I bought an 1887, 3rd year production HighWall this weekend in Tulsa. It’s 135 years old and looks every bit of that. The metal is covered with what could generously be called patina, but most would call filth and grime. It has a texture similar to truck bed liner. I had to cut off 1 1/4” from the muzzle, as someone had run a 7/16 drill into it at some point. I experimented with the drop to remove the grime. Acetone didn’t touch it, nor did a brass scraper or oily steel wool. I finally got under the crust with a slightly dulled wood chisel. Steel wool scrubbing revealed good metal and remarkably, some blue. 
Would this grime be considered patina by some, most, any of you? To me it isn’t. Strip it by whatever method works, or leave it? It certainly isn’t going anywhere.
Second part- while the forend has some remaining finish, the buttstock is bone dry. In the interest of preservation, what is the general opinion(s) regarding adding finish to at least hold it at the current state?
Thanks.

As someone who has done a lot of metal restoration, I completely agree with gnoahhh.  Also, finish is put on a stock to protect it.  If the finish goes bad - e.g., becomes soft/gummy - or is missing, you should replace it.  And that does not necessarily mean removing wood and thus real patina.  There are, for example, an increasing array of oil and hard wax wipe-on finishes that should work very well and the results do not look like plastic.

Bill Lawrence

If you have ever been to the Tulsa gun show, you will see table after table with filthy firearms side by side with beautiful ones. Dirty outside is one thing, but could they at least run a patch down the bore? gnoahhh wrote on Apr 5^th, 2022 at 11:14pm:

I learned from the barrel drop that this won’t be a spray and wipe proposition. Oil, dirt, sweat, the old timers choice of linseed oil, who knows what it may be after 135 years of age. A random conversation with a friend last night had him suggest hot soapy water with the steel wool. Regardless of the solvent, I’m quite sure it will require some mechanical assistance like steel wool to help it along.Deadeye Bly wrote on Apr 6^th, 2022 at 8:43am:

SBoomer wrote on Apr 6^th, 2022 at 9:09am:


I’ve done the same thing with tru-oil, works well. I just lightly cleaned a Stevens model 87 that had a dirty stock, steamed a few dents and lightly cleaned the stock with mineral spirits with 0000 steel wool, then a couple of coats of tru-oil. It looks better and doesn’t look refinished. The metal had brown spotty patina, I polished with 0000 steel wool, and used Oxpho cold bluing over the remaining brown patina, and it looks much better. I wouldn’t do the cold bluing to a valuable collector piece.

I certainly don’t want a refinished look. As for the metal, I’ve done the same with Oxpho, but more often with a product called Van’s. It seems to require more applications, but is easier to control without getting the cold blue look. I won’t make any decisions until I have the metal clean. I may leave it alone, as I have my share of silvery and/or splotchy blue rifles.Sure shot wrote on Apr 6^th, 2022 at 10:28am:

I've not tried it, but have heard of good results using a spray-on oven cleaner for dirt/grime on metal.  Might try it on your test piece...

Regards,
Joe

What caliber and how much $ ?  I'm just curious. I'm always looking. Just missed a 40-82 last fall for $800 or so. It needed relined. 

I would have left the barrel length original. 

Sounds like dirt and crud that needs to be cleaned off.