are the false aging or acid aging colors on the inside of the lock (if a new pan has been fitted), and possibly the absence of any pitting or rust corrosion on the inside of the lock, particularly when such signs are visible on the exterior of the pan itself. (3) Other lock parts should be closely inspected for aging consistent with the rest of the lock. However, such signs in themselves do not preclude that the piece is original as some of these parts could merely be replacements. (4) A key factor in establishing originality of a flintlock is the touchhole, an area where the restorers often fail miserably. Normally on converting to percussion, the flintlock touchhole was enlarged considerably in order to affix a large metal part (drum or bolster) to hold the percussion nipple. To restore this back to flintlock, the large aperture or hole left by the nipple and drum has to be closed and a new touchhole bored. Often one can easily detect signs of the larger hole having been bushed with telltale signs where the new metal has been fitted. In other cases clever welding and aging can conceal such clues. The best way to verify the touchhole is to remove the breech plug and tang from the barrel and examine the area from the inside. This, though, is quite difficult to accomplish and sometimes is not worth pursuing. Another method is the X-ray, a rarely used technique because of its inaccessibility as well as time and cost factors. The touchhole itself must be looked at closely, and if the gun shows considerable use and wear from firing and the touchhole is tiny with sharp edges, there is a decided inconsistency; normally the touchhole wears and enlarges with the greater use of the gun. (5) Verification of the fit of the lock should be carefully studied. Some reconversions have been cleverly made by merely installing a completely new and original flintlock to the gun. Besides checking the area of the touchhole as previously discussed, the entire aperture or mortise in the gun stock that holds the lock should be carefully scrutinized for new cuts or filled in areas.
All the foregoing are but the most obvious check points; no single detail is in itself conclusive evidence of restoration work. As an example, consider the matter of touchhole; on original flintlocks the touchhole was enlarged from very heavy wear and use to the point where rebushing was necessary during the period of its original use. Thus, it is necessary to take all factors into account when passing judgment on flintlocks.
E. BORES: RERIFLING AND SLEEVING
Bores are an important evaluating detail of some types of arms. When this feature plays such a role, it is important to watch for inconsistencies which would indicate alterations have been made. With many of the later single shot breech-loading target rifles or lever-action repeating rifles, calibers are often marked (but not always) on the barrel by the factory. A primary check would consist of verifying that the gun is in its original marked caliber and chambers a round for which it was originally intended. If not, there are clear indications that the bore was either shot out, rerifled and rechambered to something else close to the original caliber, or possibly changed at the whim of the original owner during its period of use. In either event, price is seriously affected in terms of the weapon’s collectibility. The piece certainly continues to have value, but the figure is considerably less than if in the original “as made” caliber.
The most often encountered bore alteration is sleeving or relining. The original barrel is reamed or bored out, and a new liner is inserted and rifled to the desired size. Generally this sleeving or lining was done to suit the personal taste of the owner/shooter, whose concern was more with its functioning than its collector’s appeal. However, relining merely to better the appearance and quality of an antique or collector’s piece is not unknown. Only rarely is it possible to determine the reasons for reboring or relining on a gun, but usually this was to take the place of or cover up a barrel defect.
In many cases relining work is obvious and telltale signs indicate the nature of the work. Most noticeable are the marks seen at the muzzle or the breech of the barrel liner itself; the small seam visible between the two pieces of metal. Fine welding, though, can conceal this, and it is then a matter of verifying the rifling and the caliber. This may be difficult and is not always possible, but other signs may serve as tip-offs that something has happened. If one is familiar with the rifling of certain manufacturers, then looking down the bore is sufficient to give clues that the piece is suspect; liners rarely match original rifling. Kentucky rifles and other muzzleloaders are often found with smooth bores (as their rifling was shot out by use), and liners will sometimes be found. Besides the telltale clues of seam marks at the muzzle, a good tip-off is condition of the rifling, usually perfect and like new and thus inconsistent with the normal overall wear of the rest of a piece which likely had its bore shot out.
The more a gun’s value is dependent on bore, the more detrimental to price will be a lining or sleeving job. Relined breech-loading arms of modern vintage would have their value lessened considerably whereas the more antique or muzzle-loading pieces (of course, depending on the type) are less affected. Two cases in muzzle-loading arms where sleeving or relining alters the price drastically downward are with heavy percussion bench rest slug rifles or fine target rifles. With both types rifling and bores are critical and specimens are actively sought because of the quality of their rifling and the makers’ names that appear on them. Any alteration of bores affects price strongly.
F. AGING AND PATINA
One of the most often used words in antique collecting in general and guns in particular is “patina.” The dictionary defines it as “...any thin coating or color change resulting from age, as on old wood; a fine crust or film on bronze or copper; is usually green or greenish blue and is formed by natural oxidation.” For arms collecting purposes, patina is the color formed by natural aging on wood or metal. It is to collecting what aging is to whisky or wine. A collector’s practiced eye quickly learns to discern genuine patina formed only by genuine aging vs. a false or faked patina caused by chemical or other agents. The knack for knowing patina is acquired through experience and involves quite a few subtleties; none of them difficult to master. It may be likened to a jeweler with the acquired talent of discerning various shades of coloration to seeking the ultimate blue-white in a diamond. With practice and exposure, the art can be skillfully mastered.
All woods and all metals age differently. As they age, they acquire color changes. In woods this is usually by absorption of paints, dyes, stains, grease, dirt in the hand that has rubbed it and any other number of materials, changing humidities and temperatures, light, air and smoke, etc. With metals, patina is usually caused by oxidation; in iron, aging brings rust causing a turn to brown; in brass or copper, the turn is to a very dark greenish color. There is no single exact shade or coloration of various patinas; just general tones and ones to which the practiced eye very much responds!
The subject of aging and patination is covered in quite a few books on antiques in general and in the Harold L. Peterson work How Do You Know It’s Old? in particular; the reader is referred to those reference works. Our intention here is merely to advise of the importance of this feature and the fact that patinas are the source of highly important clues to both restorations and fakery.
Perfectly matching age patina is practically impossible; a few very expert workmen have come close (and those that might have done so are obviously so good that no one as yet has been able to tell!). In the process of restoration it may be necessary to clean metal or wood in the area repaired to the point where patina is altered or destroyed; the patina must then be restored. Thus, if a piece under careful inspection shows variances in patination, this is usually a good sign that alterations were made and further investigation is in order. A standard agent for artificial aging on iron is acid. In varying strengths and formulas acids create patterns of pitting which are generally incorrect, differing decidedly from the normal age patterns still present on the gun.
Again the warning is repeated here that the buyer should be extremely wary of pieces that have been polished bright or refinished. What very likely happened is that repairs were made where it was impossible to match patina and thus, the restorer merely destroyed all existing patina giving the piece a new and consistent finish to conceal the work.
Patina in itself is a very desirable finish, particularly on iron when it has turned a nice, smooth, even brownish color. Although caused strictly by rusting and aging over the years, those shades of brown are often very rich, and they lend the piece a very mellow pleasing appearance. There are no maxims on acceptable patina, very much a