Phew... I think I may have a bit of work on my hands. This old Steven .22lr was a shoe-in on a trade made by my Uncle. I really enjoy working on firearms, even if the work is tedious, and he already planned on restoring it himself, so I offered to do the work for him. The BORE looks almost new, which actually makes this project worth it. The rifle even groups nice. He says he'll reimburse me for whatever I buy, which means I get to do something I enjoy for free, and learn at the same time. The flash on my camera makes the stock actually look BETTER than it does in person. Nearly all metal looks like it was dipped in crappy black paint. You can see the original bluing in one picture, as a stripe on the receiver.
I plan to completely refinish the stock, and definitely replace the rear swing swivel. The front swivel is completely missing, so I guess I'll pick that up too. I may go as far as completely removing the old bluing and doing a home hotblue job. I've got an old (C) 1962 Complete Guide to Gunsmithing, Gun Care and Repair for the Home Gunsmith. Amazing book, and it will help me along all processes. It is not properly feeding cartridges, so I have to figure out that problem as well. The feed ramp needs a major polishing. It's corroded and pitted to the point that the rounds get stuck when trying to feed. With rimfire rounds, that could result in the rounds going off before they're even completely out of the magazine! That would be a disaster. It may end up being cut out with my Dremel and replaced with a new feed ramp JB Welded in. I'll add to this as I go along. I think it should be interesting to see the progress as it happens, this old junker going from rusty semi-functional single-shot parts kit to like-new!
Bravo! I aways like seeing old .22 rifles brought back to life! The old Savage/Stevens rifles don't have much 'collector value', but are a fun educational project! Numrich should have any parts you need - no need to go the JB Weld route (though I have done that too!).
I look forward to the 'after' report.
My favorite way to do old stocks is by hand...sanding sponges all the way.
Retains that original look.
I avoid cheap Minwax products...some folks get decent results, but I prefer High Quality stains like General Finishes & Old Dad's. After you've used the good stuff, you never go back to the cheap stuff. for $2 more...it's worth it
Tung oil is a wonderful thing...especialy for old stocks. Check out some of the threads in the Curio & Relic section for how to do a stock in the Old Way.
Or if you prefer, you can use Marine Grade Polyurethane/Spar Urethane for the finish coats...it does offer superior rain/weather resistance. Especially the Outdoors varieties, of which the good stuff has a sunscreen included in it.
__________________ Marlin & Calico Specialist
I'm not just Trigger Happy, I'm Trigger Ecstatic!!
As long as it doesn't take the bluing off. I'm not positive that I want to take it off or not yet.
Bluing is a form of controlled rust...and that's where it starts getting tricky.
On that one...I'd actually suggest taking the original bluing off & doing a Hot Dip bluing...or maybe even Case Hardening if you feel like playing with Arsenic
Read the WHOLE THREAD in each case...sometimes you end up finding out that something they did early on turned out to be a goof that had to be fixed later.
Far better to learn from their mistakes
__________________ Marlin & Calico Specialist
I'm not just Trigger Happy, I'm Trigger Ecstatic!!
I agree w/the Tru-oil type finish. Many people try for a mirror gloss finish that looks hincky. Just remember,these stocks were not originally finished as smoothly as most people do during restorations. 220 grit final sanding is enough. Or not much more.
Tru-Oil is merely a modified Tung Oil Finish. I have used it with good results, but began using the Formby's Tung Oil Finish when Wally's stopped carrying Tru-Oil. Both dry faster than BLO. If the twentytwo rifle will see a lot of outdoors use, the Spar Varnish could be good, but I don't care for the appearance of it myself - personal choice. Same can be said for Poly finishes - too glossy, or if using the dull-coat, it comes across too 'milky'.
For the paint on the barrel, try bore cleaner - it softens and strips off many regular paints, and will not affect the blueing. But you may find the paint ws done because the blue was shot to begin with. If that's the case, Navel Jelly will safely strip off the blueing.
I have tried some cold blue products, and have not been impressed. They are basically a coating, and tend to be far softer than true 'hot blueing'. You could use Brownell's Alumahyde II spray finish - a 'spray paint' made for gun use, that looks good and is very tough. The Semi-gloss Black looks very good - I have it on a few guns.
