Need Help Restoring this old revolver.

[FindinACoinOr2]

My dad found it a long time ago in an old barn. I have no idea how to restore it i need a walkthrough or a guide.Its rusted pretty good.

[Vethraxx]

I seriously doubt that it can be restored to any fireable condition. It looks to pitted and worn. Take it to any gunshop and they will likely tell you the same thing. I say display it in a case as is.

[wildman4910]

That thing looks beat!

If you don't know very much about revolvers I would recommend taking it to a good gunsmith.

If the cylinder lock timing is off you could have a catastrophic failure of the frame/cylinder so be carefull.

Can you make out any markings?
There should be some on the barrel.

[hunter1]

Save your money, if you have that much rust and pit on outside of gun, the inside will be worse. Once inside of bbl is pitted or rusted out accuracy suffers real bad. you couldn't hit the side of a barn. Trigger and springs and rachet for cylinder are also rusted. save your cash for a new detector.

[Silversmith45]

I've seen a lot worse still shootable. If the hammer and trigger work, the cylinder rotates. and the barrel isn't to badly pitted, it could be worth having a gunsmith look at it. He could tell you if the timing is off and if it's safe to shoot. It might require replacing the hand. It's hard to tell from the picture, but from the cylinder release and hammer spring, it could be a Colt. Colt revolvers have really increased in value lately.

[ghost95]

You may not be able to restore it to the original caliber but you could glass in a barrel liner. drill out the barrel and line it with a .22 liner. Then you would have to make sure the timing is correct on the cylinder so the barrel and the cylinder line up. Possible but a lot of work. Good luck. Be careful.

[Vethraxx]

I still say it's a money pit. You can buy probably purchase the same revolver cheaper than trying to have that restored. Unless it's unique or the last of it's kind.

[Coin_Master]

I would:

1. Find out what brand or model it is.
2. Find the value of it in good condition.
3. Take it to a good gunsmith and see if it can be restored.
4. Calculate how much the restoration would cost.
5. See if the restoration cost is less than the value of the gun, if it is,
6. It will be worth restoring.

[HarveyH48]

I don't think I'd mess with returning it to a shooting condition, maybe clean it up, set of grips appropriate to the condition of the rest of the gun, and display it. Doubt it would be worth the cost or risk, you can buy shooting pistols at a reasonable cost. Then again, many people don't have a problem holding lit firecrackers in their hand, throwing them at the last moment. Works out most of the time, until you get a fast and faulty fuse...

[pooper scooper]

Looks like an Ruger security six. Manuals are usually available from Ruger for free, or could be found online,you will need one to see the exploded diagram. If you intend on doing this yourself, plan on spending a lot of hours on it, it will probably not be cost effective for a gunsmith to do it. A friend asked me to clean up a rifle in similar condition last year that was found metal detecting on a beach. I started by soaking the whole thing in a penetrating oil for a week. I then began slowly getting the moving parts to free up and get the rust off using wire brushes, picks and steel wool until all parts were totally disassembled. In the end, I got it working and had the metal refinished and it shoots fine and looks great as a result of 20+ hours of hard work, far more than the value of the rifle, more of a just to see if I could challenge. Rugers are generally pretty tough but this one may be too far gone hard to say. It just depends on what parts are still working, replacement parts should still be available. The bore is also a major concern. Slight pits OK. As stated in other posts cylinder timing is also an issue. Good luck

[woodstock]

I look at it like this, If you love the piece and want it restored then go for it. I've known and seen people spend a lot more for things worth a lot less.
HH, Woodstock

[Longhair]

Originally Posted by pooper scooper

Looks like an Ruger security six. Manuals are usually available from Ruger for free, or could be found online,you will need one to see the exploded diagram. If you intend on doing this yourself, plan on spending a lot of hours on it, it will probably not be cost effective for a gunsmith to do it. A friend asked me to clean up a rifle in similar condition last year that was found metal detecting on a beach. I started by soaking the whole thing in a penetrating oil for a week. I then began slowly getting the moving parts to free up and get the rust off using wire brushes, picks and steel wool until all parts were totally disassembled. In the end, I got it working and had the metal refinished and it shoots fine and looks great as a result of 20+ hours of hard work, far more than the value of the rifle, more of a just to see if I could challenge. Rugers are generally pretty tough but this one may be too far gone hard to say. It just depends on what parts are still working, replacement parts should still be available. The bore is also a major concern. Slight pits OK. As stated in other posts cylinder timing is also an issue. Good luck

I agree...it is a Ruger. And since they aren't that old, it's not got any real value (certainly not to a collector). Ruger's service is outstanding, and if you send it back to them (owner to manufacturer and back is allowed under the law) they will tell you exactly what it would cost to renew it, and no one is as qualified to do the work.

[Coin_Master]

Look on the bright side, any time you spend on it yourself costs nothing to you. IMO it looks like it has plenty of life in it.

[HEM]

Best to keep it as a wall hanger...

[Esteban]

I see at least one round in it. BE CAREFUL !

[FAL guy]

Definitely a Ruger. I would contact Ruger Customer Service. I know a gentleman who had a Ruger revolver stolen. He received a call from the police 3 years later informing him they had recovered his revolver from a ditch. It was a rusty mess.

He sent it back to Ruger. They replaced it with a brand new revolver!!

[WildDigger]

Yes it can be restored but may not be worth it.

[Jasper1911]

A good gunsmith could bead-blast it after the round was taken out and then you could see what kind of shape it really is in. If you decide to go with rebluing, use the hot blue process. You might be able to get it back up and running, but it depends on how much you wanna put in it. Ruger gp-100's, etc should be easy to find grips for. GL with it, whatever way you decide to go

[BlueDuck]

It may be worth more to someone who wants to hang it on the wall then it will be restored.