"Restoring" Original Muskets

[Beanbomb]

I am curious to know what people's thoughts are on "restoring" original muskets. Now, I don't mean a beat up musket with 1/3rd of the parts missing; I am talking about a musket that is in generally fair shape, but maybe has an almost black patina or multiple dents in the wood. I am asking this because I was told by a reputable vendor in Gettysburg that one shouldn't remove the patina because it devalues the musket. However, I would like to use my original 1842 at reenactments, but I believe the patina is just too dark and is not authentic. Most 42s in photographs I have seen have had more of a bright finish. Please share your thoughts on this, i'm not sure if I should remove the patina on my 1842.

My 42 with its dark patina:






(I did a quick search on this topic and found little. If this topic has already been discussed, please let me know :) )

[jtrotta]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

I would leave it alone.

I believe that removing the patina from the musket alone will not restore it back to a "war-time appearance", and in the process you will have devalued your investment (potentially below the value of a good reproduction).

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

Agreed. Leave it alone.
It takes a lot of effort to make an aged original look appropriate for the hobby. That musket needs much more than "scrub and shine" to be brought back. At the end of the day, the investment to make it look right won't be worth the cost.

For those wanting something "a cut above", I have had the good luck with originals in decent shape that have been altered (cutdown stocks, barrels, etc). For the cost of a stretched stock, new/stretched barrel, and the odd replacement band or sling swivel, you can have a highly authentic musket for living histories that (1) doesn't break the bank, and (2) doesn't look like a heavily patina'ed relic with a heavy coat of elbow grease.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

Hallo!

If resale value is a strong motivator or factor...leave it alone. Plus many argue we never own originals, we just pay for the privilege of preserving them and moving it forward into the Future.

If, a more historically accurate impression is a strong motivator... the other side of the argument is restore it to it appearance and condition when it was in CW use and take off the 150 plus years of aging, handling, dings/nicks/scratches/gouges users shooting and hunting and/or kids playing war with it put on it.

Firearms are their own class of issues. For example, it improves the value of an antique car to restore it and its "patina" is not valued.

As shared above, full restorations to "CW appearance" is NUG problematic as post CW damage, er "patina" is not always easy to erase and restore unless the gun is pretty prime. For example, really good wood and sharp crisp metal that has just lost its period finishes and color.

I am a sinner most foul here. I have restored guns to their CW appearance. I have also contributed to the "death" of many originals by buying parts dealers/vendors had cannibalized and sold separately because it boosts profits 400-500% Plus over selling the intact gun. I have also used original minty and restored to mint parts when building custom-built CW reproductions in years past. (Yeah, we like to assuage our consciences by saying vendors only take parts from already "history destroyed; guns like Bannerman or Sears' poor-man aka farmer's shotguns made from surplus muskets cut down to half stock and NUG with bored out shortened barrels.

Curt

[maillemaker]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

My opinion is that if it is your property, you are free to do with it as you want.

I have family heirloom firearms and if I had the cash I would have them restored to like-new condition. Even though it would harm their "collector value". Collector value does not matter to me - good condition firearms does.

The problem is that a firearm in the condition of you 42 cannot simply be polished back into like-new condition. You have metal pitting on the barrel, which means that metal is gone. You can't polish it back into existence. Likewise with the missing wood. Perhaps some of the other parts could be polished bright again.

You might consider a new Dunlap stock and a Whitacre or Hoyt replacement barrel, and rebuild the rest from original, re-finished parts.

Of course these guns were 20 years old when the Civil War broke out.

Steve

[NMVolunteer]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

Steve Sheldon is right. The "patina" is surface damage from corrosion, probably caused by humidity and air pollution over the past 175 years. You can remove the corroded surface (with caustic chemicals) and polish the non-damaged underlying metal to stabilize the metal and prevent continued corrosion, but that would be hazardous and would possibly damage the smaller and more sensitive parts (especially around the lock). To really get out that corrosion, you would need harsh chemicals, and the necessary PPE would include butyl gloves and apron, respirator, and splash-resistant goggles or perhaps a faceshield. Plus the loss of material would make it smaller and perhaps less safe to use, if the corrosion on the barrel is fairly deep (as it appears to be). The pitting and corrosion also does not appear to be even, so the end result would be a heavily-textured barrel. A bayonet would definitely not have a good fit afterwards. I doubt a professional conservator would be willing to "restore" that musket, given the amount of damage that would be caused by restoring it.

Besides, the ordnance depots would most likely condemn that musket. Is it an investment, or a family heirloom?

Michael Denisovich

[MuleyGil]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

I'd leave it myself. If you want a purty one, build one from new pats.

[Michael Comer]

Re: "Restoring" Original Muskets

It's a nice looking piece all in all. But, if you wish to use it at a reenactment, you would definitely need to put a lot of work into it since your musket would not be 160+ years old in the 1860's. It also appears that there is some pitting on the barrel which would also not have been there and, depending on how deep it is, could greatly alter the barrel's look if you were to make the surface uniform again.

In my opinion, for what it's worth, your musket could be greatly damaged by what it would take to bring it back to look like it had recently been issued. I would settle for a gentle cleaning to remove surface dirt and grime and then enjoy it for what it is but take a reproduction out into the field.

In the end though, it is your possession and you can do what you wish with it. The value might be hurt some by doing a restoration on it, but if the value is not a real issue and you plan on keeping it then it basically ends up with whatever makes you happy.