Hey guys. I thought I would make a seperate thread for the restoration, so that everything would be more clear. I am making this thread to show off the gun, but also for others to use as a guide to help them with their project.
The pictures are taken with a cell phone, so their not the greatest quality, but they get the point across.
The weapon was rusty on the outside, but the bore and internals were very clean. All movable parts seemed to be pretty tight with the exception of the take down pin, which has a little bit of play. The point is that the gun was worthy of putting some time into it. This is something all should consider when thinking about restoring an old gun.
I completely dissambled the firearm down to each individual component. All internal parts were soaked in kerosene to soften the old oil/grease. I then cleaned/oil all parts. The trigger, hammer, trigger guard, and breech lever were polished and degreased in preparation for cold bluing. Next came the frame and barrel. I started with 120 grit sandpaper and worked my way up to 600 grit. I then used 000 fine steel wool over everything. Finally I degreased the parts with acetone.
This next step will vary depending on what you have available. My situation is a bit unique. I have access to a commercial pizza oven in my fathers kitchen. It always has a pilot lit, which keeps the stones and interior temperature around 85F. I stick all the parts to be blued inside and let the metal thoroughly warm up. This insures any moisture is dried up and the pores of the metal open up, which results in a better/deeper bluing. - I have blued a barrel without warming up first and the results were not as good! For this project, each piece was coated 3 times. For this project anything more than 4 times would have been a waste. The third round did not yield much change from #2, so to do a 4th would have been the max as it is. After rinsing with water the pieces were returned to the oven while I did the next set of pieces. I rotated this way to keep the metal warm and dry.
Reassembly of the frame was a breeze, with the only hiccup being that at first I installed the main spring plunger in upside down. This was quickly remedied. I finished by temporarily reinstalling the furniture and test fired one shell through it. All is well, I am typing this right?
The last step is to order a new stock and finish it as desired. I also ordered a new front sight, as mine is missing. While I wait for the stock to show up I need to prep and reblue the takedown pin ends and the forearm piece. (whoops!) The weapon will then be complete.
All in I will have about $75.00 in parts and materials. The gun was free, so that puts me in a good spot!
Here are a few pictures of the progress til now. I will update when I get the stock and sight and put it all together.
