To refinish or not refinish, that is the question

Gunsmithing Restoration
21

That’s what I ended up deciding to do. :cowboy_hat_face:

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22

Good to hear, can never have too many project guns!

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23

I’m doing a full re-blue on my grandad’s Arisaka (Early war Type 99, magnolia is ground off), Already refinished the stock with around 20 coats of linseed oil and some judicious application of high grit sand paper. Take homes and vintage milsurps are common enough that I’d rather have a rifle that looks correct and factory fresh since I’m not running a museum. I like rifles that run, look, and shoot like new. That’s just my two cents.

Edit: It was in his basement for the better part of 50 years, the wood was dry and shrunken, the metal all has surface patina and severe combat wear. It was a pickup from Okinawa so it was pretty knackered. Factory fresh seems better than dumpster cannon to me.

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24

I have nothing against restoration to original configuration.
History is History and it is the gun that made it.
Go For It!!!
Help it to stay around another 100 years.
Keep the scars. Gives it Character.

Arisakas were Rust Blued BTW.
Cold Blue if done carefully does a great job like Oxpho Blue or 44/40 from Brownells works good.
I prefer 44/40 myself.
Cleanliness is the key and smooth continues strokes for the length.
A little bit of heat also helps but not enough to burn you when touching it.
Blue it in a vented area too.
Blueing fumes rusts everything in the room.

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