Buying A Used Heym Double Rifle - Any Advice?

[rookhawk]

Red alkanet?

Red Alkanet is completely correct. If you want more of a brown/red, soaking steel wool and iron shavings in a vial of vinegar for a month and then adding a bit of that to the oil is also very proper.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Thank you @Kevin Peacocke, etc. equally as beautiful .. I do like that shine a bit.

Where's Chris Sells???

I saw a small frame 450/400 in that shine with an elephant top lever. "Double Rifle Society" Facebook. Pretty wild ..

 

[Daniel Cary]

In prior times, I’ve had 88B best guns that had what I call “Italy’s worst” rather than London’s best finish. I immediately removed the pimp finish and put a London slacum and oil finish on them.

I now have an 88b deluxe (a mid grade gun) and it has a very mediocre matte finish. I’m going to build that one up to a London satin.

If you can use your gun stock as a signal mirror to call for help, it’s not a London finish.

I was under the impression the deluxe was quite an exquisite 88! I'm sure it is now, regardless ..

 

[Daniel Cary]

"Just a Heym, Enthusiast" equally as beautiful to the individual .. however, curious at least how its done.

"Their are two oil finishes available: gloss & matte. The former is more coats of the same oil(s) built up and polished to a gloss/shiny finish."

Cost: " Yes, more labor in the high-gloss finish."

 

[LimbNoMo]

Sad they defiled a nice .577ne with that buffalo engraving.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Sad they defiled a nice .577ne with that buffalo engraving.

"defiled"

I'm glad you brought that up. I kinda questioned it myself & really don't know much about engravings ..

 

[Daniel Cary]

"defiled"

I'm glad you brought that up. I kinda questioned it myself & really don't know much about engravings ..

If animals were more of a draw, this just looks like a good engraving.

 

[rookhawk]

"Just a Heym, Enthusiast" equally as beautiful to the individual .. however, curious at least how its done.

"Their are two oil finishes available: gloss & matte. The former is more coats of the same oil(s) built up and polished to a gloss/shiny finish."

Cost: " Yes, more labor in the high-gloss finish."

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In defense of the horrible bullino engraving, it’s actually way better than it appears. Someone wiped down the gun with an oil or solvent that rubbed away all the India ink. 30 seconds with ink and the Buffalo would look like a black and white photograph rather than like scratches.

 

[KJE81]

This on the other hand is probably not going to look any better even with new ink, guess it is some kind of etching rather than real engraving

 

[rookhawk]

This on the other hand is probably not going to look any better even with new ink, guess it is some kind of etching rather than real engraving

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Electro pencil. Awful. I don’t understand why the Italians make such trash? Rather than terrible pseudo engraving, I think there guns would look a lot better if they’d go with the understated approach.

The 1980s Orvis O/Us built by Beretta (687 action type) are a good example where less is way more:

 

[Daniel Cary]

In defense of the horrible bullino engraving, it’s actually way better than it appears. Someone wiped down the gun with an oil or solvent that rubbed away all the India ink. 30 seconds with ink and the Buffalo would look like a black and white photograph rather than like scratches.

This is really interesting .. @rookhawk, there was an ink on that 89 that literally wiped off?

 

[rookhawk]

This is really interesting .. @rookhawk, there was an ink on that 89 that literally wiped off?

Any engraving that has depth has been inked. That’s how you get the detail. It’s easily wiped off by accident. It’s easy to reapply.