Restoration And Reblue H&R 088 Shotgun

I inherited an old H&R Shotgun model 88. There's a lot of rust and scale, and the finish is worn off, and the wood has some minor gouging and indentations. I'm going to see if I can make it look new again.

[@ROE1300]

👍 Great tutorial. Thank you.

[@EarlAndJill]

Thank you. :)

[@rebelrat3594]

Beautiful you don't see a whole Lotta love for them old singleshots

[@EarlAndJill]

Thanks Rebel - I have a few nicer toys - but there is just a satisfaction in taking something - and making it look beautiful again, and there is a charm with the simplicity.

[@tripplebeards3427]

Nice! I like stripping it all completely down and soaking open vinegar. I make a tube for the barrel out of pvc and seal with an end cap. Put the barrel in it and fill with vinegar. Let it sit for a day or two. Rinse with water and neutralize. Then I Oxpho blue it. Looks like a fun project!

[@EarlAndJill]

I make an "aging" stain - for new fence posts and wood frames I want to look weathered - using vinegar and steel wool. I am not so sure - pure vinegar for a length of time is a good idea. I will have to run a test on this.

[@tripplebeards3427]

@@EarlAndJill I soaked many of barrels and actions for two days, and they come out like bright stainless with the blue completely gone. I normally take them out after 24 hours and give them a light. sandpaper or some four odd steel wall to knock off any existing buildup or rust and then put them back in for another day. The barrels, I use a piece of PVC pipe and end cap that glued on the bottom. Just make sure it’s long enough that it’s completely submerged because whatever sits out and exposed they’ll be a “ rust ring” around it. You want to immediately wash off the part in water to neutralize the vinegar. I always Oxpho blue right away. Works great! I even did my Damascus barrels like this and knocked down the bluing on the high spots so you can see the pattern. Good video.

[@EarlAndJill]

@@tripplebeards3427 It makes sense - acetic acid - and bluing is just oxidation - I am definitely going to try this to remove the blue on my next project. I appreciate the time you took to explain your process. :) Thanks !

[@tripplebeards3427]

​@@EarlAndJill works awesome on old rusty tools too!!!! On little gun parts I just completely submerge them. Just use a Tupperware container or zip lock bag filled with vinegar and tonmake sure there's no air or the bag is positioned to where no parts are above the vinegar and exposed to air did that once with a barrel. It stuck out of the vinigar exposed to air. In 24 hours I got a rust line and an indentation where the rust was. Had to sand it smooth...lesson learned. Leave it in long enough and the metal will start turning dark. Usually takes days and days for that process.

[@masterchinchin]

This was exactly the video i needed to learn to clean up some old guns, thank you so much!

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey Master, I appreciate the feedback. Hope your projects turn out. When you finish them post a vid. Any tricks you learn please share. Thanks !

[@JR-pj8pz]

It's not!!!!

[@BobMarcum]

Finished product looks fantastic.

[@EarlAndJill]

Thanks Curmy! Compared to what I started with anyway.

[@lawson9102]

Grew up on one just like that wished I had kept it

[@EarlAndJill]

Isn't it strange? I have a few "Nicer" pieces purchased over the years, ... but there's something about the ones I grew up with, that dad gave me. Like the old Mossberg 395K I just finished restoring. Money can't buy this one. Be safe Lawson.

[@doctorpopcorn6051]

Great work.

[@EarlAndJill]

Thanks Doc.

[@marknielsen2482]

Looks nice

[@EarlAndJill]

Thanks Mark. Perhaps not museum quality exactly, but great to keep in the family. Hope your day is good.

[@marknielsen2482]

@@EarlAndJill I have several of these single shot 12 ga. All of them old, and love fixing them up. Repair or build the stock, make or rebuild parts. The history of the manufacturer is some of the most fun about these. Have a great day

[@colonelcalabash1]

Now I can refinish my old 20 ga. Thanks.

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey Colonel, thank you! I am glad the information is useful. Hope it turns out well.

[@KillerRedVine]

I got this exact shotgun in pretty bad shape from my local gun shop for $50. The trigger/hammer were not functioning properly and the bluing was probably 10% left. I was able to get it working and did a quick cold blue and turned out great.

[@EarlAndJill]

50$?? Hmmm. Now you have me curious how much this thing went for new. I will have to check. Glad yours turned out good too! I'm looking to restore an old 395K Mossberg next - If - I can find parts for the bolt. Take care Red.

[@user-ut9gr9mn2i]

I have three H&R single barrel in 12,20, &410 and I keep them in great shape and the first thing I do is cleaning it after I use th Nd my other guns

[@ValMartinIreland]

The ones with the steel fore end hinge are best. Plastic breaks and destroys the guns use for survival. Is this one steel. It is quarter moon shaped -concave.

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey! The one I have is all metal thank goodness. People may think plastic is permanent ... but we all know better. Sometimes ... simple, is better.

[@ValMartinIreland]

@@EarlAndJill Going back 110 years these guns were about half of all hunting shotguns in Ireland. They were described in gun laws as single barrelled breach loaders. The steel was a little soft and the extractor could fail, but great sport was had with them. They were very pointable and well balanced. Having have all sorts of shotguns, I think I will go back to one of these again. Good video.

[@EarlAndJill]

​@@ValMartinIreland I have a few firearms others may consider "Nice" ... but in reality you have love the simplicity of these shotguns. Rugged. Dependable. Here in the US SAE 4140 is common - I think you guys still use a lot of vanadium. Don't remember the exact nomenclature. Wonder where things go from here ... :) Enjoy your day.

[@openyourmind5534]

i just got one of these what is the liquid you used after sanding ?

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey mind ... i used Acetone - only because I have a lot of it. You need to be certain that ALL oils, wax, grease etc. is removed so the bluing is consistent. Good luck on your project !

[@Charlie-vd7bq]

What brand is the bluing solution?

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey Charlie - just plain Birchwood Casey - available anywhere and online. Good luck with your project. !

[@BrockNessMonster1991]

Looks great. Pardon my ignorance but what is the reason for blurring the serial number? Like what can someone do with that information? I always wondered why people do that in pictures and videos.

[@EarlAndJill]

Thanks Nasty. :) What can evil people do with simple words?

[@theThinkerator]

There are fraudsters out there who will file a Police complaint of a stolen gun, and they now have the model AND serial number of THEIR New gun that was stolen, and they found who possesses the stolen property online.....

[@jeremywilson15147]

Would you still do this process for light surface rust? I just got one and it's not as bad as what you started with, but it's got a few spots that I'd like to clean up

[@EarlAndJill]

Hey Jeremy ... as you noticed in my case the rust was bad. There was nothing to lose starting from scratch. I would never make a judgement on something I haven't seen in person - but - my opinion - Light surface Rust ?? If you are not careful you can mess up a nice finish. My advice for light surface is take copper wire - the nice soft type (old romex etc.) curve it gently around the barrell - (form fit - not over tight) - add some light machine oil - and go with the grain - softly. You'll remove the surface stuff without damaging your finish. (Every so lightly) - Good luck.

[@JR-pj8pz]

you didnt even TRY to remove the rust. you just went crazy with SANDPAPER and a brass brush and immediately commited it to a complete reblueing. such a shame and a really BAD move.

[@EarlAndJill]

Does that bother you JR? Merry Christmas. :)