What would you do to this barrel?

A

aarondhgraham

New member
What would you do to this barrel?

I'm currently bidding on this rifle,,,
It's a 1930's vintage with rust on the barrel.

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If I win the auction I will probably cold blue the barrel

I'm not worried about destroying collector value,,,
So I wouldn't mind sanding/polishing/buffing the barrel.

I just don't know what procedure would work the best.

My end goal would be to bring it back to some semblance of pretty.

You gentlemen have any suggestions for me?

Aarond

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With the outside of the barrel being heavily pitted, I would have concerns about the inside of the barrel. Being an auction (on-line?), I suspect that the gun is not available to you for inspection.
 
As pitted as that is, I wouldn't buy it without looking at the bore. Also, if the bore was good, that will take some polishing to get those pits out, as no blue will hide those pits.
 
If it is a .22 then bore pitting may not be a real issue - whether there or not. I've got a very pitted Remington Model 512 that is still extremely accurate but the barrel looks even worse than the one you showed. It spent much of its life as the boat "snake gun".

Instead of a cold blue, you could sand out the pits and use one of the bake-on finishes.
 
It's advertised as: "The Bore is shiny with good rifling."
And I'll have a 5-day return period.

...that will take some polishing to get those pits out, as no blue will hide those pits.
Click to expand...

Okay, how does one polish that?

A buffing wheel with jewelers rouge?
1200 grit sandpaper?
Whet stone? :o

I know this will be a project gun,,,
I'm looking for some technique help here. :)

But unless the bidding goes crazy in the last hour,,,
I'll get the rifle for not very much money at all.

Aarond

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Since you asked, I would use a little oil with four aught steel wool and get the rust off, keep the barrel oiled, then not worry about it.
 
After messing with the picture to be able to see what's what,
It looks like that's not just rust on the barrel, but in the barrel, in places.
If it's a center fire caliber, you might want to try it someplace deserted first - with a long string.
Just a thought.
 
If it has a good bore, and they give you a right of return, then you may be all right. To remove the pits, you can use emery cloth, preferable rolls to use on the barrel. Start off with 120, move to 240, then 400. 400 grit emery cloth is about the same as 240 grit in polish, as they use different grading scales for the grits. Anyhow, it will give a nice brushed finish, that will look good with bluing. However, you need to get rid of the pits, or they will still show.

On a polishing wheel, you would start with 120, and can finish with 240 for a brushed finish. Go onto 400 for a slick finish, which is where most manufacturers stopped off at.
 
Thanks Dixie Gunsmithing,,,

That's what I needed to know,,,
It gives me a starting point to work from.

The rifle is a .22 bolt action,,,
So I'm not too worried about it blowing up.

This is all new to me,,,
What are the "bake on finishes" that Doyle mentioned.

Like I said before,,,
I'm not concerned with collector value.

I was thinking blueing the gun because that's what I know of,,,
But if a bake on would look like parkerized,,,
That wouldn't be bad at all.

This might be moot though,,,
I haven't won the auction as yet.

Thanks gentlemen.

I appreciate your help.

Aarond

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Well, the point is moot,,,

Well, the point is moot,,,
I got outbid.

It was for this rifle,,,
A 1930-ish German made .22 single-shot rifle.

I love the look of these older European rifles,,,
This one would have given me good times restoring it's beauty.

But alas, someone was willing to pay more than I was.

But I do thank you gentlemen for the tips,,,
If/when I find another rifle that twangs my strings,,,
I'll have a semblance of how to go about restoring it's beauty.

Thanks again,,,

Aarond

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Dont you just hate those auctions as there is usually someone that thinks they can get it for a dime more. You know what that rifle is worth even in that state and it is more then the $200 posted on that link.
 
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