Of course with the caveat that we can't tell the condition of the wood from the picture .

    What do you think is your goal here ? Obviously , restoring to firing condition isn't on the table . Hypothetically " restore " as in substantially refinish , could be done such that it would look , say twice as pretty as currently . But since the amazing thing about it is the Family Connection , your best course is simply to stabilize in current condition .

    Recently there were articles and press releases where the Buffalo Bill Historical Center & Museum ( home of the Winchester Collection of firearms and factory records ) was contracted by the NPS to stabilize the famous " Winchester '73 leaning against a Tree in the Desert " , to be suitable for display by the Park Service .

    I didn't memorize all the details , but the Museum went into a lot of detail about the cleaning generally , and the current state of the art stabilization treatments . I'm too Luddite to link , but a quick google should quickly turn it up .
     

    Clovis

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 1, 2011
    1,408
    Centreville
    Dumb question...is it still loaded with the "too much wadding"? It looks like a muzzle-loader and as I am sure you are aware quite a few of these show up with loads left in them. You or someone should check. Interesting find.
     

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