# For the gun nuts/collectors



## kurtak (Sep 1, 2016)

Here is one for any of you gun nuts &/or collectors on the forum

I recently bought this gun (as a collector gun) due not just to the fact it is an old gun but also due to its caliber --- its a Marlin model 94 caliber 25 - 20 

when I got the gun it was pitted "really bad" - the stock & front grip was so dark you could hardly see the grain of the wood & the old bluing basically was non-existent --- in fact the bluing was non-existent to the point that it no longer prevented surface rust from forming - I could oil it up & due to high humidity it would still form surface rust in a matter of 2 or 3 weeks 

So the out side of the gun was in "really bad" shape - the good news though (which is why I went ahead & bought it) was that the rifling in the barrel was still in "excellent" condition - absolutely "no" pitting

So I decided to tear it completely down & refinish it - including re-bluing it - but in doing so I did not want to lose the "character" of the old gun that it is - so I deliberately only took the bluing to a point that it is now providing the protection of bluing - but not all the way to the deep dark, even, bluing of a brand new gun

The pitting on the gun was soooo bad - in some places (especially up by the front site - where you hold the gun when the butt is sitting on the ground) that I actually could not just sand it out but actually had to take a file to it - & even at that - after 4 days (3 - 4 hours a day) of sanding & filing I only got about 95 % of the pitting out --- but that's ok to - as a little bit of pitting is part of the old gun "character" I wanted to maintain - along with the light bluing that provides a sort of a patina - rather then a full deep dark bluing

For those that don't understand what (cold) bluing is (but as refiners something we can all understand) it is a "controlled" chemical (acid) treatment of the steel that caused a surface oxidation of the steel (a different oxidation state then rust oxide) which in turn passivates the surface of the steel such that it helps in "preventing" it from being susceptible to rusting 

Wish I would of took some before picture - but didn't so here are the after pictures

First pic - whole gun
Second pic - shows more of the light bluing to maintain old gun look &/or patina
Third pic - shows some of the deeper pitting (in the tube magazine) which I could not take down as much as on the rest of the gun due to the thinner steel the mag is made of 

Kurt


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## kurtak (Sep 1, 2016)

Thought I would add one more pic of a 25 - 20 cartridge (right) next to a 30 - 30 (left) cartridge as a comparison 

The 25 - 20 was a popular varmint gun back in its day & was favored by trappers (back in the day)

Kurt


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## UncleBenBen (Sep 1, 2016)

Nice work Kurt!!

Looks like it would be a fun one to shoot.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Sep 1, 2016)

That is a beautiful job you did on the gun. :mrgreen:


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## Topher_osAUrus (Sep 1, 2016)

Thats quite the rifle Kurt.

Have you fired it? Or is it strictly a gun to add to the collection?


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## Smack (Sep 1, 2016)

Re-bluing, not a good idea if you want to keep the value up. Nice gun though.


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## Shark (Sep 1, 2016)

Nice find! Those are becoming hard to find, especially in working condition.


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## butcher (Sep 1, 2016)

Thanks for sharing, with us gun nuts.


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## upcyclist (Sep 1, 2016)

Very nicely done!


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## kurtak (Sep 2, 2016)

Smack said:


> Re-bluing, not a good idea if you want to keep the value up. Nice gun though.



That's not entirely true - It depends on the condition of the gun in the first place - antique/collectable guns are like any other antique/collectable & depending on condition you can ether lower there value by doing repairs &/or re-finishing - or you can increase there value by doing repairs &/or refinishing --- it depends on there condition - in the first place

Then - when you do - do repairs &/or re-finishing - it depends on the work you do to it - in other words you can over do the work to the point you lose the "character" of the item as an collectable antique

Then - the bottom line on value comes down to the eye of the beholder (potential buyer) & when it comes to buyers - there is a "huge" range of them out there & what they will pay for an item - based on "what" they see & "how" they see it 

What it comes down to is that you will most definitely de-value guns that are in fair/good, good, or excellent condition if you do anything to them - but - you can most certainly increase value of guns that are in fair/poor, poor, or very poor condition - guns that are in fair condition are questionable as to whether or not you will increase there value - or decrease there value - or not change the value

I am able to say this because I have in fact done this with a number of guns now - bought them in fair/poor to poor condition - repaired & re-finished them & the sold them for fair/good to good condition

Examples - a Savage (I forget the model) 25 - 35 caliber - paid $250 & sold it for $650 after repairs & re-finishing --- a Winchester model 94 also 25 - 35 caliber - paid $450 & sold it for $850 after repairs & re-finishing

