deterioration of horn buttplate
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
Horn, bone, and ivory dry out when their natural oils evaporate or are washed out; 'washed out' can include stripping with mineral oils and alcohol, or water. Basically, anything that will wreck your toenails would wreck a horn butt.
Horn was shaped originally by heating then pressing. For a horn butt with this level of ornament it was likely pressed in a shearing die so would need to be quite soft and quite hot. Some methods involved cooking them in oil, then pressing. When I see degradation like this my thought is that it is a combination of time and overheating when originally formed.
Horn was shaped originally by heating then pressing. For a horn butt with this level of ornament it was likely pressed in a shearing die so would need to be quite soft and quite hot. Some methods involved cooking them in oil, then pressing. When I see degradation like this my thought is that it is a combination of time and overheating when originally formed.
Horn likes to have some contact with oils, preferably from skin contact, same as Ivory. Leave it unloved, and untouched for long enough, they both deteriorate.
Unless I am wrong on this, the horn is heated and pressed in to a mold to make the pattern. So there is always the possibility that a natural variation in the Horn used, is at play too.
And, in the age of the rifle, who is to say what conditions it has seen over the years.
Edit: Posted this before reading to the bottom. Dogfish858 is on the same track as I am.
So, Rob....
What is the point of running back through and trying to wipe out your tracks here on the Forum?
People took the time to offer up their opinions and answers as best they could, not just for you, but for the knowledge of the others that may read the info, and decide it is worth remembering.
Running through and scrubbing out all your posts, is an A-Hole move.
What is the point of running back through and trying to wipe out your tracks here on the Forum?
People took the time to offer up their opinions and answers as best they could, not just for you, but for the knowledge of the others that may read the info, and decide it is worth remembering.
Running through and scrubbing out all your posts, is an A-Hole move.
See post 18. Thanks to Sean69 for quoting the OP.
I think it should be sop from here on to quote Rob's posts so everyone else can see what the thread's about.
Maybe he thinks the feds might find out he has a gun?
Seems to do it a lot along with changing posts to " delete"
Here's what Rob originally posted:
Does anyone understand the how and why of the deterioration of horn buttplates?
I have one that is seriously deteriorated, yet the rifle itself is in relatively good condition, not at all like the buttplate.
Could it be some sort of chemical reaction with gun oils or bore cleaning fluids? Is this a possibility?
Here it is, compared with a similar but well-preserved example.
It is easier to just move along and not worry about it.
Read Jays post below and can not see what all the fuss was about.
Materials degrade over time, nothing out of the ordinary with that.
Horns, like our fingernails, are compostable. As a matter of fact, after the horn pieces are cut to make horn earrings, horn necklaces and yes even butt plates for guns.
Maybe he just duzzint like goats.......... ? .................
Or maybe he/him/his likes toads ?
