Author Topic: what do you think (Read 538 times)

rickyp · « **on:** December 31, 2004, 04:11:04 PM »

what do you think of scratches and bluing where on a contender frame from use and hunting, but not misuse.

today is the last day out for my contender this season. I was cleaning and oiling it before putting it away.
I started looking hard at it I see a lot of blueing is rubbing off on the trigger guard spur,on the frame sides just above the trigger, around the hinge pin hole, and where the forend rub. the frame has some scratches on the sides.
This frame is about 15 years old and has been out in the woods almost every year and seen hard hunting. It has earned every scratch and loss of bluing.

What does your frame look like?

cnTndr85 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2004, 05:34:35 PM »

Ricky,
Some of mine look just like new, and some of em look just like yours.....I dont mind a little wear and tear but I dont want to see any rust.
Mark

22popnsplat · « **Reply #2 on:** December 31, 2004, 06:17:34 PM »

I can appreciate a gun that is 20 years old and looks like NIB , I have even bought a few of them . The ones I have bought that look NIB will shortly show signs of being handled and being shot . I own a fair number of guns but there are no safe queens here , If I own it its going to be shot but cared for also .

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2004, 06:33:34 PM »

It is hard to keep them looking new IMO. If you use a gun, it will look used but not abused.

No reason having them if you are not going to use them. I have a Shiloh Sharps that cost me over $2400 and I take it into the tree stand with me, yea I got a couple of dings, but it is not a safe queen.

rickyp · « **Reply #4 on:** January 01, 2005, 01:00:04 AM »

My frame has had some very light surfice rust, it is from hunting and not neglect. As soon as I see it I soak it in a coat of oil and then buff it off.
The bad thing is that i always put a nice coat of wd-40 before I go out in the wet weather and when I get home I whipe it down and put a nother light coat of oil on it.

bigbore442001 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 01, 2005, 02:30:37 AM »

There might be another option. Although I have not done this, you could have a coating put on. There are a number of them out there but I don't know the particulars.

Possum · « **Reply #6 on:** January 01, 2005, 03:09:38 AM »

There is another option. You can take the trigger guard off and replace it with a new one. I recently bought a frame that had ALL the bluing worn off the trigger guard spur and was selling it to a friend. I did not want him to have a frame with that much blue worn off, so I replaced the trigger guard. I believe they wanted $37.00 plus shipping. I thought that inflation had got kind of steep, but it does look good. Seems like the trigger guard is a different finish. All of my frames, except for the Stainless, have worn differently on the guard than the frame part. I know that is where you touch it the most, but the entire guard on one of my frames has a hint of red in the blue. I may be a different kind of metal than the frame is. I am sure someone knows the answer to that.

If you do order, make sure you tell TC you want JUST the trigger guard and not the entire assembly. With a few punches you can take the parts off and switch them over

Bullseye · « **Reply #7 on:** January 01, 2005, 05:05:43 AM »

My oldest frame is about 14 years old and the main bluing wear on it is from the forearm rubbing. It got out of control before I stopped it. My two newer frames do not have much wear from the forearm. I now take a 1" belt sander and thin the part of the forearm that extends over the frame so that it does not rub the bluing off.

A little worn bluing comes with the territory and gives the gun character. I will take bluing wear anyday over nasty looking stainless (personal opinion of course). My wife squirrel hunts with a very expensive Benelli. She sometimes worrys about scratching it. I tell her to use it because that is what it is for. A gun like that you plan on having for life so in 15-20 years if gets to looking to bad you just refinish it and go on down the road.

rickyp · « **Reply #8 on:** January 01, 2005, 10:03:20 AM »

I have been thinking about sending it of to ssk and have them do a ssk krome tratment on it, but I am unsure if T/C will do warrenty work once it is done.
this is a hunting handgun and not a show pice so the worn finnish doen't bother me too much, the rust thing does.
this is the first year that i have ever seen any rust on it.the only reason I can think of is I now keep it in a soft case (not ziped up) while it is in my truck going to and from the field and when I come out for lunch.

by law it has to be in a case while it is in the truck I found this out the hard way by a very nice police officer. he could have taken the handgun and locked me up, but he just explained the law and let me go.

Racepres · « **Reply #9 on:** January 02, 2005, 02:05:49 PM »

rickyp: I too have considered the ssk treatment on an older (Pre-Easy-open) Frame but then I'm afraid it won't match any bbls!! Let us know what ya do.. Which brings me to possum: was that tang ya took off a frnt pin pivot?? T/C does not seem to have these anymore ( or the gal couldn't find one) If so I have a hunch it may still be better than mine! How would ya like to sell it?? BTW I fount that the Pachmeyer (sp) forend which I got rid of was the worst offender for removing blue at the frame hinge..Later Marty

rickyp · « **Reply #10 on:** January 02, 2005, 02:11:39 PM »

I have a ssk 375jdj that is ssk krome and it is close to the S.S. frame. It is kind of a matt S.S. finnish.

Racepres · « **Reply #11 on:** January 02, 2005, 02:50:29 PM »

Ahhhh that explains lots.... all my stuff is blue!!! :roll:

rickyp · « **Reply #12 on:** January 02, 2005, 03:38:45 PM »

S.S. on blue is not a bad look