Then - one I kick myself in the butt for selling - a Marlin 25 - 36 model 94 (the caliber is not a typo) the 25 - 36 was Marlins version of the Winchester 25 - 35 --- the 25 - 36 was a "little" longer to the shoulder (of the cartridge case) then the 25 - 35 --- so you could shoot 25 - 35 ammo in the 25 - 36 (the 25 - 35 case will "fire forum" to 25 - 36) but not the other way around (the 25 -36 wont chamber in the 25 - 35)

I paid $350 for that gun & sold it for $900 after repairs & re-finishing - one of the repairs included making an all new stock for it as the stock was broke in such a manner that it could not be repaired so as to insure it would not brake again when shooting it --- I really do regret selling that gun

I paid $450 (a bit more then I wanted to) for this gun - & though I have no intent to sell it - I would not be afraid to ask $800 - $850 for it - IF - I decided to sell it

Kurt


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## kurtak (Sep 2, 2016)

UncleBenBen said:


> Nice work Kurt!!
> 
> Looks like it would be a fun one to shoot.



Its a VERY fun gun to shoot - its got excellent balance & the butt to shoulder, cheek to stock is a perfect fit for me (when my cheek hits the stock its a dead on line up of rear site to front site - no searching for site line up)

I have put about 30 rounds through it so far (some after I first bought it - then some more after re-finishing it to be sure I had the sites lined up when I put them back on the barrel)

I can put 3 holes in a 2" circle shooting off hand at 50 yards & 3 in a 3" circle from the bench at 100 yards - which is not bad for open sites

I got 100 rounds with the gun - but ammo cost about $65 per 50 rounds (if you can find it) soooo - it looks like I am going to have to go buy another set of reloading dies :mrgreen: 

Kurt


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## kurtak (Sep 2, 2016)

Topher_osAUrus said:


> Thats quite the rifle Kurt.
> 
> Have you fired it? Or is it strictly a gun to add to the collection?



:lol: of course I have fired it - IMO - its kind of foolish to buy a gun just to have it --- as much as I bought it as a collector - I will most certainly take it out to punch holes in paper & most likely also hunt with it

Kurt


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## kurtak (Sep 2, 2016)

Here is a couple more I have re-finished - nether one of them are high dollar collector items - but - they are priceless to me

The Winchester model 270 pump 22 was the first gun I ever bought back when I was 14 years old - I worked on re-finishing at the same time I was working in the Marlin 25 - 20 (so just did it)

The shot gun is an Iver Johnsons 28 gauge - It was my grandpa's gun & he gave it to me when I was 14 years old - it was in bad shape then & so I re-finished right after he gave it to me - it was the first gun I ever re-finished - including re-bluing

It was/is my favorite grouse hunting gun & is responsible for bagging more grouse then "all" other shot guns - put together - that I have hunted grouse with - I still use it for grouse hunting

These are guns I will NEVER sell - as I said - they are priceless to me

Kurt


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## UncleBenBen (Sep 2, 2016)

I love the curves on the butt stock of that 28 gauge. I bet it does feel good.



kurtak said:


> Its a VERY fun gun to shoot - its got excellent balance & the butt to shoulder, cheek to stock is a perfect fit for me (when my cheek hits the stock its a dead on line up of rear site to front site - no searching for site line up)



Haha! I know! You can't beat the Marlin 94 lever guns. They are great rifles. Mine is a .44 mag with the gold plated trigger (no, I'm not going to refine it!) I got from my father years ago. There's no telling how many deer that rifle has killed. The don't tend to go far after getting hit with that round, most of them just drop where they are standing. 

It's also one of those that I'll never get rid of. Along with my old Ruger 10/22 and H&K .22 revolver with the extra Magnum cylinder, and any other of my "hand me downs".


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## jason_recliner (Sep 2, 2016)

Beautiful, Kurt.
I also have just two rifles I can't bring myself to ever part with: my first, a Brno .22; the other a Sako .223 my father gave me. Both are low calibre, high quality, bolt actions, both accurate to about 45 seconds, and both very sentimental to me. Anything else is just a gun, whereas these two will always be special.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Sep 2, 2016)

kurtak said:


> :lol: of course I have fired it - IMO - its kind of foolish to buy a gun just to have it ---
> Kurt




Good!

It deserves to be fired.. I only asked because my uncle collects guns, and 90% of them, just sit...never get fired... Hardly get picked up..usually just to clean off the dust. Its a damn shame!


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