Just won this on GB today. PICS. Created another project lol.

[Bill Akins]

I was the only bidder and won this Uberti 1858 Remington with conversion cylinder on GB today for $300.00 and $20.00 shipping. $320.00 total. It had been originally auction listed starting at $375.00 but the dealer selling it on consignment dropped the price to $300.00 and I jumped on it immediately. I may have just gotten lucky and others didn't realize it had been price dropped.

Haven't even paid for it yet and naturally it hasn't been shipped to me yet. The nice thing is the dealer (as per NFA law) agreed to ship the revolver and cylinder separately and in separate boxes, so he can ship it to me directly and save me the hassle of driving to my dealer's and paying for a transfer.

I figure that's a real good deal since just blue conversion cylinders by themselves for the Uberti Remy go for about $225.00 or so regularly on GB. So figuring $225.00 cost for a conversion cylinder (and this one is fluted!), that means I got the Uberti (minus BP percussion cylinder) for only $75.00! (Not including the $20.00 Shipping). How could I go wrong?

Whoever originally owned it, had done a bad antiquing job on it with a chemical (naval jelly?) to remove the blue finish on the revolver and conversion cylinder. I can tell from the pics that whatever chemical was used very very slightly etched the metal a tiny bit. But not to worry, I know that I can buff that right out using my buffing wheel (and dremel for the small areas) and some medium and extra fine rouge that I recently bought to do a buff job on my snubby barrel S&W 1917 project I completed recently.

Obviously the condition of its finish is why I was the only bidder and got it for such a good price. Plus the dealer selling it, lowering the price in the last few hours of the auction helped too. To my good fortune others either did not catch the lowered price, or else they didn't like the removed finish and didn't realize what a jewel in the rough it was, woo hoo!

Once I get the Uberti Remy mirror polished to where I can easily see my teeth in it, then I'll reblue it and it will look like new. Maybe more highly polished than new. Not sure why the owner did such a bad job on antiquing it. The dealer who was selling it on consignment said he didn't know what chemical was used nor why the original owner did such a bad antiquing job on it, nor did he know anything about it other than the owner wanted him to sell it on consignment for him. Dealer did say the bore was in good shape. Anyway, it's mine now and I'm very happy with what I paid for it.

Naturally it looks bad right now, but that's all just easily buffed out very slight chemical etching and a little surface rust, but not too bad. The good thing is it's a steel frame Uberti and you won't recognize it when I get through with it. I had a Pietta Remy in stainless with a stainless conversion cylinder and the same length barrel, but I sold it because I wasn't nuts about the adjustable target sights it had. To me, it took away from the authentic look of the gun, so I sold it to a shooting buddy of mine who loves it. I just prefer the non adjustable sights on the 1858 Remy, unless it's the 18 inch barrel 1866 Remy revolving carbine. Then I want the adjustable sights. I really like the flutes on this .45 Colt (black powder only cartridge) conversion cylinder. Haven't seen another conversion cylinder with flutes like this for the Remy. Anyone know who makes this conversion cylinder?

Now I just need to pick up an Uberti percussion cylinder for it too, so I can shoot either percussion or BP filled cartridges in the conversion cylinder.
Best of both worlds.

Anyway, here's the "before" pics of what it looks like right now from the auction pics. I'll post the "after" pics later on when I get it buffed out and re-blued.










I think it was a GREAT deal. Whatcha think guys?









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[Beagle333]

I like it just like that! Good score!!!!

[Hawg]

I think it looks good like it is.

[bedbugbilly]

Nice Bill - congrats! I agree with Beagle and Hawg . . . I like it just the way it looks . . . . sort of has a "charming character" to it. It will be interesting to follow what you do with this. Enjoy!

[Tidewater_Kid]

The conversion cylinder is made by R&D Gun Shop. I believe Kenny Howell still runs it. It's modeled after an original rimfire conversion for the .36 Navy Remington.

TK

[Bill Akins]

I am familiar with the R&D conversion cylinders having had one before for my Pietta Remy. I've spoken on the phone with them too. But I didn't know they made a fluted Remy cylinder. This is the first fluted one I have seen. Sure like the way it looks better than the plain round one.


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[Dan_D]

Congrats Bill,
Can't wait to see what you do with it.
The cylinder is a R&D as sold through Taylors:
http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/cartr...ue-fluted.html
Dan

[BirchOrr]

Congrats on your find!



Birch

[Doc Hoy]

Nice catch.

[North East Redneck]

Nice gun and very good price. I think it looks just fine. If it was mine I'd probably leave it the way it is. But, please show as the 'after' photos too.

[noelf2]

Awesome deal Bill! I'm with the others that would leave it as is. Anyone can get a spit polished remmy. This one is unique.

