[texaswoodworker]

Well, I started a thread on this same subject a long time ago (it was the first thread I started if I recall), but I want to actually be able to use this thing, so here we go again.

The gun is a Crescent SXS Shotgun chambered in 16 GA. I do not know what model it is, but it has exposed hammers on it. The barrel has no markings on it at all (we had to test fit different GA until we found one that fit. 12GA was too big, 20 Ga was to small, 16 Ga was just right).

Anyway, it has several parts missing from it. The entire fore arm assembly is gone (including the piece that has a circular cove cut into it and fits against the end of the reciever), a spring for a hammer is missing, the firing pins are free floating (I don't know if they had springs origionally, but if they did, their gone), and the entire extractor is gone (plate, spring, and anything else I'm not aware of)

I cannot find these parts anywhere. Should I have them custom made? Where could I have that done, I don't even know what many of these parts looked like.

If I get that problem solved, how should I refinish it. The cold blue works, but is not very attractive. Should I just have it parkerized, or something else (I want the gun to look as origional as possible. So I want it a really deep blue with maybe some gloss to it)

Oh, and finally, the gun was made before the mid 1930s (that is when Crescent was bought buy savage/stevens (I think). There was an old scrap of paper that was between the stock and the buttplate that was dated 1902 (I think, I'll have to check). The barrel is not damascus, or twisted metal, I think it was solid. Would this gun be safe to fire? Should I just use reduced loads or black powder loads, or should most modern ammo be fine?

For everyone that thinks I ruined an old gun by refinishing it, the gun was covered in thick rust when I got it (mostly surface rust, there is only a little pitting), I'm just giving it a new life. Plus the gun is not very collectible, and worth very little money even in decent condition.
I'll post some pics of the guns, and it's parts when I get home. Thanks.

This is what it looks like. (this is not mine though)

[hiwall]

"I cannot find these parts anywhere. Should I have them custom made? Where could I have that done"

Any gunsmith should be able to make or adapt available parts.

[hiwall]

They usually do not hot blue doubles. Rust blue or cold blue.

[texaswoodworker]

Originally Posted by hiwall

"I cannot find these parts anywhere. Should I have them custom made? Where could I have that done"

Any gunsmith should be able to make or adapt available parts.

I don't know of any gunsmiths around me (there probably are, I just don't know who they are or where they are at), but I'll look around.

Originally Posted by hiwall

They usually do not hot blue doubles. Rust blue or cold blue.

What is rust blue? how hard/expensive is it to do? What kind of cold blue is good for this? the stuff I used turned the metal a greenish blue color. (it was birchwood casey perma blue paste)

[texaswoodworker]

Here are some pics of it.

pic 1-sorry about it being a crappy pic. The forestock assembly is completely gone, so is that piece that fits around the cuved dge of the reciever (I do not knows what that is called)

pic 2-the reciever says Crescent Fire Arms Co. Norwich Conn. USA. That is all it says on the gun. It does not say a model or anything else.

pic 3-bottom of the barrel where the forearm assembly goes.

pic 4-that is what the missing spring looks like.

pic 5-missing extractor

It is also missing the springs to the fireing pins.

[hiwall]

The curved piece is often called the forearm iron. Rust blue is done by letting the gun rust then carding off the rust then letting gun rust then carding off the rust, again and again to reach the preferred blue color. Rust blue is expensive to have done. A good cold blue is Oxpho Blue from Brownells but there are others also. With most cold blues prep is the key. I doubt that you will ever find that exact parts so someone will have to make or adapt available parts.

[texaswoodworker]

Originally Posted by hiwall

The curved piece is often called the forearm iron. Rust blue is done by letting the gun rust then carding off the rust then letting gun rust then carding off the rust, again and again to reach the preferred blue color. Rust blue is expensive to have done. A good cold blue is Oxpho Blue from Brownells but there are others also. With most cold blues prep is the key. I doubt that you will ever find that exact parts so someone will have to make or adapt available parts.

Thanks for the advice on the blue. Well, I looked and there are a few gunsmiths around here, but I have never heard anything about any of them. (plus, a lot of people around here like to try to overcharge you ) I'll check them out and get an estimate, but I may see if one of the gunsmiths here could help me out.

[TheOldMan]

Originally Posted by hiwall

Rust blue is done by letting the gun rust then carding off the rust then letting gun rust then carding off the rust, again and again to reach the preferred blue color. Rust blue is expensive to have done. A good cold blue is Oxpho Blue from Brownells but there are others also. With most cold blues prep is the key. I doubt that you will ever find that exact parts so someone will have to make or adapt available parts.

Rust blueing can be done by the home hobbiest with minimal expense to you. Most of the expense is in the amount of time it takes to get the desired finish. As hiwall suggests, the Oxpho Blue from Brownells is a good product that I've used many times with very nice results. Older shotguns like yours "were" most likely rust blued and brownells sells a rust blue sollution also.

It's always nice to see someone take on restoration projects like this. IMO, guns deserve to be restored to their former glory whenever possible. As a side note, check VERY closely at the steel of the barrels to determine what they're made of.. I just completed the restoration of a Colt 1883 double that showed very little signs of having damascus barrels even though Colt made nothing but damascus doubles. It took me looking at it under magnification after removing the old finish to finally see the pattern. Just an FYI

[texaswoodworker]

Thanks for the advice, I think it isn't demascus, but I'll be sure to check again.

[mountainman13]

Make damn sure its not damascus before you shoot it