I know that I probably shouldn't and just sourcing the replacement parts will probably come close to what I could find a used one for anyway, but you see, I have this old bolt action 12 gauge that's in pretty rough shape. It's missing a few parts, and in honesty, has seen better days.
I've had it about 10 years and I look at it every couple of years and then shake my head while thinking that I know better than to even bother with it and then lean it back over into the corner.
It was given to me by an old family friend after he found it in the trunk of an old junk car that they had towed and junked from the back lot of an old piece of property. The car was an early 1960's something Rambler, so that should tell you how long it had been collecting dust and rust. They were only sold from 1946-1958.
But I'm thinking about trying to fix 'er up, at least back into working order. I know there is no point of putting a new finish on the stock so shiny that you could look at it while you're combing your hair.
And there's no need to put a deep lustrous blue job on the metal that looks like it is 3 feet deep. There's really no reason to because at best, it might be a $75 gun you'd only have around for trades or to get out every now and then and run a few shells through it just to keep the inside of the barrel from getting rusty.
But it would be pretty cool to fire off a shot or two with it before putting it over the mantle I guess.
The most obvious things that I need to do is replace both extractors.
The firing pin spring is sticking, but it is working so it's probably just rusted up in the channel. Numrich has firing pin springs for a few bucks so that's probably the route that I would go and clean up the old firing pin.
The bolt retaining screw is gone but cheap and easy to replace.
The trigger guard is gone.
And the stock is cracked.
I have never seen a stock for this gun, so I'd have to epoxy the stock, which wouldn't look real pretty because there is a chip of it missing around the front bottom end of it, but would make it safe to shoot. At some point, someone has already glued the crack together anyway, but didn't do a real good job of it.
I have no doubt that I can reblue the steel and clean it up. Replace the front bead. Replace the missing parts.
I'll probably have to research how to replace the extractors though. I don't see any pins to hold them in place so they're captured some other way.
What do you guys think? Waste of time and money, or do you think I should see if I can do CPR on it and try to bring it back?
Worst case scenario, if I have to replace all the parts I have listed, would come to about $85. There may be a few that I can salvage without replacing, but I think that'll be pretty close to what it'll cost me.
I've had it about 10 years and I look at it every couple of years and then shake my head while thinking that I know better than to even bother with it and then lean it back over into the corner.
It was given to me by an old family friend after he found it in the trunk of an old junk car that they had towed and junked from the back lot of an old piece of property. The car was an early 1960's something Rambler, so that should tell you how long it had been collecting dust and rust. They were only sold from 1946-1958.
But I'm thinking about trying to fix 'er up, at least back into working order. I know there is no point of putting a new finish on the stock so shiny that you could look at it while you're combing your hair.
And there's no need to put a deep lustrous blue job on the metal that looks like it is 3 feet deep. There's really no reason to because at best, it might be a $75 gun you'd only have around for trades or to get out every now and then and run a few shells through it just to keep the inside of the barrel from getting rusty.
But it would be pretty cool to fire off a shot or two with it before putting it over the mantle I guess.
The most obvious things that I need to do is replace both extractors.
The firing pin spring is sticking, but it is working so it's probably just rusted up in the channel. Numrich has firing pin springs for a few bucks so that's probably the route that I would go and clean up the old firing pin.
The bolt retaining screw is gone but cheap and easy to replace.
The trigger guard is gone.
And the stock is cracked.
I have never seen a stock for this gun, so I'd have to epoxy the stock, which wouldn't look real pretty because there is a chip of it missing around the front bottom end of it, but would make it safe to shoot. At some point, someone has already glued the crack together anyway, but didn't do a real good job of it.
I have no doubt that I can reblue the steel and clean it up. Replace the front bead. Replace the missing parts.
I'll probably have to research how to replace the extractors though. I don't see any pins to hold them in place so they're captured some other way.
What do you guys think? Waste of time and money, or do you think I should see if I can do CPR on it and try to bring it back?
Worst case scenario, if I have to replace all the parts I have listed, would come to about $85. There may be a few that I can salvage without replacing, but I think that'll be pretty close to what it'll cost me.