Originally Posted by BMur

I’m always working on restoration primarily. Value increase is proven not opinion.
See photos. I’m actually doing some nickel work for the next week. Mostly parts restoration.
It’s my personal favorite chore and I only restore to preserve not to fool or destroy original condition. So I only go so far as seen in the photos.
SAA scarce 41 LC antique cylinder before and after restoration. I left the original drag marks alone and some of the surface abrasions but did add more nickel finish and arrested rust.

If you leave that type of corrosion on the surface it will worsen pretty fast. Rust is actually like bacteria that consumes metal so leaving it is a bad plan. Just like that rust spot on the OP’s gun on the side plate? That’s a bad thing.

So the Same thing goes with the OP’s Frontier 44/40. If you leave that finish like it is it will worsen over time no matter how much oil or what type of oil you use? It will worsen. It has to be removed.

Murph