[4V50 Gary]

Wow! You did good.

[vba]

Nice gun Bill, thanks for the write up and pictures... and to think, you wrote in paragraphs and every thang!

[noelf2]

Bill does write !

[Bill Akins]

I know some of you fellas like that worn off finish, "antique" look.
But this isn't really an antique at all. If it were, I wouldn't have bought it
and if I did have a true antique gun, I naturally wouldn't mess with its
antique patina unless it was damaged in some way, or rusted so bad that
I wouldn't reduce its value by cleaning it or restoring it.

And those of you who know me, know that I can't abide a dirty, or stained or rusted gun, and that I actually prefer nickel or stainless over blue. Sometimes even highly polished "in the white" over blue. There's no doubt it will visit my buffing wheel shorty after I receive it. Then I'll blue it. But if the bluing doesn't come out as well as I like, then I'll re-buff and leave it polished in the white or I might try some browning methods mentioned in my Foxfire series of books. I'll find out and make decisions as I go with the project.

But those etching marks and big area of rust on the frame HAVE GOT TO GO! Gives me the heebie jeebies. Lol.



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[Hawg]

Heck Bill, it ain't used til it gets a lil rust on it.

[noelf2]

Bill since it's not an antique, why not do a camo/cerakote finish on it?

[Bill Akins]

Hawg Haggen wrote:
"Heck Bill, it ain't used til it gets a lil rust on it. "

Hawg, I get why you and other people like that somewhat rusted, patina, worn, antique look. It's because some people like the idea of it looking like an antique from that era, even if it's not. But I like to think of myself using the revolver in the time period that it was made and thus I'd be using it before it became an antique. It wouldn't look like an antique at the time it was made.

Also when I was in the Marines, we were taught to keep our firearms meticulously clean and free of rust. That has stuck with me ever since. I just can't abide a rusty gun. Now I can accept a couple of small pits here and there especially if it's on a nickel plated revolver of mine. Even if it's on a blue one and it is so slight that it doesn't warrant a refinish of the revolver. But if the rust is bad or widespread, I have to remove it.

Naturally if I had an antique where the bluing had uniformly turned into an even brown patina, I wouldn't mess with that. But I don't have any like that.

I'm thinking of several different options for the finish of this Uberti Remy.

I am going to ask a friend of mine who does cerakote, duracoat, and hydroprinting, if there is any hard finish (like cerakote) that is clear. If there is, I might just mirror polish the revolver and have them apply the clear finish for me. Years ago I spray painted my well used 1851 with clear polyurethane and that held up pretty well and made it easy to clean. It did wear off quickly on the very front of the cylinder and very end of the barrel, but otherwise it was great for keeping rust down from fouling.

Prior to that, even with good cleaning, my 1851 being blue, (with brass frame) was hard to keep from light rusting on the cylinder and barrel. I'd carefully clean and oil it and put it away and the next time I took it out, there was a light film of rust on the cylinder and barrel.....especially the cylinder.

Several times I buffed the rust off and reblued it. But it would continue to do the same thing until even the new cold re-bluing finish was replaced with a brown patina rust. For a while I got disgusted and just used it like that and allowed it to "brown" naturally. But it didn't "brown" uniformly all over the revolver. So I cleaned it real good and got all the rust off it (again) and then re-blued it (again) but this time I also spray painted it with clear semi gloss polyurethane.

That worked pretty well and for the most part stopped any further dusty light rusting of the cylinder and barrel. The only places it blew the poly off was the very front of the cylinder and tip end of the barrel.

But I did notice the poly would scratch and some rust would form in the scratch. So if I could get a clear very hard coating like cerakote or something similar that would do the same thing the poly did, but without scratching, that would be the best. So that may be one option. I could also just poly spray it like I did before and that didn't work out too bad as long as I was careful not to let it get scratched.

The other option would be to just keep it in the white and buff polish it again if it starts to darken. I did that with a S&W 1917 revolver I have, but black powder is so much more corrosive than smokeless that I think that may not be the best option. Black powder fouling on bare metal would be hard to keep from rusting even if meticulously cleaned.

I can also just blue it or brown it.

Haven't made my decision yet.

Fed Ex tracking says the revolver should be here today July 8th.



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[Bill Akins]

Noelf2 wrote:
Bill since it's not an antique, why not do a camo/cerakote finish on it?

Camo finish on my 1858 Remy? Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Lol. Perhaps on a modern smokeless gun, but not on an 1858 Remy. I know you jest Noelf2.

(Except if the cerakote can be done in clear over a mirror polish, going to find out about that).



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[Bill Akins]

The Uberti Remy arrived today and I must say I am very impressed.

