Firearm Restoration Pricing & Bench Consultation Rates
Shop Quality Standards & Workmanship
We do not run a high-volume "dip-and-buff" shop. Whether refinishing a field gun or restoring a vintage classic, our focus is preserving flat metal surfaces, keeping factory lines razor-sharp, and protecting original roll stamps and markings. Every job is completed to exacting standards to ensure you receive excellent value for your investment.
Premium Historical Restoration Evaluations
Premium historical restorations—including period-correct bone charcoal case hardening, Carbonia bluing, and rust bluing for soft soldered barrels—are never one-size-fits-all. Every vintage firearm carries a unique history of wear, pitting, past refinishing attempts, and structural considerations that require hands-on analysis.
Firm estimates are provided only after we have the firearm in hand and can evaluate its condition for the requested work.
Every firearm arrives with its own condition, history, and reason for being restored. Tell us what you have and what the firearm means to you. We’ll help determine the appropriate level of work without pushing the project beyond what it needs.
The prices below are starting estimates. A firm estimate is provided after we receive and personally inspect the firearm. Condition, previous refinishing, corrosion, damaged geometry, altered markings, welding, parts replacement and mechanical repairs may affect the final price.
Premium Complete Refinishing
Complete commercial refinishing for working firearms and modern heirlooms. These baselines include normal disassembly, the stated metal preparation, finishing, reassembly and a function and safety inspection. Full period-correct restorations are individually quoted after inspection.
| Firearm Category | Included Scope | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pump / Semi-Auto Shotgun | Full teardown, premium high-gloss or satin wheel preparation, hot caustic bluing, oil cure, reassembly and safety check. | $700-$850+ |
| Standard Bolt-Action Rifle | Receiver and barrel surface correction, bolt-body polish, matte or polished hot blue, reassembly and function check. | $650-$800+ |
| Standard Revolver / Semi-Auto | Frame and slide or cylinder preparation with line and hole preservation, premium hot blue and small-parts accent bluing. | $550-$700+ |
| Shooter Lever-Action | Receiver hot or rust blue, rust-blued barrel and magazine tube, lever and small-parts refinishing, and restoration of major flats. | $850-$1,100+ |
| Military / Utility / Tactical | Factory-appropriate abrasive preparation, manganese or zinc phosphate, oil soak, reassembly and inspection. | $450-$600+ |
Individual Component & Specialty Finishing
Except where abrasive preparation is specifically included for Parkerizing, these prices assume parts arrive completely stripped, degreased and polished to the desired final surface. Polishing, contour correction, disassembly, reassembly and mechanical work are additional.
Bone-Charcoal Case Coloring
| Service | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Action Revolver | Frame or receiver and loading gate; internal action fitting excluded. | $525 |
| Double Gun / Single Shot | Receiver, fore-end iron and standing-breech elements. | $625 |
| Medium FrameWinchester 1892/1894, Marlin 1894 and similar receivers | Traditional sealed-pack bone-charcoal case coloring. | $595 |
| Large FrameModel 1886/1876 and other high-mass receivers | Traditional sealed-pack bone-charcoal case coloring. | $795 |
Carbonia & Gas-Fired Charcoal Bluing
| Service | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Action Revolver Parts | Cylinder, barrel, backstrap, trigger guard and small-parts lot. | $495 |
| Double-Action Revolver | Frame, cylinder, crane and sideplate assembly. | $550 |
| 1911 / Semi-Auto Pistol | Slide, frame, mainspring housing and external small-parts lot. | $650 |
| Bolt-Action Receiver & Parts | Receiver, bolt handle or shroud, floorplate and trigger guard. | $550 |
| Medium Frame Assembly | Standard lever or pump receiver, magazine tube and hardware lot. | $595 |
| Large Frame / Shotgun Receiver | High-surface-area assemblies and double-gun receivers. | $795 |
Traditional Slow Rust Bluing & Browning
| Service | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single Barrel | Stripped rifle or shotgun barrel; price varies with length and contour. | $395+ |
| Rifle Barrel & Magazine Tube | Barrel, magazine tube and mounting bands or hangers. | $650 |
| Double-Barrel Shotgun Barrels | Multi-pass finish appropriate for soft-soldered ribs. | $650+ |
| Damascus Barrel Etch & Brown | Acid contrast etching and multi-stage browning, when actively offered. | $1,450+ |
| Best English Blacking | Best-quality preparation, ultra-fine carding and deep lustrous finish. | $1,850+ |
| Complete Bolt-Action Rifle | Barrel, receiver, bottom metal and external hardware; finish-ready components. | $1,100+ |
| Complete Semi-Auto Pistol | Slide, frame and external controls; finish-ready components. | $695+ |
Hot-Tank Caustic Chemical Bluing - Finish Application Only
| Service | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Action / DA Revolver | Pre-polished parts; bath processing, neutralization and oil only. | $225-$275 |
| 1911 / Semi-Auto Pistol | Pre-polished slide, frame and small controls. | $250-$295 |
| Bolt-Action Barreled Action | Pre-polished, stripped metal barreled action. | $325-$375 |
| Lever-Action / Pump Long Gun | Pre-polished components; multi-part handling included. | $375-$425 |
| Small-Parts Batch | Screws, pins, sight bases, levers and similar small components. | $125 minimum |
Parkerizing - Manganese / Zinc Phosphate
Unlike the other individual-finish schedules, these prices include ordinary glass-bead or abrasive preparation as stated.
| Service | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Handgun / Receiver Only | Glass-bead preparation, phosphate bath and deep oil soak. | $195-$225 |
| Standard Rifle / Shotgun | Barreled receiver and external steel components. | $275-$325 |
| Full Military Restoration Package | M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, trench gun and similar firearms; teardown, abrasive preparation, manganese dip and cure. | $375-$450+ |
Custom Bench Rates & Precision TIG Repairs
| Repair / Service | Baseline Scope | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Drilled & Tapped Hole Fill | Precision TIG fill of a non-factory hole, draw-file flush, radius match and blend. | $85-$110 / hole |
| Four-Hole Scope-Mount Package | Receiver or top-strap hole filling and complete contour restoration. | $275-$325+ |
| Unwanted Dovetail / Sight Slot | Weld fill, wall or edge restoration and profiling to barrel taper. | $125-$165+ |
| Deep-Pit TIG Restoration | Precision TIG restoration of severe isolated or clustered pitting. Quoted by affected area, accessibility and contour-restoration time. | $150 minimum |
| Receiver Crack Repair | V-groove preparation, controlled TIG repair and required filing or machining. | $250-$450+ |
| Tang / Lug Reconstruction | Metal buildup on altered or cut tangs, lugs, hammer spurs or similar features, followed by hand fitting. | $225-$400+ |
| General Custom Bench Rate | Hand filing, mechanical fitting, stock work, diagnostics and ordinary bench time. | $125 / hour |
| Specialized Metallurgy & Welding | Precision TIG welding, controlled thermal work and specialized metallurgy operations; one-hour minimum. | $150 / hour |