1903 Colt amateur restoration

[RIKA]

A college friend was given a 1903 Colt .32 auto by her boyfriend for protection. The metal was all scraped up and pitted and the barrel and grips were beyond salvage. She didn't want the little pistol so I traded her a McBarfburger lunch for it.

All collector value was gone so it was perfect for restoration. I chunked the barrel and grips; replacements came from Numrich Arms. After complete disassembly I used automotive paper covered with oil and backed by a thick flat glass plate to smooth and polish the sides of the slide and frame. Carefully carved wooden push sticks backed the paper used to smooth the curved surfaces. I was very careful to keep all the pistol's lines intact with no blurring of letters/numbers and no dishing out of pin and screw holes. Once I got the metal smoothed and polished I used Phil Pilkington's Rust Blue; It took four applications.

Altogether, the entire restoration took about 40 hours of effort. The job isn't perfect because there are still some tiny pits visible on the metal but if I had polished any more I'd have damaged the lettering.

So, this is the kind of stuff I like to do. Taking something old and ugly and damaged and making it look and function like it did when it was new. You can't see it clearly but the gun's finish is a gray tinged translucent blue that looks like it has been there for 70 years.

Sorry but there are no 'before' pics because I did the work some years ago. Below are 'after' pics. Hope you like them.

RIKA

[neolithic hunter]

it appears that you did a fine job on it rika. looks good from here. :cool:

[Gunners762]

Thats a sweet 1903.Are those the original grips? Pic of mine and in need of a new finnish....

[RIKA]

G762, no, not the original grips. They are nicely checkered replacements with hokey medallions.

NH, it was a labor of love - my first project. I could never do it as a business; the hand finishing would cost too much.

RIKA

[krept]

very nice work. I wish I had patience for that kind of thing.

[BigEd63]

Rika- Very Good job on that Colt.

[Clint Boyer]

VERY nice Rika!

I've been on the look out for one of these for awhile now. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a restoration from you. :beer:

[DaRkWoLf]

Good stuff, Rika!

[Terry G]

That looks good! I bought one of those in near mint shape about 15 years ago and foolishly sold it for a quick $60.00 profit. I wish I still had it. I don't have the patience for that kind of restoration since my Harrington & Richardson fiasco some years back. Anyway, the caliber is puny, but with today's ammunition it will get someones attention if necessary. Maybe you want to restore a S&W 1917 for me?

[BigJon]

Just saw this, Rika. Superb! And the pits? Heck, after that long a few are SUPPOSED to be there.

Seriously, great job!

[BIGBORE]

Excellent job, Rika! Not many pros around today that can do that good a job. :)
Best regards, BIGBORE

[RIKA]

Thanks to each for your kind comments. After doing the little pistol I can really appreciate the work of professionals like Doug Turnbull and Bill Adair.

RIKA

[BigJon]

Hey Rika - If you get really, REALLY bored some time over the next few days, could I possibly impose on you to take some photos of the pistol that really show the finish up close? From what I can tell you have done a superb job, and I'll bet it's a little hard to even tell the pistol was refinished. I just have not been able to find anything on the net that shows a really, really detailed photo of a good rust blue job. If too much trouble, that's cool!

P.S. - Oh, and I just saw that you like the Pilkington's. I haven't tried it or the Laurel Mountain. My first run on the old Smith 10 was with Brownell's. Next time, I'll try the Pilkington's or the Laurel Mountain - I plan to try them both so that I can compare. I have found nothing on the net in the way of a user comment about the Brownell's bluing solution.

Best,
Jon

[RIKA]

Jon, I rarely get totally bored but will provide additional photos. That you find it hard to believe that the pistol was refinished is quite a compliment considering the hours I spent prepping the metal. Pilkington's rust blue is highly recommended by some of the professionals. Its not the cheapest by any means but allows excellent consistent results IMO if care is taken and the instructions are exactly followed and the metal is properly prepped.

The photos were taken on a sunny day without flash. My old camera isn't the greatest but I believe they accurately represent the gray-blue finish. Maybe a tiny bit more gray than is actually there but its the best I can do.

First photo is the left rear of the slide. The area in and around the rampant pony logo was pitted. Since the logo was lightly stamped in the first place the best I could do was just reduce the damage. Actually the colt looks "okay" when viewed head on and not at an angle.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799/3129266/6365149/252540437.jpg

Next is a shot of the front of the slide. The sunlight makes the metal appear to have a matt texture though it is actually quite smooth.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799/3129266/6365149/252540435.jpg

Finally a pic of the left rear. The entire side of the frame was scratched and pitted. I was able to remove most of the problem though you can see pitting at the place where the safety shaft passes through the frame. This photo comes closer to representing the actual color than any of the others.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL799/3129266/6365149/252540433.jpg

Hope this gives some reference on finish color though each firearm's outcome is basically a law unto itself and will come out slightly differently.

