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Hello gentlemen,
I received a RC K98 a while ago that I'm planning to restore. I removed the shellac, which was peeling pretty badly, and it's got a lot of potential. One issue is the barrel, right by the front band. It looks like someone took a screwdriver to it and pocked it up real well. I used a bluing pen and marked them darker, but I'm hoping that this is only a temporary fix. Any ideas on a permanent solution? Thanks for looking.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9zfzsqv3-1.jpg
You could polish them out but that would take a while and would reduce the diameter of the barrel a bit.
You could knock the high spots off and then fill them with JB weld and spray paint the barrel.
You could knock the high spots off and cold blue it.
Probably about the best...Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
If that damage was not done under combat conditions bubba deserves a sound thrashing. I am not a welder could it be tiged & refinnished?
Please post some after photos of the repair.
Yes, it could be, but a warped barrel would be the result.Quote:
Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY
It's weird how the wood is all messed up right there also. This would have had to have happened after the refurbishment and I don't know that a lot of these coming from the Ukraine would have ever been issued. A Soviet refurb isn't going to come out with the same stock that it went in with.
Bubba driving tent pegs?
Absolutely correct. I know, I've done it. However, I also straightened the barrel. I suggest don't try it though...Quote:
Originally Posted by vintage hunter
I would avoid frustration and search out a replacement barrel. I would have a gunsmith inspect the entire arm after removal of the barrel to make sure no other hidden damage is present.
Nothing like adding a ton of expense to a minor problem and paying someone that's most likely clueless on this particular arm to tell you they can't find anything wrong with it. But that's up to you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trap4570
I've personally done all three of my recommendations to different rifles, and two of them on the same one. They all work, just depends what the look is you are going for. If I was not worried in the slightest about collectability or resale, I'd polish the barrel. It's not hard, can be done by hand with cloth sandpaper strips and the end result if you are careful is hard to distinguish from original with the naked eye. Blending the bluing is the hardest part.
You think the barrel on this one has problems, check out this one: 1941 Swedish Mauser needs a LOT of help Pretty much went through the process step by step but you can skip to the end for fixing this little problem.
"Nothing like adding a ton of expense to a minor problem and paying someone that's most likely clueless on this particular arm to tell you they can't find anything wrong with it."
100% agreement. This is cosmetic damage. A new barrel is only indicated if the present barrel is non-functional. It's an RC K98 - not exactly the rarest rifle in the world, can't be more than a couple of hundred thousand around, so I would first of all totally ignore the cosmetics and find out how well it can shoot!
Then, if it shot well enough to be worth the bother, I would peen down the raised edges of the dimples. For that you need light, fast blows with a jeweller's hammer. Like Woody Woodpecker. Not clobbering it with a lump hammer from the builder's yard. With a bit of patience this will already noticeably reduce the size of the dimples. Fill with a metal-loaded epoxy (is JB-Weld something of that nature?), file smooth with a diamond lap, patch up the bluing, and what remains will hardly be noticed among all the other dings and scratches. Or leave it as it is and use the well-worn excuse for doing nothing "it's part of its history".
Yes it is...Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick
Hmm, thanks gentlemen these are all good ideas, although I do not plan on replacing the barrel. It is actually quite bright with excellent rifling. For the time being I'll leave it as is while refinishing the stock, but expect a thread revival should that change! :dancingbanana: I'm leaning towards using the JB weld fix.
---------- Post added at 09:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 AM ----------
WOW! that rifle was in some really tough shape, nice fix!Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn243
It is an RC. I would draw file the marks and cold blue the area. It will still be visible but not as bad. No fix for such stupidity.
Looks too deep to draw file. It'd be an awful large flat spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by mike webb
That all depends on how skilled the person doing the filing is. Properly done by someone that knows how to use to use a file followed up by polishing with fine emery cloth to remove the file marks it will look good. The objective is to cut down the raised ridge around the periphery of each gouge, not remove them entirely. They will still be there afterwards, but they won't be as deep and noticeable as they are now.Quote:
Originally Posted by WarPig1976
You've seen my stuff. A lot of that has been draw filed. Barrels are a lot more forgiving than you might think. The trick is to use a fine file rather than a coarse one and to keep the file straight and perpendicular to the stroke. If you go at an angle, it increases the depth and length of the file marks. Emery cloth afterwards is the key and with barrels, long thin strips and two hands working it up and down polishes half the barrel at a time and it's pretty fast also. I think the entire damage could be polished out this way and it wouldn't be all that noticeable if at all.
I agree, that's draw filing and I've done many the Winchester barrel like that for re-bluing. Works out well...
I thought he said invisible. That's what you get for opening your mouth in the middle of cocktail hour. Sorry Mike...:cheers:
If it was mine, after removing the stock I would support the barrel on a thick lead block which is it's self supported on something solid with the damage facing upwards and then I would try and lightly tap any high spots down level using a small hammer. Remember any marks on the hammer face will transfer to the barrel. I would then file smooth.
Today I tore down my 1891 Carcano because it was bothering me. It had a fair amount of light to medium pitting on the exposed area of the barrel and a previous owner made an attempt to get rid of the rust and then cold blued it. Coloration varied quite a bit and depending on the light it just looked bad. Spent about an hour and a half on it with 1/2 inch strips of emery cloth of various grades and then cold blued it. The barrel came out beautifully. I didn't remove all the pitting, some remains along the wood line but the lighter stuff is all gone and the coloration is all the same. Would probably work wonders with this K98 barrel. I also found out the difference between twenty year old blueing solution and new solution. Looks like a new barrel with the wood back in place.