First scratch

[Lumberjack Bill]

Hi folks, Well it was bound to happen. My Shiloh slid on the shooting table and scratched the bone and charcoal case hardening on the left side of the reciever. Is there a trick to hide small scratches? I was thinking of some cold blue to hide the shine of the scratch but don't want to ruin the CC. Thanks, George

[deerhuntsheatmeup]

I feel you pain...

[Lee Stone]

George,

I would think you could greatly reduce the visibility of the scratch using a very thin applicator such as a broom straw to apply cold bluing to the scratch. And then wiping it after each application until you get it to a level where it just disappears into the case hardening colours. Certainly worth a try and it can't really hurt anything.

Like everyone else, I certainly sympathize with you. But the only way to keep these rifles pristine is to keep them well oiled and never take them out of their safes. But then what would be the point of having them, right?
So what you have done is "added character".

[Kirk]

Hi George, what you can do is take a patch with accetone and clean the surface. Take another patch and put gun oil on it. Take a q-tip and cold blue and carefully try to get it just on the scratch. Wipe it dry with a dry patch in the direction of the scratch and then wipe the oil patch on it to blend it in. You will never know it was their. If it does get to dark on you, take fine scotch bright and gently blend it in. Thanks Kirk

[Lumberjack Bill]

Worked good, Thanks, George

[NRAUSMC]

Oh, the feeling of guilt!

When I got my first scratch on pewter tip of my Quigley -- I was devastated.

I felt so guilty that I was embarassed to tell anyone. But I finally mentioned it to Kirk (at the NRA Convention, in Pittsburgh) and he told me how to fix it.

When it was all said-and-done, it turned out that it wasn't so bad.

Paul

[Leatherstocking]

Bill,
I had a friend tell a story years ago about a fellow who had a brand new Hawkin fullstock that he was hunting antelope with. The two had hunted through the day, with the new gun owner being very anal about not scratching the new rifle. So much careful time was taken to exit and enter the pick up truck, that it was starting to drive my friend crazy. Finally the fellow left his Hawkin in the truck to relieve himself, and while he was out, my friend took a "church key" and raked it across the butt stock! The owner was terrified when he returned, but my buddy's only response was,
"Now can we start hunting!" A bit extreme, although at the time, it was sorta funny how he told the story. Actually I was sorta relieved when I put my first scratch on my Shiloh. Today, after many miles in a leather saddle scabbard and dragging it over brush and rocks pursuing elk and such, it looks more like an"original", than the "R" word! Wouldn't trade it for a new shining one for nothing. It's not how the old girl looks, but rather how she performs..............I'm talking about guns of coarse!
Be Blessed! Leatherstocking

[Frank]

Any so called friend that took a "church key" to my Shiloh or any of my guns does not want to hunt with me and a loaded gun.

Frank Costa

[gpeak]

I use the technigue Kirk described but use a compound called Hobby Black #1. It produces a black finish which matches the the matte finish on my Shiloh. Tested it on the underside of the receiver where the lever wears the color and got an almost perfect black/brown match. I really don't care about that area of wear so it was a logical place to test. Hobby Black is used by modelers to blacken shiny metal on for example locomotive wheels an boilers without paint buildup which can obscure details.

[Omak Cowboy]

Ferank, I agree. I'd probably let the SOB live as it's too much trouble to kill him and hide the body...but I would certainly never speak to him again and it would be most unwise for him to be near me ever again.
Omak

[Whtbear]

I use my rifle, and a rifle that is used will get scratched. I remember when I noticed my first scratch...and thought, well....at least I can relax now..it's been consicrated. A year later, I noticed a very tramautic thing...the wood to metal fit was separated. There was a crack in the stock near the pistol grip. It was a vertical crack on one side. I was mortified!. I called Lucinda and they priced a new stock for me. I was unemployed at the time so that was out. I got ahold of Lee Shaver and asked him to look at it. He did and he agreed the wood (presentation) was just too beautiful to throw away. He said he would try and fix it. The job he did was such that the crack area was nearly invisible, the wood to metal fit was back to Shiloh normal (nearly fused), and he saved one of the prettiest pieces of 'fiddle back' grained walnut I think Kirk ever sold. Lee showed me where a cracked stock was one of the most complained about problem for the pistol-grip sharps of the time. He made sure it would never happen again by inserting small steel rods into the stock in the stress areas. To this day, I have no idea how the stock was cracked, but it is fixed and the rifle looks perfect.