RIKA

[BigJon]

Thanks so much, Rika.

Best,
Jon

[BigJon]

Hey Rika - Question - Have you ever tried to rust blue a firearm that was really smoothly finished before application? I have read that the metal needs to be taken down to only about 300 grit. I'd like to try it on a pistol finished to 800, or even higher, but I don't know how well the rust blue would take. Any idea?

Best,
Jon

[RIKA]

The little Colt was smoothed to 600 grit. Since the rust blueing solution has acid in it there will be some etching. IMHO the smoother the surface is to begin with, the less apparent the etching effect will be visually. At least the effect isn't readily apparent on the Colt's metal except under close visual inspection. It could be that you might have to apply an extra coat or two to get the color you want.

HTH

RIKA

[BigJon]

Hi, Rika. Yea, that's what I'd figured. From what I've been able to learn from reading, the effect of progressively finer finishes is that the solution takes longer / more coats to complete the job.

On another note, just called Caspian this morning and ordered another receiver to go under one of the two NIB Colt slides from the last Series 70 run. Can't wait to get started!

Best,
Jon

[RIKA]

I've been thinking of getting a frame and slide and making my own custom pistol. I want a 9mm though because thats the only ammo thats still relatively cheap, that and I have thousands of brass cases and can cast my own lead bullets. Maybe someday soon after I get my debts paid off .... again. :headbang:

Looking forward to photos as your project progresses.

RIKA

[BigJon]

I know what you mean about getting the debts paid off! Building is definitely not for the faint of heart OR the cheap of wallet! I buy some parts as I can, then do some work, and then buy some more parts. The way I figure it, I'll end up with anywhere from $1,800 - $3,000 in parts, and then after I put the labor in the pistol will be worth MUCH more than the sum of its parts - IF I do the job correctly. So, maybe it's a hard form of retirement assets. lol

[RIKA]

I know what you mean about getting the debts paid off! Building is definitely not for the faint of heart OR the cheap of wallet!

I'm guessing that you are making a joke because I am none of the above. I work for myself therefore my monthly income fluctuates greatly depending on my contracts at hand and how fast I'm paid. Some months are lean and some are flush and I still have all the monthly bills and insurance coming due. Financial survival demands that I exercise the fiscal restraint that many folks aren't capable of. No credit card or fixed debt. Sometimes there are unexpected expenses so I take care of them first before indulging in personal pleasure. Then I build my war chest back up. Its not a lot of fun sometimes, having to exercise self control, but in return I have a lot of personal freedom and thats something I cherish.

Best,

RIKA

[BigJon]

I'm guessing that you are making a joke because I am none of the above. I work for myself therefore my monthly income fluctuates greatly depending on my contracts at hand and how fast I'm paid. Some months are lean and some are flush and I still have all the monthly bills and insurance coming due. Financial survival demands that I exercise the fiscal restraint that many folks aren't capable of. No credit card or fixed debt. Sometimes there are unexpected expenses so I take care of them first before indulging in personal pleasure. Then I build my war chest back up. Its not a lot of fun sometimes, having to exercise self control, but in return I have a lot of personal freedom and thats something I cherish.

Best,

RIKA

Actually, it was intended to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. But, the intended reference was to myself, not you.

[RIKA]

Its nearly impossible to tell written intent in some postings because of lack of facial expression and voice inflection. Sorry that I read you wrong.

RIKA

[BigJon]

lol! No harm, no foul! Heck, Rika, you know me well enough by now - if something I can say is even open to interpretation, only smiles are intended!

Best,
Jon

[BigJon]

Okay, Rika. So far, I've tried the Brownell's formula. I'm going to try the Pilkington's. I've looked around the web, and the folks I'd consider knowledgeable (on this site too ;) ) all seem to call that one "home". Gonna try it out on an old, ratty Smith Model 10 first to see how I do.

[RIKA]

Great!! If not too much trouble, please document with photos the steps you go through in preparing the metal and the actual rust blue process. I think that it would be invaluable to members who have never home blued a firearm.

RIKA :) :beer:

[BigJon]

Well, I asked you to post additional photos of your pistol, and you did, so I guess now I gotta . . . .

:D

[brass hammer]

I'm guessing that you are making a joke because I am none of the above. I work for myself therefore my monthly income fluctuates greatly depending on my contracts at hand and how fast I'm paid. Some months are lean and some are flush and I still have all the monthly bills and insurance coming due. Financial survival demands that I exercise the fiscal restraint that many folks aren't capable of. No credit card or fixed debt. Sometimes there are unexpected expenses so I take care of them first before indulging in personal pleasure. Then I build my war chest back up. Its not a lot of fun sometimes, having to exercise self control, but in return I have a lot of personal freedom and thats something I cherish.

Best,

RIKA


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