[GaMatt72]

Would like some opinions on cleaning and displaying my Great Granddad's Remington model 6 .22? The stock is loose and the screw that holds it is rusted bad. I have cleaned the bore and did shoot it one time. The bore took awhile to clean and make look good again. I really just want to make it look as good as I can and display it. It has some pitting so I believe the collector value is not as good as it could be.
Here are a few pics of it.

 

[JD1969]

I think you should display it as is. That gun has some real history and is a family heirloom.

 

[Axxe55]

i agree. display it as is. get a piece of rustic looking board , like from and old barn, add some nice looking brass hooks that are made to hold a rifle and mount in on the wall and enjoy it.

 

[GaMatt72]

I am worried about further damage due to rust. Is there something I can do to stop it from rusting more without harming the history?

 

[Axxe55]

I am worried about further damage due to rust. Is there something I can do to stop it from rusting more without harming the history?

just keep it oiled like any other firearm from time to time. take it down, wipe it down with a good gun oil and put it back.

 

[c3shooter]

CLP makes a good cleaner/lube/ protectant- use a soft cloth to wipe down metal. You can use a bit of linseed oil on a cloth for the stock- or Birchwood-Casey Tru Oil (be careful- oily cloth can catch fire) Treat the rifle GENTLY- do not be scrubbing it up to look like a new penny.

 

[USAFret]

I took my grandfather's 1873 Springfield rifle and refinished the wood, cleaned up the metal and treated it with Eezox, bought a replica sling and cleaning rod, plus an original bayonet, and then mounted it all on the wall using brass holders. Looks great and gets lots of positive comments. Family heirlooms should be displayed!

 

[TDS92A]

As it is stated in the quote, display it as it is, but put a light coat of oil on the metal, seal the wood with a little bit of linseed oil and nothing else. That rifle, in its present condition, has more value than you would get if it was ever sold.

I think you should display it as is. That gun has some real history and is a family heirloom.

 

[jpattersonnh]

I took my grandfather's 1873 Springfield rifle and refinished the wood, cleaned up the metal and treated it with Eezox, bought a replica sling and cleaning rod, plus an original bayonet, and then mounted it all on the wall using brass holders. Looks great and gets lots of positive comments. Family heirlooms should be displayed!

You just cut the value by half. May look nice but ain't worth Diddley. .

 

[30-30remchester]

I have collected, shot and delt in antique firarms for over 4 decades now. A refinished gun is an abomination to antique gun collectors. When a gun is refinished the entire history of the gun is FOREVER gone. The world is chock full of shiny guns with no caractor. What the world is in short supply of, is guns with caractor. Every dent, ding, and rub are this guns history and a testament to your grandfathers useage. I disagree with adding linseed oil to the stock. There are other ways to preserve wood without adding finish. Also remember that this gun was not built to withstand the pressures of modern hi speed ammo, use only standard velocity ammo to reduce wear.

 

[GaMatt72]

Thanks guys!!! Do I try to get the stock screw fixed or leave it? I worry it my break it is very wobbly and the screw head is so rusted it has no slot left. The rifle sat in my grandad's closet since 57 till we cleaned the house out after my uncle passed last year.

 

[TDS92A]

GaMatt72,

Leave the screw alone if you have no intentions of firing it. Just protect it as advised in previous threads and display it. Another reason is that it would be next to impossible to find the exact same screw to replace it with. Replacing the screw would take away from the value of the weapon.

Thanks guys!!! Do I try to get the stock screw fixed or leave it? I worry it my break it is very wobbly and the screw head is so rusted it has no slot left. The rifle sat in my grandad's closet since 57 till we cleaned the house out after my uncle passed last year.

 

[TDS92A]

I agree in part to this statement. A total restoration of an old weapon would heretical. However, preserving the weapon would be doing the right thing. Case in point, all of the weapons that you see in museums have been restored and preserved to the point of protecting them, thus making them virtually priceless. Contact a Museum in your area and ask them what they did to preserve the weapons. Some may have trade secrets pertaining to what they did, but they will at least point you in the right direction.

I have collected, shot and delt in antique firarms for over 4 decades now. A refinished gun is an abomination to antique gun collectors. When a gun is refinished the entire history of the gun is FOREVER gone. The world is chock full of shiny guns with no caractor. What the world is in short supply of, is guns with caractor. Every dent, ding, and rub are this guns history and a testament to your grandfathers useage. I disagree with adding linseed oil to the stock. There are other ways to preserve wood without adding finish. Also remember that this gun was not built to withstand the pressures of modern hi speed ammo, use only standard velocity ammo to reduce wear.

 

[GaMatt72]

Thanks again guys. I know this is not a high value weapon but since it was my Great Granddad's squirrel rifle and I never got to meet him it means a lot. I am honored that my dad and Uncle decided I was the best one to keep it. I am 39 and hope to give it to my daughters kids in the future.

 

[TDS92A]

That is what a weapon is for. Whether it is from your ancestor or you. Pass them on to your children / grandchildren and make sure that they are well educated in the history and proper use of firearms. My kids have already picked out their favorites of mine.....the little vultures!

Thanks again guys. I know this is not a high value weapon but since it was my Great Granddad's squirrel rifle and I never got to meet him it means a lot. I am honored that my dad and Uncle decided I was the best one to keep it. I am 39 and hope to give it to my daughters kids in the future.

 

[30-30remchester]

I agree in part to this statement. A total restoration of an old weapon would heretical. However, preserving the weapon would be doing the right thing. Case in point, all of the weapons that you see in museums have been restored and preserved to the point of protecting them, thus making them virtually priceless. Contact a Museum in your area and ask them what they did to preserve the weapons. Some may have trade secrets pertaining to what they did, but they will at least point you in the right direction.

I agree sorta of. I have been in many many gun museums, researched many hidden behind the glass that others dont get the oppertunity to examine, have had 7 of my own collection on display in various museums, and was firearm currator in a small museum and have yet to seen a

 

[30-30remchester]

Sorry about the accidental ending of above post, to continue where I left off, and have yet to see a restored firearm displayed. Of the thousand or so I have examined that is. Where the confusion may be is what each of us consider restoring. Most all guns were cleaned and preserved using oils on the metal and wood preservative on the wood.

 

[TheOldMan]

30-30 You are certainly entitled to your opinions when it comes to restoration but there are cases where a restoration is warrented. I've made it my business to restore antique firearms. My clients are those who want to be able to take grandads old shotgun or rifle out to the ranges and not simply have it remain a wall hanger. I look at firearm restoration the same way others look at restoring old cars or any other antique. You can look at a dent or ding all day long and try to imagine that it was caused in battle. Perhaps it was simply there from careless storage.. Who really knows.. In any event, raising an old firearm from the dead is a rewarding venture in my opinion. an opinion, I might add, that is shared buy many who make it their business to restore firearms. Just ask Doug Turnbull. For those buying into the myth that restoring a firearm lessens it's overall value? Done incorrectly, that may be true. Done correctly, it is far from true. Case in point: A Turnbull restored firearm has consistantly sold for more than it would sell for unrestored.

There is much that goes into a proper restoration and very few have the experience or patience to do it properly. What gives restoration a bad name mostly comes from the guys who attack a firearm with sandpaper in one hand and a can of spray paint in the other...