Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Advice on gun cleaning...

zebra

zebra

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2013
Messages
40
Location
central florida
I'm familiar with electrolysis but don't want to mess this one up. Want to make sure what is the best way to clean this heavily encrusted gun I found yesterday. If electrolysis is the way to go, what settings? I always use 2 A. but not on such heavily encrusted items. Thanks for the advice, in advance.
 

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Hadn't heard of it. Googled it. Good stuff. Thanks!

Maybe my question should be rephrased to "Should I be cleaning this gun?" I had hate to ruin a historically significant piece by over cleaning it.
 
Zebra,

I know your new here but I do not know how much you know about guns so here goes. I have over 25 guns that I have found underwater. Only two have been real. Some of the very old cap guns feel heavy enough to be real and not only I, but the local sheriff department was fooled also. I showed them my collection and they took 6 of them. Got all 6 back but only one turned out to be real at that time.

IF it is real, depending on your local laws, IF you turn it in you might or might not see it again.

Now down to some more facts. If it is real they can NOT run a ballistics test on it to see if it was ever a murder weapon. Way too much rust inside the barrel will ruin any chances of a clean bullet with lands and groves.

If its new enough to have a serial number it might be traceable and might not.

I do know if I find a Thompson submachine gun, I will not clean it but display it. Cleaned it would be illegal to own. A rusted relic would be awesome though!!

The laws vary from state to state on finding weapons. IF its real, I would research everything before I decided my plan of action on what to do with it.

Good luck!! If its a Gene Autry cap gun it could be worth a few dollars if any parts are salvagable. Would love to see a picture of it cleaned!!

I do have one more slight concern. IF it is REAL and you use electrolysis, you need to know if it is LOADED first. I for one wouldn't attempt that with a loaded pistol. See my thread on gunpowder.
 
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I thinl it's a toy. Why? Look at the grip. It's as corroded as the rest of the gun. Real guns normally have wooden, plastic, bone, etc. grips and this one doesn't. Old toy guns were cast in two piece frames, including the grip, with the moving parts added to the center after. I had plenty of them as a kid. I think this one is older, because most of the ones I had were pot metal and wouldn't rust like this one, if at all.

Just my opinion.
 
Grumpysrb said:
I thinl it's a toy. Why? Look at the grip. It's as corroded as the rest of the gun. Real guns normally have wooden, plastic, bone, etc. grips and this one doesn't. Old toy guns were cast in two piece frames, including the grip, with the moving parts added to the center after. I had plenty of them as a kid. I think this one is older, because most of the ones I had were pot metal and wouldn't rust like this one, if at all.

Just my opinion.
Click to expand...


What you may not realize is that I've already cleaned it up enough for you to see that it is indeed a gun. When I took it out of the ground, you could hardly tell it was anything but a rusted small boomerang.

Secondly, the area I'm detecting has turned up consistent turn of the century artifacts. A #16 brass DeLeval spigot handle part of a cream seperator used in dairy farms and dates between 1911 and 1919. Several UMC/REM headstamps, two 10 foot narrow gauge rail lines that are currently still being investigated. The area has a history of being the site of a dairy farm as well as a dump site. Toy? Maybe. We'll see.
 
Scuba detector,
Thank you very much for your generous info. I will take all this into account. I have no plans on turning it in to anybody....period. Loaded weapon with electrolysis is a great warning. Appreciate it. Will post pics after cleaning if I decide to do so.

You should know that after hearing your history on gun finds, I am much more optimistic that mine is real. LOL. C'mon, you know newbies always have beginners luck. :)
 
I hope it is real. My hunting partner found one last year. Octagon barrel and it didn't get turned in. I found a barrel to a top break pistol and I didn't turn it in either. The police said they wanted it but I just don't want to part with any more toys. They had one of my guns for a year and a half and the other they almost refused to give back and only did when I hired a lawyer.

Good luck!!
 
ScubaDetector said:
They had one of my guns for a year and a half and the other they almost refused to give back and only did when I hired a lawyer.
Click to expand...

I was shooting video of a friend flying his powered paraglider when he crashed into water in a tragic accident. He succumbed to exhaustion trying to swim out of the water and he drowned, despite all our efforts to save him. (His body was found 40 feet deep). The police did their job and investigated the accident, but it felt odd because they seemed to treat us all like murder suspects. They demanded I hand over my tape of the incident and at one point a few weeks later the detective acted like I wasn't going to get it back. "It's mine now" was his actual wording if I remember correctly. OH REALLY? After some heated e-mails to him where I mentioned my 4th amendment rights and that I had contacted the civil liberties union, I finally got my tape back.

I would never turn in anything I found to the police unless I didn't care if I ever got it back, or unless I was required by law. Within reason, of course.. if I had good reason to believe it SHOULD be turned in I would, but an antique gun? No way, unless I was required by law.
 
Do you have a suggestion on how I should "check" to see if it is loaded?

x-ray?

:)

Actually, that's not a bad idea!! I'm at the office now and I'm a chiropractor with my own x-ray machine!!. Damn, hadn't thought of that.
 
I highly doubt the Xray will work as I doubt any of the material in the crust is radio-opaque enough, I bet you just get a solid stencil of the object. Will be interesting to find out for sure though.
 
Scuba Detector,
I was able to x-ray the gun and after playing with the settings I feel I have a pretty clear picture of the revolver. It is definitely NOT loaded. I will post the pics on the ID MY FINDS forum a bit later (busy with patients right now) in order to have the members help me determine if its real or not. Really value your opinion on this so, please take a look at them and give me your take on whether its cap or real based on the frame, trigger, hammer, etc..
 
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