Worth it to refinish?

[EKing]

For the wood, I would scrub it with 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits. It's just abrasive enough to remove the gunk and grime but not so much that it removes the entire finish. Once dry, finish with a hand rub of Tru-Oil which is just boiled linseed oil thinned with mineral spirits. It makes an ugly stock look pretty good.

For the metal, scrub it down with acetone and a stiff toothbrush. Cold Blue will fill in the light spots and blend fairly well. Understand that Cold Blue does not provide the same rust protection that real blueing does. It only makes the metal look darker.
If you go the Cold Blue route, you must apply some kind of protective product such as oil or wax to fight rust.
If you choose the rattle can approach, the metal prep is still important.

The old "once over dust, twice over rust" does not apply to firearms, only weather decks.

 

[JEVapa]

It's a 500.

500s made 50 years ago are not the same as 500s now. They were made old school.

 

[Bocephus123]

Done Hundred approx since my teen's strip it with the best stripper you can afford i use the stuff for epoxy and heavy coatings may take a few applications! when you get all the finish off hit it with a wet rag to raise the grain let it dry! lightly sand , stain color of your choice, spar varnish like used on wooden water ski's. will be beautiful and waterproof as a ducks butt. enjoy!!! thing with stripper is very minimal sanding and raise the dings with a damp rag and hot iron. again enjoy your project .

 

[swampratt]

Are you guys looking at a different picture than I am.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on that gun needs refinished.
Shoot it.
I was expecting to see a rust colored barrel and wood that drifted up on the bank.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

500s made 50 years ago are not the same as 500s now. They were made old school.

Thanks for that. It's still a 500. I'm not knocking the gun or it's value to the owner. It's still a 500. It's not a rare shotgun or particularly valuable (discounting sentimental value which could make it priceless).

It might bring more than a newer 500 in similar condition...which wouldn't be much. The point is, refinishing it wouldn't be like refinishing an older, highly collectable shotgun. It's a 500.

 

[turkeyrun]

A good CLEANING and look it over, then decide.

Cleaning IS inspecting.

From what I see in the pics. Oil finish (Formby's) on the wood, is about all I would do.

F-i-L had an OLD, boly action .22. IIRC, he ordered from Sears catalog, in 1948, $12 (a fortune, to a 12 yo boy). It had set in back of closet for 30+ years, when he first showed it to me.

0000 steel wool and mineral spirits on entire gun. Light oil on steel. Danish oil on stock. Character of gun intact.

He actually wiped a tear, when seeing it.

It shoots good, too. Nothing special, not valuable, but it will never leave the family.

 

[Bocephus123]

Are you guys looking at a different picture than I am.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on that gun needs refinished.
Shoot it.
I was expecting to see a rust colored barrel and wood that drifted up on the bank.

True! But if you wanted

 

[JEVapa]

Thanks for that. It's still a 500. I'm not knocking the gun or it's value to the owner. It's still a 500. It's not a rare shotgun or particularly valuable (discounting sentimental value which could make it priceless).

It might bring more than a newer 500 in similar condition...which wouldn't be much. The point is, refinishing it wouldn't be like refinishing an older, highly collectable shotgun. It's a 500.

Value of a 500 is not my point, but whatever. Go Bubba!

 

[swampratt]

True! But if you wanted

Yea if you want to refinish it then get after it.

I never really cared what other people thought I should do to my own stuff.
If want a Camo paint job then I made it camo.

One persons opinion is just that an opinion.
You do what you like to do and that way it will make you happy.

I have shot my grandfathers rusty old Browning A5 hundreds of times and it was stolen by my uncles crack head relatives.
I ended up with one of my own from 1924 but it has a newer barrel with vent rib and beautiful blueing.
Does not shoot 1/2 as tight of groups as my grandfathers thin rusty barrel A5 did.

I wish I had that old rusty barrel on this rusty A5 I have.

Rust is my favorite color, Camo is second.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

Cerakote it and put Magpul furniture on it.