With hammer back or down, on all six cylinders it locks up tighter than a drum with the conversion cylinder (that was packaged and sent separately from the revolver frame).

Not even a tiny hint of cylinder rock or play. No movement at all. I was pleasantly surprised. Even my quality S&W 1917's and 1905's have a tiny bit of play. That's Uberti quality for you. I like my 1860 Piettas, (especially for their balance), but there is no doubt this Uberti Remy is a quality made revolver.

I've got titanium inserts in my spine and my back went out today putting me flat on my back to alleviate the pain for most of the day. I couldn't stand or sit for more than a minute or two it was so bad. Only thing that helped was to lay down, get the pressure off my spine and then the pain would subside.

Stems from a fall I took on slick concrete on July 4th. But it seems to be getting better now finally, and I am able to sit at the computer and write without it hurting too bad. Have this back going out thing happen every so often since my two spine surgeries back in the '90's for a bulged disk removal with titanium cages between the vertebra. Every once in a while the sciatic nerve kicks up and it takes a couple of days to calm down. The fall I took on July 4th probably angered the sciatic nerve and it took a couple of days to manifest itself. Never am the same once you have surgery even if it is necessary. So needless to say, it might take a few days for the nerve to calm down before I get the chance to buff the revolver out on my polishing wheel and figure out what finish to use on it.

Will post more with some pics when my back gets better and I can work on the revolver.



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[Hawg]

Hope you get to feeling better soon.

[Bill Akins]

Thanks Hawg.



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[bedbugbilly]

Take care of that back Bill and we all hope you get to feeling better soon. I don't know why, but it seems like the older we get the bumps in the road seem to get closer together. It's hard to keep a good man down though and you'll soon be back to snuff I'm sure!

[Bill Akins]

Thanks for the get well wishes from both of you Bedbugbilly and Hawg.

Back improved a little yesterday so I was able to get out in my shop and do a little work on the Remy. The area most rusted that you could see in the pics I first posted, was on the left and just forward on the frame in front of the cylinder, was pitted pretty badly and I had to actually use a jeweler's file to remove that rust and pits as well as careful sanding to remove the file marks. A few dings and pits on some of the barrel flats too that I carefully had to file and sand out. Had to be very careful not to file the edges of the barrel flats.

No other rust anywhere else, but the chemical etching from where someone had chemically removed the bluing was deeper into the metal than I thought at first so after filing out those above pits and rust, I had to wet sand a lot all over the surface of the entire revolver to remove most of the visible chemical etching. Because I tried just buffing the etching out, but it was too deep so it had to be sanded out before buffing.

I completely disassembled the revolver and punched out the loading lever catch from its dovetail to remove the arbor so I could polish the arbor too. On the Uberti you can punch the front sight and loading lever catch out of their dovetails easily. On the Pietti they are soldered into depressions in the barrel. I like this feature better on the Uberti since it is easier to just drift the loading lever catch and front sight out of their dovetails and then tap them back in rather than having to torch heat the loading lever catch and front sight to remove them on the Pietta and then solder them back on. That's a lot of hassle with the Pietta. For this reason alone I like the Uberti Remy better than the Pietta Remy. Plus I think the Uberti is just a tad better in quality and fit. It's worth the extra money for an Uberti, (even though I got a steal of a deal on this one which wasn't the normal price on an Uberti with conversion cylinder).

After removing the pits on the left of the frame with the jeweler's file and wet sanding that area and the entire frame with 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper, then 600 grit, I then spent about an hour carefully buffing out the frame and cylinder on my buffing wheel using medium buffing rouge. I didn't sand nor buff the loading lever and trigger guard yet but set those aside and will do those later since they will be easy to do and my primary interest was getting the larger pieces of frame, barrel and cylinder free of rust, pits and chemical etching marks.

After brush cleaning off the red medium buffing rouge with acetone, I can still see some little areas of the etching still showing through my 1st initial buffing job. So I might have to sand a little more and then probably buff it several more times with the medium red rouge plus a final buffing or two with the fine grit white rouge, til I get it to where it is mirror like the way I want.

My friend who does professional painting and hydroprinting on guns, told me to get a can of Moly K.G gunkote in clear. He said that will clear coat the revolver with a hard clear epoxy finish that won't blow off from the cylinder in the barrel to cylinder gap area nor the front of the barrel. The finish dries so epoxy hard, it can only be removed by sandblasting. That's exactly the finish I need. After getting it and trying it on my Remy, if it does well, I'm going to use it on my highly polished "in the white" 1917 snubby barrel S&W too.

Here's some pics of the Remy filed, sanded and buffed as it is right now minus the screws, internal parts, loading lever, trigger guard, trigger and hammer. (Trigger and hammer are casehardened and don't need any work done on them).













