Good grief but that is unsightly!  And of all things, done to a .32 Special!  There’s a few of us (that elite minority) for which this is a double tragedy

So, what would be the best path to fixing it?  Personally, I don’t think you would leave it alone.  Refinish the entire receiver?  Refinish just the left side?  Buff out the pitting? 

Or, just display it on one side?

I’ll bet Mark Douglas has an idea.

  Maybe blood left on the gun? Sad, but you can display it on the wall good side out. Keep track of the serial number, the next time it sells it will not be as noticeable or a composite gun. With the serial number on the receiver, the nice parts might be used on another gun for an up grade.   T/R 

steve004 said
So, what would be the best path to fixing it?  Personally, I don’t think you would leave it alone.  Refinish the entire receiver?  Refinish just the left side?  Buff out the pitting? 

If ever there was a reason for sending a gun to Turnbull, or someone else equally skilled, this is it.  Rcvr only.  Pitting is so deep, might require welding, in addition to buffing.  A gun my father left stored in a sheepskin-lined gun case developed pitting this deep, but it was equally distributed on both sides.  Naval Jelly will do the same, if left on the steel long enough.

Serial number 238467, for posterity’s sake.

 It is still original and if the price is right it would be fun to shoot. Let the next owner screw it up.

 I had a minty Deluxe 1886 with vivid case, just a screamer, but it had 7 drilled and tapped holes in the left side. Somebody must have installed a receiver sight and then a scope. It displayed on the wall nicely with the holes toward the wall. It still bugged me and I sold it to somebody that didn’t care. When he died it went to RIA. Both of us made a little on the gun. I’m sure so did RIA. Maybe today it doesn’t have the holes.

 I think in this case a blood spot is a lot better than 7 holes drilled in the receiver. This flaw is easy to explain and I hope the next owner can live with it. When a gun is this nice you will always see the repair especially if you did it. T/R

clarence said

oldcrankyyankee said

Why not just leave it alone? Anything done to it would be just another fake gun.

  

If you’ve got the stomach for it, that might be the best course; but I could never bear this revolting sight of some previous owner’s gross negligence in allowing this to happen.  Which is fundamentally different from honest, hard use & heavy wear, such as the .38-55 ’94 TD that was the subject of another thread; that gun I’d be happy to own, but not this one.

Replacing the rcvr. would make it “another fake gun,” but refinishing the rcvr only would be a legit restoration.

  

As it sits it is original. We do not know the real reason of the condition,,, It is only speculation on every ones part. Could be blood. could be chemical cleaner. Heck could be lemon aide, as happened to couple of my own rifles. To me the point of collecting is to have rifles that are in as original condition as possible. We tap these keys condemning fakery like  a passion , but when a gun like this comes along every one goes nuts. I hate this statement , but , it is what it is. Given the climate today of duping people out of their money, personally I would rather see this than a ” professionally restored” rifle. Just me venting.     

steve004 said
There’s buyer for every gun out there – so it works out.  This one will sell and whoever buys it knows what they are getting.  I assume they wouldn’t bid unless they wanted with it.  

It will be interesting if it turns up again… and when it does, it may not look exactly the same.

  

There in lie’s the problem. Know of a couple at Ward’s right now that fall in to that category. Worst of it is they are from a supposedly reputable re-seller.

I’d leave it as it is. If the rust/pitting bothered me, I wouldn’t buy the gun.