Denix Replica Gun Question - Brass?

[PHArchivist]

EDIT 4/26/10

Anyone know if the "brass" on the western-style guns can be polished to improve the look?

I am seriously doubting it, considering the general quality of Denix, and I have a beat up old Navy Colt I can test with.

But just wondering if anyone has any experience with this...


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What type of metal are they? They're not true "gunmetal" are they?

Now the real question - can the metal be "blued" with the available blueing chemicals folks are using on, say, Sidkit guns?

 

[ToNIC]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

The guns I used to have were made out of a kind of aluminium, that is all I can tell you right now.

 

[Dung0beetle]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

It depends on the gun. Some are made of pewter and others are aluminum. Which gun in particular are you asking about? You can blue pewter, but I have no experience with it. I hear it can be tricky.

 

[Noeland]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Removing the grips can be a real pain the rump too.

 

[KramStaar]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

It depends on the gun. Some are made of pewter and others are aluminum. Which gun in particular are you asking about? You can blue pewter, but I have no experience with it. I hear it can be tricky.

I concur with this... It depends on the gun.

I have found that some blue very well if that's your intention and a well cleaned up Denix can present itself in a very impressive way.

This is a 1911 Colt with modified Pachmayr grips and magazine rubber pads - lightly weathered to match the wear my real Colt.

 

[PHArchivist]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Removing the grips can be a real pain the rump too.

Working with a Colt .45 revolver...

Yes - the grips! What's the trick?

 

[pennausamike]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Working with a Colt .45 reavolver...

Yes - the grips! What's the trick?

The screws aren't screws.
They are pins swaged together.
In my experience, once they are apart, they don't really go back together well.
Worst case, they break.
I drill and tap mine for 4-40 UNC set screw so I CAN screw them together.

You can see the Pins with the set screw sticking out, next to the grips, on my Firefly Zoe back-up pistol project.

Also, I'm not a fan of trying to blue the pot metal used on dummy guns like the Denixs or Sidkits.
Blueing is a controlled corrosion process.
I don't have any proof that the blueing would have any adverse, long-term effect on the slurry of alloys used in pot-metal,
but I'm not willing to find out.
I paint my Denix-type projects.

Mike

 

[PHArchivist]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Thanks Mike - yeah I tried holding one of the 'screws' fixed with a flat head while unscrewuign the other, but it was a quick and lazy attempt. Did not clamp the gun into anything so it was all too awkward to do.

Basically, I'm trying to modify the wood grips to look like ivory, so I just masked around the grip to paint.

 

[CSMacLaren]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

I'm not 100% on this, but I believe they use an alloy like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamak

 

[PHArchivist]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Got a new challenge, and will have to remove the grips...

More later.

 

[PHArchivist]

Anyone know if the "brass" on the western-style guns can be polished to improve the look?

I am seriously doubting it, considering the general quality of Denix, and I have a beat up old Navy Colt I can test with.

But just wondering if anyone has any experience with this...

 

[EddyB]

Re: Denix Replica Gun Question

Hey Kramstaar,

I saw that you posted on January 26 2010 a picture of your Denix Colt 1911 that you had really improved the look of. I'm buying one of these replica guns soon but the difference in appearence between a standard Denix replica and yours is huge, yours looks very realistic. How would i be able to do the same to mine? are the 'rubber magazine pads' from a real colt but fit the replica's magazine or did u make them yourself? also, how did u find a fitting grip? do real colt accessories fit the denix replica? and one last question, how did u make the metal look so good? can i also 'blue' or 'weather' the gun? (I'm from europe, we dont have many guns here so I dont know t much about them).
Thanks so much for any advice you can provide!!