My 2nd Krag

[ssgross]

here is the rear sight all prettied up. It was pretty ugly before...likely put together from parts. I could no longer stand seeing it on a pristine-like-factory-new-metal. I didn't strip the old bluing off. I lightly scuffed the sides, more so on the left where the graduations are, with 400 grit to get rid of the discoloration and spots with "frosting". Some light pitting was there, but when I rust blued that all went away. I lightly sanded the ladder face and windage graduations with 800 grit backed by a flat piece of metal (my barrel vise top). I rust blued the whole thing, then polished away the new bluing on the ladder and windage graduations and the. All the small parts and other areas were just de-greased and then rust blued. Lee Express #1 evened all the color out to a nice deep color that matches everything else. I left the pin holding the cross bar together. I will fire blue it after I'm done playing with the aperture. I have another aperture I want to toy with opening up and custom fit to my eyes in the end.
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[Workaholic]

Wow. You have done an amazing job so far. I've read through it with interest, and in the process, I think you answered a couple questions. Specifically, about the bluing on my Marlin 336 RC, and an idea of what I'm needing to do on my Colt vest pocket pistol to get it blued. Thanks for this great write up.

[browningautorifle]

Marlin 336 RC

An older waffletop?

[Workaholic]

Yes. 1952 Waffletop. Has a grayish colored bluing. At first I thought it was cerakoted. After reading through this thread, I'm not so sure now.

[ssgross]

Has a grayish colored bluing

as you saw, the "American blue" from rustblue.com I used on the receiver was very easy to get good uniform results without any spotting, but didn't get very dark. It did, however, card very easily with just steel wool or the big carding brush from brownells.
The Mark lee express blue got very dark, and even darkened the receiver. However, you have to card the crap out of it, especially after the first iteration if any copper gets laid down. My second try at it after my arm got sore, I used the big carding wheel from brownells on the barrel. best $24 investment I've made....the one with the wood hub...https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-prod6762.aspx I put it in my drill press at first, but that was awkward. I then put it on a corded hand drill, and clamped in the bench vise. Much easier working the piece at waist level than at my chest.

I went ahead and bought a 2nd krag barrel from criterion that came in today. have my eye on a krag sporter that no one seems to want at a shop close by. The price is a bit steep, but it's been there 6 months or more. Would make a nice present for my son at Christmas. If it doesn't come down, I'll sell the finished barrel with sight ready to go for someone else's project. No rush. Maybe another rifle will call to me.

[browningautorifle]

Has a grayish colored bluing.

Probably a cold blue as suggested...hard to say what. I've seen results from a "Grey sock" blue once. That was heated to hot and a wool sock passed across the metal causing a rough grey finish. Worst thing I can remember seeing for redoing a needy rifle.

[ssgross]

here is the stock I picked up last weekend and Dunlap Woodcrafts just up the road in Chantilly, VA. I spoke with owner Wayne Dunlap. He is an older gentleman who has been shooting black powder for decades. In addition to custom furniture and other woodcrafts, he sells blanks, and mostly muzzleloader stocks for vintage reproductions. For milsurps stocks, he said made all the patterns, but now has a guy duplicate from his patterns. He had a few full length trapdoor stocks, mausers, and one 1903 left. I bought the only krag stock he had left at the moment.
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There is some work left. You can see the corners at the base of the action need squared off, and opened up a bit fore and aft. Wayne said he designed the pattern to work for both 1896. The sling swivel and trigger gaurd inletting is perfect width wise, not tight nor loose, and tight by no more than 2 thous. fore and aft.

The tang screw hole is not drilled all the way through, just started on both ends, and the trigger opening is not opened up all the way, in addition to the obvious...the excess at the butt, and around the base of the forearm. This bit makes it nice and steady to work on in the vise, but I will need to finish the outer profile and hand carve the grasping grooves in the end.

I started working on the receiver inletting this week every chance I could squeeze out of my evenings. I got the down far enough to see that the bottom 1/3 of the barrel channel will need the sides opened up, but the forward 2/3 seems fine.

I started by putting an index screw in the front position. I greased it lightly with a little soap as the hole in the stock was very tight. It's loosened up a bit now from taking the action in and out, but is still snug. A little jerrow's Black and started gently filing and chiseling, checking with each shave until the barreled action settled down to where the rear tip of the tang started to engage wood (the rear part of the tang where the action screw is tapers from the top down to the screw). At this point, it became clear that receiver ring area was spot on, and just needed the front squared off where it steps up to the barrel channel. The work needed on the barrel channel also became evident here.

Next up then - relieve the rear of the tang, then simultaneously gently open the base of the channel and square down the receiver area until the sides and bottom of the tang make contact, then work all the horizontal surfaces until evertything is bedded nice and even, indexed off the forward screw. Last step then will be to finish drilling the rear hole.

Initial impression...stock is of course far from "drop in". But, this also means that there is an opportunity to have a most perfect fit...and the wood is beautiful American heartwood, hand selected by Wayne so that the grain pattern was perfectly aligned through the wrist into the weakest part of the stock under the receiver.

[browningautorifle]

There is some work left.

There's an understatement. Reminds me of one I bought back in about '95 for a woman that wanted to surprise her hubby by having his Krag 6.5x55 restocked. I got a replacement from Reinhart Fajen gun stocks and it was like this..."Some fitting required"...

[ssgross]

There's an understatement

no hurry. I'm happy to do it right, and it will look beautiful. I don't typically stain my military stocks...go straight for the raw linseed oil and let it mellow naturally. Might go to the hardware store and get some test pieces to experiment with.

[browningautorifle]

it will look beautiful.

Yep, it sure will. I only meant there's lots of woodwork left. I remember waiting for this stock and it had so much to do after. I was barely equiped and not much experience. Didn't know that once you free it up in one place the next would bind it. I sure didn't make much on that job. The guy got a nice Krag carbine after though.