Rusty Resto Question

P

Paul Mc

Active member
So here is my latest disaster that I've been asked to restore. I think my friends are going deeper and deeper into their junk pile to test me!
I've been able to get all parts moving and disassembled; the barrel is already ready to blue. What can I use to brush on, or dip the action into that will really make all this rust vanish? I've used Klean Strip Prep & Etch with some success but not enough. Remember those old commercials where they'd dip the tarnished spoon into the solution and it would come out like new? I'm never going to be able to uniformly steel wool out all the nooks and crannies with these hammers and curves.
It's a J. Stevens Arms & Tool (I think Model 235)

View attachment Double.jpg
View attachment Rusty Barrel.jpgView attachment Clean Barrel.jpg
 
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Paul

Have you looked into the below?

1. Vinegar (you can get a cleaning vinegar that works even better than kitchen vinegar)
2. EvapoRust (box stores are now carrying it)
3. Electrolysis (very simple to do in actuality)

Eric
 
Thanks for the quick reply Eric.
Are there cocking mechanisms or springs in the stock that allow the action of a double to cock when the barrels break? Or does the stock just connect to the action via a long bolt like pumps? I've always tried to avoid taking the action off a double in fear that springs or something are going to shoot out and I'll never get it back together. I'd be reluctant to submerge the action in either vinegar or electrolysis for that reason. Unless you advise that it's safe to do that.
 
Paul

I'm not much of a gunsmith and others here are better qualified, but typically double stocks are "inletted" to accept the trigger mechanism and held in place with small screws, as opposed to a long bolt that runs the length of the stock, like you find on Remington and other modern shotguns.

Eric
 
Paul Mc said:
Thanks for the quick reply Eric.
Are there cocking mechanisms or springs in the stock that allow the action of a double to cock when the barrels break? Or does the stock just connect to the action via a long bolt like pumps? I've always tried to avoid taking the action off a double in fear that springs or something are going to shoot out and I'll never get it back together. I'd be reluctant to submerge the action in either vinegar or electrolysis for that reason. Unless you advise that it's safe to do that.
Click to expand...


there is no cocking mechanism on a hammer gun

that is what the spurs are for


there will be a couple v springs in the lock

i see yours is a boxlock - that means every thing is attached inside the box

View attachment DSC_0786 edit.jpg
 
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Paul Mc said:
Thanks for the quick reply Eric.
Are there cocking mechanisms or springs in the stock that allow the action of a double to cock when the barrels break? Or does the stock just connect to the action via a long bolt like pumps? I've always tried to avoid taking the action off a double in fear that springs or something are going to shoot out and I'll never get it back together. I'd be reluctant to submerge the action in either vinegar or electrolysis for that reason. Unless you advise that it's safe to do that.
Click to expand...

Paul,

I'm no gunsmith but to the best of my knowledge the stock will be independent of the workings of the action. Two things to check before removing the stock. (a) trigger guard , sometimes the rear screw will go into the stock itself. (b) sometimes removing the trigger guard will expose a hidden screw securing the action to the stock.

I would avoid soaking any portion of the stock. Hopefully the threads on the main retaining bolt are not rusted tight. I'm not sure if one would have any access to spray them with a penetrant .
 
Eric Patterson said:
Paul

I'm not much of a gunsmith and others here are better qualified, but typically double stocks are "inletted" to accept the trigger mechanism and held in place with small screws, as opposed to a long bolt that runs the length of the stock, like you find on Remington and other modern shotguns.

Eric
Click to expand...

Eric,
Just from my very limited experience both side by sides I have owned used a thru bolt.

Edit; While my statement it true,,,,,,,,, it is NOT applicable in this situation.
 
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edit


see my post below - since this is a box lock not a side lock hammer gun
 
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Huntindave McCann said:
Eric Patterson said:
Paul

I'm not much of a gunsmith and others here are better qualified, but typically double stocks are "inletted" to accept the trigger mechanism and held in place with small screws, as opposed to a long bolt that runs the length of the stock, like you find on Remington and other modern shotguns.

