SIL's rifle

[fiver]

well I pulled down the SIL's rifle today.
it's a Montgomery ward [western field] of unknown age in 308.

this poor rifle has lead a hard, hard life.
bluing missing, stock is cracked up at the fore-arm, bedding [what bedding?] everything slides around in there some stuff touches nothing and everything else rubs where it shouldn't.
his scope rings were loose [one was broken]
the bolt was put together wrong, and the barrel had been cut down to 18-1/2"s at some point for some reason.
stuff inside is rough and burred [shaking my head]

other than that it's a fine piece of equipment.
it was clean [except the barrel from his last outing]
but I'd expect that from someone that spent a few years in the sand-box.

so today I started working on the burrs and the bolt I don't know how he didn't lose the spring or the little lock pin for the bolt shroud as it was not in alignment whatsoever.
once I got everything straightened out the trigger pull was slightly heavier but muuucuch smoother and the rifle has a bit faster lock time..
I replaced all of his scope problems.
then seen a Burris full field 3x9 scope sitting on my shelf so I replaced that too [probably doubled the rifles value]

next I guess comes a lot of sanding and fitting of the internals.
then a couple of dabs of bedding compound around the action.
after I fix the crack in the stock I'm just gonna bed the barrel the whole length from the recoil lug to the fore-arms tip to stabilize everything.
after that some load work-up with some 3031 and my home made 150gr bullets to try and maximize the barrels short length.

if all that works [god I hope so] it's going to the paint shop to get a green and black tiger stripe paint job.
if not I guess a new barrel is In it's future.

any suggestions?

 

[Ben]

What ? ?

No photos ?

 

[Ian]

Lamar never has done photos, dang it, especially since Littlegirl is out of the house. I'd say Rattle-can Duracoat all the metal in the color of your choice. Lauer even makes two shades of "blued steel" in the pop/shake/spray rattle cans that looks pretty good on bead-blasted metal (it looks like real, high-polish blueing except it's way too glossy to believe on smooth base metal). If the SIL has been extra-good, and the thing shoots, have the muzzle threaded and screw on one of those brake thingies that throw most of the blast forward. Cheaper than a rebarrel and might actually make it pleasant to shoot.

 

[fiver]

yep no photos.
I recently learned I own a digital camera.
someone gave it to me for fathers day or birth day or sumthin. [not sure when though]
I didn't know it was mine, I just kept wondering what was in that camouflaged case sitting by the printer [that's needed ink since about 1998]

 

[Brad]

Just do what I do, use your iPhone.

 

[fiver]

my what?

 

[Brad]

Exactly

 

[smokeywolf]

Sounds like a fun and interesting project, which should be followed by an outing to the range with the BiL or SiL, which should then be followed by a BBQ at Bil's & SiL's expense.

Another request for pics.

 

[fiver]

I found a muzzle brake for an AK-47, the kind with the chamber and the big bellows looking front end.
I dunno how that would go over on a short light hunting rifle, but it should mitigate muzzle rise a little bit.
filing the barrel down might take a little while though.

ahh jeez while looking it over in better light [and with my cheater glasses on] I found another crack in the stocks fore-arm.
I'm beginning to wonder now if the barrel wasn't cut down because of an obstruction.
I guess i'll have to slug the thing.

 

[freebullet]

Sounds like that rifle is the gift that keeps on giving- unwanted surprises.

 

[JWFilips]

Fiver...I really think it is time you had a proper aviator photo here! You are one of the notable members! It is about time ...Hey guys don't you think???
Jim

 

[fiver]

I like the question mark it reminds me of the Riddler one I use over at he CBA forum, which I almost never go to.

 

[fiver]

Sounds like that rifle is the gift that keeps on giving- unwanted surprises.

we will get it straightened out, I got books and stuff and I can always ask Ben a question if need be.
since I'm going for an ugly paint job but accurate enough for hunting in all sorts of weather type rifle.
the stock can be fully bedded without an issue and a couple of brass brads can easily be hidden if necessary.
I'm more worried about the barrel, it looks like it has about 12 grooves of rifling in it.
oversized isn't a concern I can squeeze/swage 308 bullets up to 310 if necessary.
but a bulge or bugled end means it's going in the trash pile and something else is going on it.

this won't be the first rifle I have had to rescue from the dead pile.
I done a Remington model 30 [I got in an orange box for 50 bucks] a few years ago for a boy I was mentoring some.
I had to make a trigger guard for it from a piece of 1/4" brass I found and then i filed/bent and filed/bent some more to get it into the proper shape, I drilled and countersunk the holes and found some brass wood screws to hold it in place.
then I polished the whole thing by hand and clear coated it to keep the shine.
that took me two months of free time to accomplish.
the stock was outlined and then hollow ground stipple punched instead of checkering in the appropriate places, plus a little more around the metal work and forearm tip.
then I had to modify a set of mauser scope bases to fit the rifle. [all by hand]
my wifes brother watched me do the whole thing, he even helped do the load work up for the rifle, and couldn't believe I gave it away when I was done with it.

 

[fiver]

okay a couple of questions.
the first one is how to fix the cracks.
I have seen super glue recommended and I have thought about just forcing them open and mixing some bedding compound to fill them in.
the squeezing everything back into place.

and the second one is.
has anybody ever tried cera-coating a stock?
it shows two different way's to cure the stuff and I don't know if cooking the wood at 300-f for a half hour is a good idea or not.
the second way [for plastic] is to cook it at 200-f for 2 hours.
after looking at the colors I have come up with a paint scheme, but 70 bucks is a bit steep to find out it won't work.

 

[Brad]

How wide are the cracks? Dry or soaked in oil over time?

I would pry them open a bit and get epoxy in there.

Baking wood at 300 F kinda scares me. I would think a nice enamel paint would would well for camouflage.

 

[freebullet]

Maybe duracoat or a good no bake paint? I used some flat duck boat paint on a worn ugly shotgun. Worked ok & held up well enough.
I'd try to figure if the barrel was good before I made any final decision on stock finish.

 

[fiver]

one is pretty big, like a 32nd " floating gap, the other I can hide pretty easily.
I have been putting off getting to work on this a bit while I think about how to go about it.
I am thinking about cera coating the whole rifle in black and flat earth [tan/greenish shade] so the two colors off set and have a nice satin flat finish that's permanent.
I have done some other paint jobs before and while they look good for a while, hard time hunting pretty much nicks, scrapes, and wears everything off.
I need something bullet proof, and I won't start until I have a full plan in mind.

 

[Brad]

I would undercut the cracks inside the forearm if that is where they are. Do that and bed the barrel and it won't be an issue any longer.

 

[freebullet]

Might consider hydrographics with a nice epoxy clear on top. I have a factory rifle finished that way it's been very durable. I'm planning for it on an ar 308.
There is an eBay seller that carries chunks long enough to do a whole gun in a pattern that very closely resembles realtree apg. You'd fill the cracks smooth it out paint it white, apply the film and clear coat. You can get the film in any camo/color you like.

 

[fiver]

this is that water dip stuff right?

that could work, the checkering on this rifle is,,,, well, not really checkering.
it looks like they applied it with a stamp and a 12 pound hammer. [crookedly applied it]
instead of sanding it all away I think i'll fill the hand grip with bedding compound then smooth it all over.
leaving the half-way decent fore-arm stuff there.