FOUND! - Louis Riel's lawyers guns...and other items.
- Thread starter sportee
- Start date
As a collection with solid provenance they are worth a lot more than as just individual pieces of unknown provenance. So it's in your financial interest, and the interest of history, to get a signed statement of their provenance from the PO as well as, photos (or copies) of the original owner and photos, scans, copies whatever you can get of anything else they have on the man. It all adds to the validity of the provenance. You could probably get a copy of his will from the archives there which might list the weapons among his possessions.
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
Nobody has mentioned this yet, but without as much written documentation of the items you can get from the remaining family members these items just become nice artefacts. Pictures of family with the items and signed documentations from the family will help to preserve the history of the items. Get as much information as you can and keep it with the items. You have the items, now the research begins.
They are very nice but will be scrutinized by collectors who may obtain these later on in the future.
Nice collection and congratulations on preserving these as a group.
i totally agree .
regardless of what you do with the items , i would document everything and get as many of the family members to sign off on the documnetation .
Even if they are not metis and someone comes looking for them I think the fair solution would be to sell them back at the insured value. I really do not think it would be an issue they are historically items that would have been sold or traded, not like they are grave markers or skulls.
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I wonder how many historical artifacts of this nature are in a dump, the bottom of a lake, or are now scrap metal because of soccer moms and henpecked husbands? ?
Here's the goods.
The french pinfire...well its just a rusty wall hanger. The little 22 is sort of "customized". The 3 piece grips are interesting and apear to be walnut or something with a different wood inlay and of course the large ivory inlays. It was built as a gallery/target gun and I even got about 10 boxes of antique "wizzbang" 22 shorts with it.
The bulldog and the top break are the interesting ones. Both function absolutely perfectly. The nickel on the bulldog is excellent and the H&A top break is has beautiful blue and case coloring throughout. Unfortunately they sat in that damn cloth bag in the grage for years and the H&A has scattered surface rust...but no pitting. It really is heart breaking because the rest of the gun has an unreal mirror blue finish and below the dirt on the trigger and hammer is some beautiful rainbow case hardening (which hasn't rusted).
Anyone knowhow to pull off the surface rust without hurting the bluing?
Would electrolosis work or would that eat the bluing as well?
The french pinfire...well its just a rusty wall hanger. The little 22 is sort of "customized". The 3 piece grips are interesting and apear to be walnut or something with a different wood inlay and of course the large ivory inlays. It was built as a gallery/target gun and I even got about 10 boxes of antique "wizzbang" 22 shorts with it.
The bulldog and the top break are the interesting ones. Both function absolutely perfectly. The nickel on the bulldog is excellent and the H&A top break is has beautiful blue and case coloring throughout. Unfortunately they sat in that damn cloth bag in the grage for years and the H&A has scattered surface rust...but no pitting. It really is heart breaking because the rest of the gun has an unreal mirror blue finish and below the dirt on the trigger and hammer is some beautiful rainbow case hardening (which hasn't rusted).
Anyone knowhow to pull off the surface rust without hurting the bluing?
Would electrolosis work or would that eat the bluing as well?
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The Pinfire looks nice though - they all look nice thanks for the pics. I wonder if the .22 is an Iver Johnson or a Harrington & Richardson - sort of looks like an early H&R Trapper. Very nice!
Looks like someone chopped off the spur on the pinfire.
Looks like someone chopped off the spur on the pinfire.
Just use ###xfine steel wool and WD 40 for cleaning the surface rust. Saturate the steel wool with the WD40 and spray the gun down with the oil also. Should clean up real nice. Blown off with compressed air and then apply a light coat of oil or wax to protect and preserve the finish.
Willy Tincup
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Owen Sound
I'm with Road King about using the super fine steel wool and WD40 for cleaning off the rust...........regardless of all the potential naysayers about using WD40....
Avalonthas
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toronto ON
use the very fine wool like above but use a better lubricant. wd40 doesn't do a proper job expelling moisture
That native signal miror as you call it wouldnt it have been a piece of polished silver ?
Cant see a glass miror lasting to long in some natives bag banging on rocks and trees moveing thru the bush ect.
I like that powder horn the best its very neat looking.
So are any of then guns perscribed antiques besides the pinfire ?
Cant see a glass miror lasting to long in some natives bag banging on rocks and trees moveing thru the bush ect.
I like that powder horn the best its very neat looking.
So are any of then guns perscribed antiques besides the pinfire ?
You are likely correct...It is more likely to be a piece of shiny metal rather than glass mirror. I am actually meeting with the curator at the museum here today to get some more info on these things as they have some similar pieces in their collection.
This one has good springs but a broken hammer spur. I'm not sure of the caliber...havent pulled out the micrometer yet.
After today i'll be away for a few weeks...so no updates for a while.
mr. sporty,
Do not use a lubricant- the rust will combine with the oil in the steel wool and make a real nice grinding compound.
Clean it with fine steel wool first.
Do not -
Just use ###xfine steel wool and WD 40 for cleaning the surface rust.
Do not use a lubricant- the rust will combine with the oil in the steel wool and make a real nice grinding compound.
Clean it with fine steel wool first.
Do not -
Just use ###xfine steel wool and WD 40 for cleaning the surface rust.
Did anyone tried vinegar paste?
2 table spoons of baking soda + vinegar (usually 1 spoon) until past is made; cover rust for a few minutes (up to 15), brush it with a toothbrush then remove paste and clean surface. It removes rust from delicate surfaces (minimum damage), but I don't know if it removes blue.
2 table spoons of baking soda + vinegar (usually 1 spoon) until past is made; cover rust for a few minutes (up to 15), brush it with a toothbrush then remove paste and clean surface. It removes rust from delicate surfaces (minimum damage), but I don't know if it removes blue.
