Fixing my first gun.

[greenandgold]

This old 22 was my first gun and was not in the best shape when it got to me. Nearly two decades later it ain't pretty.

I do love it though. In addition to it being given to me by family and it being the first real firearm that I ever shot, it's a Sears rifle. I'm not old enough to remember places like that selling guns, much less through a mail order delivered by the mail man. That ease of access in a time before gun control is interesting to me and it makes this a cool part of history.

I want to fix this thing up and make it as nice as possible. I understand it will never be the nicest rifle in the world and because of this I'd like to do it on my own and do it on a budget. All suggestions are welcome unless it's just to by a new gun. I'm fairly new to this but I'm really good at following directions.

IMG_0343 by greenandgold1975, on Flickr

The barrel is rusted and the finish on the receiver is scuffed too. I'm thinking of using duracoat to fix this? (notice the scope puled off a BB gun when I was 15)
IMG_0354 by greenandgold1975, on Flickr
I want to keep the Sears name on the barrel though. Will that be possible after getting rid of the rust and using a spray on finish?
IMG_0358 by greenandgold1975, on Flickr
The furniture need some work too. I've refinished wood though so that shouldn't be too tough.

The barrel collar is broken right where the rear sight attaches. Pretty big bummer. I've read that this rifle is the same as the Winchester 150 though so Numrich has parts...
IMG_0348 by greenandgold1975, on Flickr

Let me know what you think. anything I haven't thought of?

[DECO49]

I have one just like it , except it has an old Weaver scope that came with it , my Mom bought it for me back in the 60's in Erie PA and its still a great shooter !

[Xringshooter]

Duracoat or Cerakote goes on thin enough that it won't fill in the lettering. Pull the stock off and refinish it, then get the replacement parts you need ans work on it a little bit at a time. If you take it slow, you'll be pleased with the results.

[greenandgold]

Deco, I had no idea it came with a scope originally. What's it look like? Maybe I could track one down. I'd love to get this thing looking like it just came from the store.

Thanks for the heads up on the duracoat, Xring. I think that's the way I'll go.

Also, I put in a order for a new barrel collar and rear sight. Woo.

[DECO49]

Green , I'll dig my rifle out and have a look at the scope for you this weekend . I haven't shot in a while . If you go with the dura cote finish be sure to clean/degrease it thoroughly !!! , acetone works best . Heating it with a heat gun or hair drier will prevent runs , give it a tack coat from about six to eight inches away and then a couple more coverage coats . It will dry to handle in a couple hours , but takes a couple weeks to TOTALLY cure . Have used it for refinishing many times.

[firebird.77]

If it were me I would try some kind of cold blue to keep the original look. I have results from absolutely horrid to surprisingly nice, so YMMV.

[DECO49]

The receiver is aluminum alloy I believe , only the barrel is steel

[DECO49]

Green , Checked my rifle last night , the scope is a Weaver Marksman 4X . there was one on E-Bay last night with a $25 bid , hope this helps .

[Chazman321]

Fix the broken stuff and refinish the stock carefully. As for the metal, most rust can be removed by electrolysis without hurting the finish. If you want to Durakote or Cerakote it you can, or you can send it out to get re-blued, or you can strip the bluing off and parkerize it at home fairly cheaply and easily. The finish is the fun part... lol


-Chaz

[greenandgold]

I'm excited to see that the scope is relatively easy to come by. I think that'll be the next thing to pick up after I solve my barrel collar issue.

Speaking of! I got this in the mail:


So that was pretty exciting. Of course only until I realized the old one (on the left) and the new one (on the right). And notice the difference in size and placement in the holes. Looks like I have some drilling ahead of me.




Also, I noticed some rubbing from the lever arm onto the receiver. I figure that's no good, any ideas?
at the top of the lever here:


to the left side here:


Lastly if I wanted to paint this magazine plunger (doubt that's the right word but seems appropriate) what kind of paint should I use?