Don’t ask me how I know this…
How to apply a Nice Even Coating . . . of Rust on Your Brand New Peacemaker.
Now after reading that title I’m sure you’re thinking: “I’m not that dumb”. Well I have to admit it’s not beyond my scope of accomplishment to successfully execute that task. Was it easy yes? Was it fast yes, did it require an extensive refinish? You guessed it, yes again. Now we all try to avoid the obvious pitfalls that occur in dealing with expensive firearms. It goes without saying, it’s those not so obvious pitfalls that sometimes sneak up on us.
We know that the beautiful lustrous blue and subtle rainbow of blues, pinks and straw browns are one of the most enduring features of these lovely single action revolvers. And most know that there is very little corrosion resistance in either of those frontier era finishes.
That is precisely why we have been continually engrained with keeping these fine Colts coated with a thin film of oil at all times. Now here is where the catch comes. It all turns to rust without you even seeing it happen; Inside the “Dreaded” Gun Rug. This is the exact place you confidently placed your prized Colt to protect it. Well, little did I know that the ultra soft “imitation sheepskin” acts just like a Zippo wick, transferring any outside moisture right to that delicate blue finish. Slick as a whistle in about 4 or 5 days (give or take a few) I had a nice uniformly applied rust coating trying to eat into my new single action. Now to add insult to injury even after I applied mouth to mouth by carefully refinishing that beauty, the value had just been cut in half.
