Refinish BLR receiver?

[Jeff, CA]

I have a Browning lever-action rifle with a steel receiver. It has some light rust spots on the left side.

One area is right at the edge of a pin hole; It's not big, less than 1/8" across, and it looks like the finish is bubbling slightly.

The other area looks like the remains of an old fingerprint - it's a few little spots that can only be seen (as dark spots) when the light is reflecting off the surface.

Is there anything I can, or should do, besides monitoring these areas, and keeping them clean? They haven't changed in about 3 years. Can/should the receiver be refinished before they get worse? Can a completely different finish (say, parkerizing) be applied?

(For the record, these spots were there when I traded for the gun.)

 

[Art Eatman]

You have many options about refinish. If it's a regularly used rifle, I'd just lightly work over the fingerprint area with fine steel wool. If the bubble is rusty, carefully scrape it away, an smooth out if necessary with steel wool. Then, just oil as usual.

I wouldn't refinish a "using" gun until it has more than just a few blemishes. Some of them are interesting memories--like the scratches on the stock of my pet rifle from "the day I fell off the mountain".

Regards, Art

 

[George Stringer]

Jeff, you can get it parkerized, tefloned, blued, heck we can chrome plate it if you like! E-mail me if you like and I'd be happy to refinish it for you. George