Eric
Click to expand...

Eric,
Just from my very limited experience both side by sides I have owned used a thru bolt.
Click to expand...

no trough bolt on a hammer gun

the stock is held on by the tang bolt


remove the trigger guard - there might/should be a bolt going up under there

then the screw/bolt head under the top lever

then the stock should be loose - but there might be sears to remove to get it off
 
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Rick,

Thanks for clearing that up. I was just about to edit my post , having realized that I was overlooking the fact this was a hammer gun and totally different in design.
 
I can offer no advise but I definitely want to see how this progresses!
 
Huntindave McCann said:
Rick,

Thanks for clearing that up. I was just about to edit my post , having realized that I was overlooking the fact this was a hammer gun and totally different in design.
Click to expand...

[;)]
that's alright - I saw hammers and started giving advice for sidelocks -

this is one of the few box lock hammer guns - the internals are not as easy to get to - lots of cleaning solutions seem to affect the temper of lock springs

i know of several that have broken after a bath in a ultra sonic cleaner - so I always clean a v springs by hand



and to Paul, if you are going to challenge yourself with getting rust off old guns you should get a few Frontier pads

http://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

there is no finish left on this gun- but when there is these pads will take off surface rust without damaging any remaining finish
 
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Ok So Rick, et al:
Since I've posted this, my neighbor offered to glass bead it for me at his shop. Are the screws in the pics the ones that will allow me to take off the stock to send it to be beaded? Or is there one also behind the butt plate?
Also, frontier pads are def part of my tool kit for jobs like this. In this application, there are still too many tight spaces and tiny spots. It needs to be beaded or spray chem'd with something.
Thanks SO much to all of you for helping.
 
Paul Mc said:
Ok So Rick, et al:
Since I've posted this, my neighbor offered to glass bead it for me at his shop. Are the screws in the pics the ones that will allow me to take off the stock to send it to be beaded? Or is there one also behind the butt plate?
Also, frontier pads are def part of my tool kit for jobs like this. In this application, there are still too many tight spaces and tiny spots. It needs to be beaded or spray chem'd with something.
Thanks SO much to all of you for helping.
Click to expand...

with the condition and no collector value -- i don't see how glass beading will hurt this project

in the pictures in the first post - i do not see any of the screws you need to remove to get the stock off - push the top lever to locking position - you should see a screw slot under that

the other retaining screw - assuming there is one on this like every double that age I have disassembled - is under the trigger guard - if you brush the rust away you should see the end of that at the back end of the tanf

most old double stocks are held on by those two. - but you might take the but plate off first to see if there is one under there- the later stevens 311's were a draw bolt - but that is a much later gun- draw bolts were common on pump and autos because there was no inletting and no tang- later on - 1930's or so the makers started using it on less expensive doubles as a cost savings because hand fitting was reduced
 
well

that is likely a well duh to me

was upon a time I taught programming part time, one of the exercises i did was have everyone write down how they log in to the system,

then they all passed those instructions to the right and that person tried to log in ONLY doing what was in the instructions - almost no one ever got logged in because when you give instructions you often leave out things that you do without thinking about it-

the floor plate is likely holding it on - that has to come off-

is there a screw (or in some guns two) on the bottom of the action in front of where the trigger guard is attached?

BTW0 if two remember which goes on which side - they may be timed and won't fit the other hole as well
 
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Paul Mc said:
Rick L said:
well that is likely a well duh to me
Click to expand...

Didn't mean to waste your Quarantined time Rick. I'll figure it out, thanks.
Click to expand...

no-heck- ask away - i was just making fun of my self- no sense in letting everyone have all the fun doing it

if it looks like this - the back hole is where the trigger guard screws in - then there should be a screw in the other two

000_0012-500x500.jpg


by the way if there are a pair of sears like this they will need to come out - should be held in by a pin through the side of the action


100_8400-282x308.jpg

 
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