Brass, to polish, or not to polish?

[Old Ford2]

I myself, can add this to the many wise comments.
Personally after "comming out of the closet" may add this.
Many fine antique furniture pieces are cleaned up, with waxes, and lite oil wipes, but never is the patina on the old screws, or metal fittings altered in any way.
So with this in mind, the wood and hardware, on a fine old rifle, or pistol,  should be treated in the same way.
However, if you own it..it's yours, your choice.
Old Ford

[Dphariss]

I recently picked up a late percussion halfstock, from a gentlman walking across a parking lot at a NE OH gun show. It clearly came straight out of a closet where it had been, for who knows how long.  It's is fairly plain, very dark curly maple stock, with original ram rod, brass furniture, brass cap box pewter nose cap and an unusually shaped (like a flying dove) side lock screw plate.  The screw plate and toe plate have some simple line engraving and the cap box has an engraved "folk art " American eagle with shield and arrows on the lid.  The barrel is unsigned, but it's probably an OH product by the look of it.  The rifle is in completely original condition and doesn't look like it was carried around or used much, in it's day.  The set triggers and the front bar, shotgun type lock are of high quality and work perfectly.  The brass looks to be untouched since the rifle was built, as it has the dark oilve patina.  My question is regarding the finish of the brass.  I've seen many high end rifles, where the furniture has been polished, yet once the patina's gone....it's gone!  Personally I like the look of polished brass against a darker stock, but can't bring myself to it.  I'm looking for other collector's opinions, regarding leaving the brass as is, or polishing.  Does polishing diminish the rifle's value?

Leave it alone. Once you start screwing with it it will never be the same.
Dan

[roundball]

IMO, it depends on what you want to do with it...

If you want to have it as a keepsake of something that has sat and collected "decades of age" and its important to you to preserve the moment of how it was after sitting in a closet all those decades, leave it as is.

Or...having said its in like new condition...and you want to make it look like it did when it was new, go ahead and clean it up.

If I'm buying an old rusted out car to fix up and use, I don't drive it "as is"...I get it cleaned up, cut out the rust, get it painted, etc...and if I had bought that ML to use it at the range or for hunting, I'd clean up to the condition it was in when it was made.

[TPH]

Leave it alone. Once you start screwing with it it will never be the same.
Dan

I have to agree with Dan.

[Dphariss]

IMO, it depends on what you want to do with it...

If you want to have it as a keepsake of something that has sat and collected "decades of age" and its important to you to preserve the moment of how it was after sitting in a closet all those decades, leave it as is.

Or...having said its in like new condition...and you want to make it look like it did when it was new, go ahead and clean it up.

If I'm buying an old rusted out car to fix up and use, I don't drive it "as is"...I get it cleaned up, cut out the rust, get it painted, etc...and if I had bought that ML to use it at the range or for hunting, I'd clean up to the condition it was in when it was made.

Guns are not old rusty cars and the average person invariably does such damage to the firearm that its often not fully fixable later. In  any case it results in an instant reduction in value.
If its shootable as is then leave it alone. If its not shootable have someone work on it that knows how to make it shootable. If the wood is dry oil it , if the metal is rusty stop the rust.
"Polishing" of vintage guns by the average owner is a crime.

Dan