No Jeff not a troll. Been here for going on a decade. Instead of name calling Ill just say that anyone who has seen more than one original sharps knows that wood has been cleaned and that cleaning the metal like was done did more damage yet. All the best and Im done with this as it could go on forever,

Zack

  Probably another $1000 down the drain.

Red rust is active rust; it's still causing damage and by no stretch can be called "patina".  Speaking as a restorationist and a professional appraiser, it seems to me that Schuetzendave did the right thing.

Bill Lawrence

Dave- that barrel looks terrible. Im sorry it just does. It looks like a poorly cleaned gun. That grey is what I am referring to when I say "bright". A patinated gun or even a gun that was abused and rusted but continued to be used doesnt look like that. There are lots of other less aggressive ways of neutralizing active rust if the gun was truly 100% active red rust. When people replace parts on antique guns actively rusting the part is the first step in matching the patina. The way that gun was cleaned it screams from a mile away that the metal was cleaned. That gun gets listed by an auction house and the description will read rare 1869 sharps with highly desireable heavy barrel in .50cal. Condition: cleaned metal and wood- the "cleaned metal and wood" part is not a good thing. It is not like saying very clean 1955 Chevy Apache. With many antique firearms and Sharps in particular the metal and wood cleaning easily cut the value in half or more. The more pics that are sent and the more I look at them the more sad I feel that the rifle was damaged so.   I stand by everything I said previously.

Don- buy a shiloh if thats what you want. Forrest Fenn owns sitting bulls pipe but does he clean off the grime and smoke it ? Maybe you would so it wouldnt just be a tomato stake on the wall. The rusty exterior of the gun Dave killed wasnt keeping it from being shot. That attitude ruins so many artifacts of our past each day. Scares me.

You know Zack I tried just what you suggest, I have Pope High Wall Schuetzen (last muzzle loading barrel Harry made) in my care and I would not trade one shot from that rifle for a 1000 shots from the modern High Wall I bought to take the pressure off the Pope. I do not shoot it often but I do shoot it occasionally to keep Harry from throwing a lightening bolt through my heart for not shooting it.

DP

Yes it is Bill.