Matching finishes?

[Shreckmeister]

   I have a very nice silver mounted Bedford rifle.  The carving and furniture are very nicely executed but the
lock panels and forestock transition are....not good.  It has a great piece of curly maple.  I would like to have the lock panels and forestock reworked because the rest of the gun is well worth it.  I don't know what was used to  finish the
rifle.  Are there folks who could make the finish look right if I had the carving redone or should I forget about it?

[JTR]

Is it a modern made gun, or an old one?
If it's a modern one, you could have whatever work you wanted done, then have a new finish put on the entire gun with no problem.

If it's an original Bedford, a good deal more consideration would be required.

John

[Dave B]

This is a modern piece I am sure.  The best results will be to strip it all back and redue the whole thing in one go. I can see a piece meal approch when dealing with an original where you want to keep all the original finish possible but with a modern one and with reshaping the wood you will want to try for a clean slate as it were in my book.

[Shreckmeister]

It is a contemporary and the existing finish is very nice so i was hoping to match it after the work.  Advice appreciated

[g rummell]

How about some pictures.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

You want to reshape the forestock and the lock panels. The only part you're not modifying is the butt stock and part of the wrist. If it were mine and I was doing all this work I would do the whole thing, that way you're sure things are going to match.