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A few years ago, I attended a Rendezvous in Colorado with my brother-in-law. He shoots black powder competitively there and invited me along to try my meager skills. This Rendezvous and most of its attendees aim for use of period dress and gear. There are two sections for camping - Those camping with no more than what was available "back in the day" and those who bring coolers, ice, and more "modern" gear.
I got to see some old rifles (late 1800-early 1900 stuff) and talk to the owners. Some rifles appeared not have been blued or otherwise finished, just had a natural long-term steel oxidization. Surfaces looked to be just worked steel (not super smooth, not badly pitted, but evidence of filing and scraping). As mentioned above, no rust and it was something I noticed. I asked about rust prevention. The old timers chuckled and just said "Lots of bacon grease". I didn't know if they were just pulling my leg or not and didn't bother to dig further.
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