Restoration round 1! Howard’s strikes again…

Wambli Ska

Thanks @Big Al1 Howard’s does it again…. Worked on the wood to even out the finish and knocked out the rust “freckles” with 0000 steel wool and LCP.  Opened up the insides to take out 50 years of GUNK!!!  Why don’t people clean their guns!!!!   I probably added $200-300 to the value of this gun in 30 minutes.

After a couple of passes of a bore brush and patches, bore is pristine!!!


What I started with:

After Howard’s…

Once I have a chance to shoot it etc. I will really take it apart and redo the stock for real.  But for now at least it doesn’t look ghetto… 😁

Zee

That looks nice!

Wambli Ska

Zee said:

That looks nice!

Thanks!  Time well spent!

zorba

Looks lots mo' bettah!

Wambli Ska

zorba said:

Looks lots mo' bettah!

Yeah, I think so.  Funny how people pass on guns that don’t look 100%.  This was on the rack at my partner GS for about a year before I bumped into it.   My “family discount” was $199 less than the sticker on it. 😁

I love finding these rescues.

sakodude

Oh ok, I’ll trade the Ithaca 

Diver43

NICE    amazing how well they clean up sometimes

earlyagain

What's great about that, is it didn't remove anything.

Freezer

Dang that's a nice start! There is so much self gratification in restoring  Buba's guns,

Ernie Bishop

You have done good work 

Elk creek

Damn! That’s nice……

Big Al1

WHAT a difference!! Looks great! It'll shoot, too!

Wambli Ska

sakodude said:

Oh ok, I’ll trade the Ithaca 

Oh, not for this one we won’t 🤣

Wambli Ska

Diver43 said:

NICE    amazing how well they clean up sometimes

Yeah, right?  It’s like I’m always surprised at what’s laying under decades of grunge and neglect!

Justsomedude

That turned out beautiful.

Wambli Ska

earlyagain said:

What's great about that, is it didn't remove anything.

Yep, still has character.  I’m going to do a better job on the wood without making it look new, like a light oil finish.  I’ll also clean up the metal better and I might LIGHTLY touch up the shinny edges with a hint of Oxpho so they don’t stand out as much, but I’ll probably stop there.  I want it to show experience without looking tired.  Fine balance.

Wambli Ska

Freezer said:

Dang that's a nice start! There is so much self gratification in restoring  Buba's guns,

Ernie Bishop said:

You have done good work 

Elk creek said:

Damn! That’s nice……

Thanks gentlemen.  Labor of love! 

Wambli Ska

Big Al1 said:

WHAT a difference!! Looks great! It'll shoot, too!

Thanks for teaching me that Howard’s trick!  It’s brought more than one stock back from the dead.  The stuff is amazing!

Gene L

Is that Howard's Restore a Finish you used?  Looks good, so far.  I use Howard's Feed and Wax and it does a great job.

Wambli Ska

Gene L said:

Is that Howard's Restore a Finish you used?  Looks good, so far.  I use Howard's Feed and Wax and it does a great job.

Yep that’s it.  Al recommended it years ago when I had a stock to restore that I was looking to totally refinish.  I basically said what the hell and was shocked at how well it work!

Bigslug

"Eruzione SCOORRRESS!!!"

Varmintmist

Why does one take off ones pants to play with ones gun?

Wambli Ska

Varmintmist said:

Why does one take off ones pants to play with ones gun?

Why?  It’s kind’a essential.  Don’t you? 

Wambli Ska

Bigslug said:

"Eruzione SCOORRRESS!!!"

Feels just like that… 😁

Antonio

Huge improvement! The grain of the stock is amazing.

bullsi1911

Looking good!

shoot it yet?

Wambli Ska

bullsi1911 said:

Looking good!

shoot it yet?

Tomorrow morning!  I’m really looking forward to it!

Wambli Ska

Tore it down again last night to give it cleaning number 2 now that a couple of days of softening of old gunk has gone by, and flushed the insides of 40 years of gummed up stuff that had leeched out of the internal nooks and crannies.

I took it with me and shot it quickly this morning just to function test.  I had some folks that needed to do their shooting qualification for the CCW course I taught Sunday and got rained out of range time, so after they left I loaded 5 rounds of Federal bulk standard velocity and offhand at 15 yards put them all into a cloverleaf right about 1/2” under POA.  I know, not a true test of capabilities but I think I’m going to like this gun.  There is just the slightest hint of creep on the trigger, I MIGHT try to get rid of that.

I’m trying to get out later today to test a few batches of ammo and see what it really likes.  I also have to right in my Marlin 94 32-20 because I just installed a new taller Marbles front sight on it.  Maybe mom will let me go out and play if I get all my chores done 😁

Freezer

If you don't try to touch that trigger up you'll never forgive yourself!  you'll never know what it could have been CDO

Wambli Ska

Freezer said:

If you don't try to touch that trigger up you'll never forgive yourself!  you'll never know what it could have been CDO

I probably will.  It’s such an easy “fix” that it’s almost not worth ignoring.  Didn’t make it out today but I’ll try again tomorrow.  If I get the groups I think I will this baby will get ALL sorts of attention ❤️❤️❤️

Diver43

Wambli Ska said:

Gene L said:

Is that Howard's Restore a Finish you used?  Looks good, so far.  I use Howard's Feed and Wax and it does a great job.

Yep that’s it.  Al recommended it years ago when I had a stock to restore that I was looking to totally refinish.  I basically said what the hell and was shocked at how well it work!

Did you use the Neutral or color match?
We have a couple of the inherited rifles could use a better wood clean up.