Fire damaged 1903

A friend of mine recently suffered a house fire which consumed a lot of nice rifles. One of them happened to be a real nice 1.4m 1903. He wound up giving me the leftovers since I was looking for a project to practice some different types of finishes on. As I was cleaning it up and looking at it, it looks to be in still pretty good shape, the stock is gone but the metal was all intact and the barrel does not look like it has bent or warped any. I was just gonna turn it into a wall decorator but after looking at the metal was wondering if there is any way to salvage it as a shooter.I've never dealt with a firearm from a fire and so not sure if that is even an option. Thanks in advance.

Rick

it don't sound like a good idea to me. think of it as an instant low s/n.
or a triple heat treated one

Thanks for the advice, then wall hanger it is

It might not me hurt at all. Have someone check the hardness. First find out what the reference hardness should be.

I wonder if you can reline the barrel to a .22, and install an M2 bolt?..Maybe make a nice single-shot .22? Never did it, but I've seen crazier things done....


218bee

Hot enough to burn the stock? Easily ruins the steel. I don't think making it a wallhanger works, either. 20 years down the road someone will try to "restore" this thing. Need to think this one through.

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Originally Posted by Calif-Steve

Hot enough to burn the stock? Easily ruins the steel. I don't think making it a wallhanger works, either. 20 years down the road someone will try to "restore" this thing. Need to think this one through.

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Depends on whether it burned the stock away or just damaged it beyond saving which wouldn't take much. If it burned the park/bluing off and left a pinkish rusty metal behind then it's gone. If not then have it checked.

actually.
i used to do fire restoration for a couple places a few years ago.
Nickle steel acts different then heat treated C steel.
id have to see it, to say yes or no.
water damage from the firefighters does more damage then the fire itself.
that and leaving them sit for weeks after the fire with no oil.
iv repaired a few Garands, 03,s and Carbines that saw smoke and fire, all recovered,
as a note, not one modern Browning high power rifle ever survived even the lightest fire.
too much cast and aluminum parts i guess.
and then you get a Glock...lol, doesnt take much to melt one.
i remember getting one, complete minus the frame, serial tag and all,
so i asked what happened.
camper fire, and a light one, Glock was in a closet, they even saved the camper. not the Glock, live rounds still in the chamber, and the magazine.

Chuck is right about that water damage. So many guns in a fire just get tossed aside... If they were just hosed down with WD or CLP - ANYTHING, that would help. They get all the oil cooked off of them, get toxic fumes from the fire (like Chlorine...), then WET... rust is INEVITABLE.

The average house fire will exceed 1100 degrees, which unless it was in a fire resistant safe, is enough to effect the hardness (tempering). If it was quenched with water directly, that will also effect the tempering.

-Jeff L

Modern loads in low SN receivers... restoring and shooting fire damaged guns (versus smoke or water)... riding a motorcycle without a helmet. All possible; none worth the risk.

lol, i shoot my SHT 03, ride my street bike sans helmet, and still walk the streets unarmed..
call me crazy.:}
however, wont get on my dirtbike without a helmet, wear a seatbelt, and would never drive a Pinto.
chances of a crash are pretty good on the dirtbike, at low speeds.
wear a seatbelt cuz i dont want a ticket, not cuz i think its safer.
and wouldnt drive a Pinto for the same reason i wont ride a moped.
just hard to look cool with both.

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Originally Posted by chuckindenver

and wouldnt drive a Pinto for the same reason i wont ride a moped.
just hard to look cool with both.

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best analogy ive heard all week :)
:rofl: :beerchug: