Refurbishing firearms

Gil Martin · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:27 am Post subject: Refurbishing firearms

Since I have a lot of free time, quite a bit is spent refurbishing firearms. Nothing major, mostly refinishing stocks, touching up the bluing and mounting scopes. A friend showed my a lovely older Remington 12 gauge Mohawk 48 semi-auto shotgun that had a few rough spots in the stock finish and a few places where the bluing was worn. He was going to sand the stock and live with the bluing wear. I offered to work on it and he agreed.

I never sand a finished stock, but did use paint and varnish stripper from the local hardware store. Two coats of the stripping agent and some light steel wool cleaned the stock right up. The rough finish was a poorly applied coat of what appeared to be varnish. A coat of boiled linseed oil followed by a coat of Tru-Oil restored the stock. An application of cold blue fixed all the bluing wear spots. Now I am thinking of working a trade to acquire this fine older shotgun. Too bad I cannot post pictures because this gun is beautiful. All the best...
Gil

Elvis · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 3:07 am Post subject: Re: Refurbishing firearms

interesting...the Remington mohawks Im familiar with are really short centrefires. the predecessor to the mod 7 I think they must have been,plurry good bush rifles and very accurate too.
posting photos on this site is by far the easiest of any site I visit.

Vince · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:26 am Post subject: Re: Refurbishing firearms

Like you Gil, I too like to refurbish older guns that haven't been looked after as wel as they should.

I take a different tack to you Gil. The gun I decided to refurbish is a Spanish Lanber IBARGUN, made by Zabala Hermanos in 1972, and at $150 I decided that it would be a good project for me. I sanded the stock back with 400 and 600 grit wet and dry and recut all the chequering. I then drained the stock with a MinWax stain called Gunstock 231, gave it a light sand with 800 grit paper and finished it with another MinWax product, Helmsman Spar Urethane in a satin finish for good wear and weather protection. I then reblued the barrels with a cold blue.

Gil Martin · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 1:38 pm Post subject: Re: Refurbishing firearms

Vince,
That is one lovely shotgun and you did a splendid job. All the best...
Gil

Elvis · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Refurbishing firearms

a thing of beauty she is indeed Vince.

Vince · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:42 pm Post subject: Re: Refurbishing firearms

Gil Martin wrote:

Vince,
That is one lovely shotgun and you did a splendid job. All the best...
Gil

Thanks guys. I'm really looking forward to seeing the one Gil did using the more traditional process. I reckon it too will look outstanding.