Years ago, I found a Civil War era rifle in an antique shop, that had been painted red. I'm guessing it might have been used as a parade rifle, but who knows?
I paid the 250 bucks, took it home, dismantled it, and soaked the parts in lacquer thinner. All the paint loosened up, and was rubbed off, revealing a surprisingly nice Colt manufactured, 1861 Springfield. It is a good shooter, BTW.
There are still a lot of treasures out there, if you're willing to roll up your sleeves, and do the work.
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