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Hello all, Sorry if this is in the wrong discussion section. I am looking for some help with two rifles I own.

I have two rifles that were taken into evidence after we had a scare with my dad many years ago. We totally forgot that the police had taken them, so years had passed and I got a call from the PD that my rifles were going to be auctioned off if I didn't recover them from their department.

Long story short, I thankfully am now in possession of them but they are in need of reblueing I have been told. I called up a local rebluer and it seemed the cost of having that done would almost be the cost of buying new rifles.

My question is what to do with them? My first thought is to sell them but I would hate to sell a damaged product like that so then I am left with wondering what I should do. If I could get advice on this that would be great.

The two rifles in question are a .22 long rifle and a 410 single barrel breakneck shotgun.

49947AEA-F73F-4288-8230-A3A85A03AB52.jpeg 6EB54CA7-1528-4303-9732-40BF6E24BA9B.jpeg FEE82BB0-B254-492A-B998-790C8231ED62.jpeg EFEC2B15-01A3-49C2-BEED-C908F9D17B5A.jpeg D0BF0A2E-316D-4E6D-9027-57B53AB02499.jpeg DE787FE1-0AD9-4F65-B3CF-B2DB70B7CF18.jpeg B65D3581-4C3B-426E-A26D-F1984C0D1F8B.jpeg 8E349AC4-C6DD-412C-A2D8-C1CAFD2A7049.jpeg 681BAB6C-D8CA-41E9-A87C-DE37CB40CE6C.jpeg 0BF84E14-B25A-48E8-8F85-6F3CF37E2316.jpeg E97ECEF8-AF02-4060-8771-4B42AD1481C4.jpeg
 
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Value is a subjective thing, do these have sentimental value, or actual?
Depending on age and brand, they may be worth a fortune, or they may not be worth much of anything!
As to the cost of a re blue, I cannot answer that, but I know who can @Velzey is THE go to for any and ALL smithing needs and would better be able to answer any questions you have, and could even quote you a very reasonable price should you choose to go forward!
 
If you blue them to sell, you may not get anymore money for them than if you hadn't reblued them.

If they are unusual or old guns, rebluing them can actually DECREASE what you would get for them.

If you keep them, and they are economical "working man's guns", then rebluing them yourself can be fun and will protect the metal very well. Done not in any hurry, sometimes the results are better than the gun looked on the store shelf.

Without seeing them, it is hard to advise what needs to be done to prep before the cold blue.

As to "formula", I usually apply "44-40" brand cold blue first (ONLY to a well-prepared surface). Two or three applications of that give a deep dark finish.

Birchwood Perma Blue is then applied and lightly polished between each of 2-4 applications. Perma Blue polishes nicer of the two but I don't think it is as durable.

So I go with best of both worlds.
 
Hard to say without knowing exactly the make/model we're talking about and without knowing what the actual condition is.

That said, if concerned primarily with monetary value I can't think of too many scenarios in which rebluing would actually be worth it. For something quite collectible you might actually hurt the value... and for something not collectible you might spend $200 increase the resale value by $50-75 (these may not be actual numbers, just used for illustrative purposes).
 
Thank you all for the input. I totally see how this would be hard to answer without knowing the guns I am referring to. I have updated the post with some photos that should help if possible. Sorry for not including them initially.
 
The Winchester shotgun is worth about $200-$250 in really nice shape, maybe $100-$125 as it is currently, and maybe $150+ re-blued. That doesn't account for sentimental value as only you and your family can judge that.
The Savage 22 is in the same boat value-wise.
 
Neither of those two rifles are worth the cost of having a gunsmith reblue them the model 37 Winchester shotgun in very good condition would be a $300 gun. In the roached out condition yours is in maybe $125-150 depending on how bad the bore is as the photo showing the muzzle looks like the bore could easily be rusted badly. A 37A is not a real collectable almost all but the very best condition examples would be bought as a shooter. With a rusted bore well!

The Savage MKII is a current production entry level .22 we have 3 of them around here. The model you have sells for roughly $250 new The barrel rust bring it down too a $150-175 rifle. So your not going to recover half the cost of having either of them reblued and having someone remove the rust and fill the surface and Cerokoting them is also going to end up a money loosing deal.

My advise is to sell them as is and let someone who is planning on keeping them worry about the condition.
 
Getting that rust off/under control would be a pretty cheap and easy DIY job and is worth doing. As others have said, the cost of a quality reblue would be (much) greater than any increase in value that results from doing it. Unless there's some sentimental reason to try to get these looking pristine it's not likely to be worth the money and trouble.
 
I really appreciate all of you. I think you all provided great info and I think it's probably best just to sell them as is to someone who wouldn't mind doing the work. I'm not particularly attached to either gun. I mostly didn't want to insult anyone by putting them on the market. I'm not sure how I would insult anyone but you never know so I try to be cautious haha. Again I thank you all for the responses.
 
Getting that rust off/under control would be a pretty cheap and easy DIY job and is worth doing. As others have said, the cost of a quality reblue would be (much) greater than any increase in value that results from doing it. Unless there's some sentimental reason to try to get these looking pristine it's not likely to be worth the money and trouble.

0000 steal wool, a good oil and some elbow grease.

When I received my dads 12g it looked like it had been at the bottom of a lake and not at the back of a closet.

If you can get the rust off just keep it oiled regularly and keep em as shooters.
 
0000 steal wool, a good oil and some elbow grease.

When I received my dads 12g it looked like it had been at the bottom of a lake and not at the back of a closet.

If you can get the rust off just keep it oiled regularly and keep em as shooters.
Joe13, when you say keep em as shooters, does that mean they are ok to shoot? Like almost just take em out for fun? I think I just assumed it was dangerous somehow handling them with this level of rust and pitting.
 
Joe13, when you say keep em as shooters, does that mean they are ok to shoot? Like almost just take em out for fun? I think I just assumed it was dangerous somehow handling them with this level of rust and pitting.

rust comes off pretty easily you'll find. If the pitting is extremely bad, most smaller gun shops with smiths will most likely be able to tell you for free if it's ok to shoot.

They just might not be pretty or the most accurate (for the 22) the shotguns a shotgun so it will be easier to remove the barrel rust and doesn't rely on rifling or a muzzle crown.

Id keep em, clean em and take em out for a test drive.

Just my 2¢
 

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