Scroll up to my first post and compare these "today" pics with my earlier posted "before" pics. Notice the 3rd pic of my first post and that shows the worse rust pitted area the best. That's the area that was the worst that I had to jeweler file and sand the most. Quite an improvement now. It will be even better after some more sanding and buffing followed by the clear moly K.G. gunkote application.

I was even thinking of doing something else to it that I've done before on another gun. There is this rub on powder/paste available at the craft store you can get in various metallic colors. I was thinking of MAYBE (not sure yet) rubbing the gold powder/paste on the cylinder and clear coating over that. Then when finished the revolver would look like either nickel or highly polished stainless with a gold plated cylinder, with a clear epoxy finish over everything, which would lock in the gold on the cylinder and it would never degrade nor flake off. Might try that, not sure yet, but leaning that way.

I'll keep you all posted on the progress. (as my back permits! Lol).



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[Bill Akins]

Even after sanding and one initial buffing on my buffing wheel, the cylinder still had those chemical etching marks on it from the chemical used to remove the bluing. You can't see those chemical etching marks in the pictures of my previous post because the camera didn't pick them up. But I can see them even if they are very faint. I had to get those all out or they would bug me every time I looked at them.

I realized I needed to sand evenly all the way around the cylinder and wanted to do it the fastest and most efficient and evenly way. So I found a bolt close to the cylinder's arbor hole, and two steel washers and two rubber washers (so no metal was directly contacting the cylinder). I tightened up the nuts so the bolt, steel washers and rubber washers firmly held the cylinder and chucked it into my mill like this.....



My mill head will rotate away from my mill vice like this.....
(Sorry, these two below pics are a little blurry).





Then I wrapped some wet/dry sandpaper around a 1x2 piece of wood, wet the sandpaper, and held that firmly against the side of the cylinder as it rotated.

What would have taken me hours to sand by hand I accomplished in just a few minutes with wet 220 sandpaper. I was successful in getting every last speck of chemical etching off of the cylinder. Plus the sanding was perfectly even doing it this way.

Then I used some 400 grit and then 600 grit wet sandpaper to get an even smoother finish on the cylinder to get it ready for buffing with rouge.

Next I gave it a fine white grit rouge polishing on my buffing wheel. It is now starting to get that perfect mirror finish on it, but not completely yet. No etching nor sanding marks are visible now, but it isn't quite the mirror finish I want yet. Just a leeeetle tiny bit hazy. So it will take a time or two more of buffing to get it perfect, but it is definitely getting there.

A mirror like buffed out finish takes a lot of time and patience and strength in your fingers to hold the part. It's an art and you can't rush it. Sorry, I didn't take any pics of it after that last buffing but you'll see the cylinder soon when I get it buffed out like I want.

The frame, loading lever and barrel flats are going to take considerably longer to get the etching marks out than the cylinder did, because I can't spin sand them. So I'll just have to take the extra time to do that by hand sanding and coarse buffing and then medium buffing and finally fine grit buffing.

Also as it came from Uberti, you can see the longitudinal grain of the metal in the barrel flats because they were not polished out at the factory. I've seen this on other BP revolver's and rifle's barrel flats too where for some reason the barrel flats had obvious longitudinal striations in the metal visibly present in them. As my back pain permits me, I'll just continue to work on it a little here and a little there til I get that all sanded smooth and buffed out. No rush. Eventually I will have the Remy mirror finish buffed out in the white as bright mirror finish as my below S&W 1917 snubby I buffed out too.......



Then I'm going to clear coat the Remy (and maybe my S&W too) with clear Moly K.G. gunkote like I mentioned in my previous post. I'll have to be careful after final buffing to wear gloves to make sure I don't get any fingerprints on it under the clear coat because you have to sandblast that gunkote off to remove it, so if any fingerprints got on it, they would be there to stay under the clearkote forever unless they were sandblasted off.

Hey! Maybe that would be a good way to identify it with my fingerprint in case it got stolen! I think I'll do that in a spot that no one would notice like maybe on the bottom barrel flat so it would be hidden by the loading lever of the Remy and perhaps on the barrel flat over the ejection rod of my S&W. Anyway, it's a thought.

After final buffing, then it should look like nickel or polished stainless. Thinking of having the wooden grips coated to look like mother of pearl too, or maybe ivory. My friend who hydroprints can do both. I think mother of pearl would look really neat. And perhaps the cylinder coated with imitation gold and then clear coated too. Haven't made my mind up about the gold cylinder yet though.

That's all I got done today because I had to go to the doctor's and get a shot near my spine to hopefully calm my sciatic nerve down. Will post more text and pics as I progress with the project as my back permits.



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