MCBushbaby
10-19-2007, 10:52 AM
I was visiting the folks last weekend and I decided to pick up my pop's old 20g shotgun that he hadn't used in over 20 years. It sat in the basement in its leather-covered, fluff cotton-interior through all the seasons. Just propped in a corner next to the wood pile. I knew the only thing wrong with it was some rust at the end of the barrel (I presume the gun was stored with some moisture lingering in the cotton fluff) but oh how wrong I was...
Aside from mm-deep pitting caused by rust along the first 1.5" of the barrel (luckily only one or two small pits inside), the entire chamber was greased up like it was going to be fried. Someone, probably not my father who only used the gun once, decided to over-oil the thing. I disassembled it completely, ran cleaning solution throughout the barrel and storage chamber, threw nearly a 1/8 can of WD-40 into the chamber to swab out the grease using a Q-Tip, and scrubbed the hell out of that tip. Although the brass sight is shining brightly once more, the tip looks butt ugly. It's strange in that only the tip, the very very end, was rusted. Everything else on the gun looks pristine (aside from the greased interior). So after about 3 hours of cleaning I got it into showroom shape.
Now here's the twist: It's an old Sears-Roebuck single barrel, pump-action 20 gauge shotgun with real wood pump and stock. Remember back in the days of mail-ordering your firearms? Yea, that kind of gun. Neat huh?
I guess the only thing I need help with is if any experienced firearm manufacturer or firearm enthusiast on the forums knows of what I can do to fix up the tip? The pitting isn't bad inside the barrel but it would be nice if there's a "wax on-wax off" approach using some epoxy or solvent.
Aside from mm-deep pitting caused by rust along the first 1.5" of the barrel (luckily only one or two small pits inside), the entire chamber was greased up like it was going to be fried. Someone, probably not my father who only used the gun once, decided to over-oil the thing. I disassembled it completely, ran cleaning solution throughout the barrel and storage chamber, threw nearly a 1/8 can of WD-40 into the chamber to swab out the grease using a Q-Tip, and scrubbed the hell out of that tip. Although the brass sight is shining brightly once more, the tip looks butt ugly. It's strange in that only the tip, the very very end, was rusted. Everything else on the gun looks pristine (aside from the greased interior). So after about 3 hours of cleaning I got it into showroom shape.
Now here's the twist: It's an old Sears-Roebuck single barrel, pump-action 20 gauge shotgun with real wood pump and stock. Remember back in the days of mail-ordering your firearms? Yea, that kind of gun. Neat huh?
I guess the only thing I need help with is if any experienced firearm manufacturer or firearm enthusiast on the forums knows of what I can do to fix up the tip? The pitting isn't bad inside the barrel but it would be nice if there's a "wax on-wax off" approach using some epoxy or solvent.