This One Will Break Your Heart

[merl67]

A man I go church with mentioned quite a while ago perhaps a year or so ago he had a friend whose wife would not allow him to have guns in the house ( yea I know I was speechless too). My friend had taken the guns to his moms house where they were put in her safe he had mentioned wanting to get them cleaned up oiled, and repaired as needed I told him I would take a look at them. Well today his mom called, and asked if I could swing by, and get them.
this was one of them it was hidden stored under the house a Colt 1911 made around 1918. Talk about heartbroken I am going to do the best I can with it. In the lot were a Inland M1 carbine in good shape, a Marlin model 39 needing a screw, and rear sight, 3 Winchester 37s a 410, 16, and 12 needing tlc.

 

[mchom]

I’m not liking the tragedy. Rather your effort to salvage this sad situation

 

[444 Magnum]

It looks like it was nickeled. That's the tragedy.

 

[merl67]

It looks like it was nickeled. That's the tragedy.

Not sure yet if it was nickle or the finish is completely gone going to take the grips off, and give it a long soak in some reds before I start on it...

 

[merl67]

The other side

 

[Shotguncoach]

You most certainly have my attention with this one.

.....going to take the grips off, and give it a long soak in some reds before I start on it...

That's exactly how I would start.....get the grip panels off and then put it in .50 cal ammo can full of Ed's Red on the back porch for a couple of months. We can all pick up the story in January.

Are you able to work the action enough to verify that it's empty?

 

[merl67]

Yes it is empty I checked them all, actually I think the 1911 would function with just oiling obviously that isn't the plan though.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

... this was one of them it was hidden stored under the house a Colt 1911

The 1911 was likely in a leather holster while hidden. Most soldiers after WWI really did not know how to care for handguns just like the soldiers from WWII.

 

[diyj98]

It doesn't take long to ruin them. When a friend joined the military, his mother moved all his guns to an old storage shed behind the house. Several years later he decided to get his guns. All were heavily rusted

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

... a friend whose wife would not allow him to have guns in the house ( yea I know I was speechless too).

I am a retired Policeman. I know why but lets file this under, "It is what it is".

 

[murphydog]

Sadly, Ed's Red is not doing anything to that deep pitting. Someone of great means might send this one to Turnbull's for a restoration...

 

[shawn mccarver]

It doesn't take long to ruin them. When a friend joined the military, his mother moved all his guns to an old storage shed behind the house. Several years later he decided to get his guns. All were heavily rusted

His mother should have minded her own business. And, if she just insisted on getting the guns out of her house, she should have given him an opportunity to retrieve them and appropriately prepare them for long term storage. Unbelievable.

 

[StrawHat]

His mother should have minded her own business. And, if she just insisted on getting the guns out of her house, she should have given him an opportunity to retrieve them and appropriately prepare them for long term storage. Unbelievable.

Doesn’t it depend on who owns the house? I know when my folks were alive it was there house=their rules.

I knew better than to argue.

Kevin

 

[Alk8944]

What a shame! How and why did the gun get from her safe to "under the house"?

The only bright side to this is it would be nearly impossible to hurt it any more.

 

[444 Magnum]

Not sure yet if it was nickle or the finish is completely gone going to take the grips off, and give it a long soak in some reds before I start on it...

I've never seen finish wear that evenly and thoroughly. My money is on it being nickeled at some point.

 

[Rudi]

Glas bead blasting and Parkerizing would be my sugestion. See what the insides look like.

 

[Dvus]

Not the worst I've seen by a long shot. A friend of mine found a 1917 vintage War Horse in a rotted out old boat. The outside was pitted so badly it made this one look like polished nickel. The barrel was just as bad. A good soaking in oil and some parts replacement (barrel, springs, safety and some other internal parts) and it was operational again.

 

[A10]

That's a shame. If it were mine I'd soak it, clean the rust off with a Choreboy, and then see what is left. It's still a 1918 so there's value there but obviously nothing like if it had been cared for.

 

[alwslate]

A man whose wife would not allow him to have guns in the house? A
Man??? Not much of one.

 

[oysterer]

should have stored the wife at her mothers house