Trapdoor Rifles

Hi all - wondering if y’all might help me figure out my next step here regarding a recent bayonet purchase. It was advertised as an M1855 on a different forum:









Surprise! It’s a 45-70 trapdoor bayonet! (I bet you aren’t surprised.) I’ve applied for a refund, but want to stay a step ahead of things if the seller offers a “discount” to forestall a return.

How much, if anything, would you consider a bayonet in this non-original-finish condition and missing the little stud for the locking ring to be worth?

Given that my main intent for this bayo was purely decorative/to display with a gun, what would it take to blue/brown it to an acceptable hue for display with a “Very Good” (but no better) NRA condition trapdoor with its bluing going to brown?

Is such a project even worth considering, or just hold out for full refund/return?

All ideas/opinions welcome!

It appears to be nickel plated, unless it is just the lighting. If so, then no amount of cold blue will work for it.

If it is just bright polished steel with some rust specks, it would not be hard to polish it up with some 400 or finer emery, or wire wheel it, Then (important!) get all traces of oil/WD-40/grease off and keep your greasy finger off. Then cold blue should work okay. For a more accurate finish, a rust blue would be appropriate, and will take multiple applications, but the results are much nicer than a quickie cold blue job.

Value? Whatever a willing buyer and seller can agree on.

That’s what I was afraid of/my dilemma (nickel plating). I’m going back and forth on it - ironically I have a civil war musket (for which this was intended) that has a similar look with speckled bright finish, the main reason I bought it. I’m leaning towards bright polish with rust, but doubt my own eyes. Well - we will see what the seller’s response is.

Would make a great camping candle holder. Bannerman curled and mounted hundreds of the on display boards for just that. Honestly what use is it can you proudly display it with a nice rifle? 25.00 would be the price limit for it.

SEE SEPARATE TOPIC ON THIS SUBJECT:
"Bayonet candle holders and art"

If I remember correctly Hoppies warned about using it's bore cleaner on nickeled guns because it would remove it, of course they may have changed the formula.

Now you mention it I do remember that warning about Hoppes.

Lead Snowstorm wrote: ↑Fri Jul 26, 2024 3:50 pm Now you mention it I do remember that warning about Hoppes.

However, in a similar vein, the warning that WD40 will hurt color-case, has proven - at least in my experience - to be TOTALLY false. Been (lightly!) wiping down my guns with it, all over, for more than 50 years.

Get your money back to use towards one that has collector value.

An update - got in touch with seller and arranged a return, so my worst-case contingency planning is moot.

Reckon the hunt goes on. I've never been much into bayonets, but I got a couple with some recent purchases, and they definitely add a certain *something* to the presentation of a longarm. And since I occasionally trot out the better pieces of the collection for lectures and training purposes, I figure I might as well get a few for the "show and tell" guns.