koger
12-19-2018, 04:15 PM
Yester day a guy came by, needing money, and wanted to sell me a trapdoor Springfield. I looked it over, had a nice brown thick patina, except on the lock and the breech, just a thin patina with a trace of blue and case showing. I looked down the bore with a lite, dark for the most part, but I could see some shine along with some rust. The Buffington sight looked good, was frozen up, something Kroil could take care of with a generous soaking. I asked him was this his dads old gun, he answered in the affirmative. I remembered shooting it 25 years ago with some of my home rolled BP loads, and loading him up 50 with his old brass. I asked him what he wanted for it, he said he had been asking $400, but had no takers, and would I be interested in it at $300. I paid him hastily, and he left in a hurry. I took it out to the shop, and sprayed the inside with foaming bore cleaner, let it soak till gone, the started scrubbing, with a brand new brush, and Hoppes #9. After about 1/2 an hour, I swabbed it out with oily patches till they turned from brown to black/grey looking. Dropping the bore light down it, showed 80% of the bore was bright and shiny with the last 6 inches showing some light rust. I took some 220,330, and 600 firelapping compound and rolled some soft lead slugs between 2 files, then coated 3 slugs in each grit, and loaded them with 14 Grs. of Unique. Took them out and shot them in the field at 120 yds, shot pretty good, just over what I was shooting at. I came back in, swabbed the barrel again and when I checked the barrel, only two 1/4 inch spots had some rust left. I put a 50 brush on the rod, and scrubbed the heck out of the last few inches of barrel, till I wore the brush out, then put some 600 firelapping compound on a patch, scrubbed it good, oily patch, then repeat with the compound. After doing this 3 times, running an oily patch down the bore and coming out looking pretty good, I dropped a light down the bore and was rewarded with seeing a bright shiny bore with 3 very light pits, but all the rust I had seen previously was gone, having been built up on the bore, not pitted at all. I wish the exterior of the barrel was in better shap, the last 2 inches has some heavy pitting on the outside, and the buttplate has some heavy pitting, along with a crack in the wood between the last 2 barrel bands, but all the wood is there, just looks like a grain crack, has all the sling swivels also. The stock is very solid, not doughty or oil soaked, and in overall very good shape for its age. By the way, what do you do to get the cleaning rod out of the stock, it is loose and will turn. Just thought I would share this with you guys, all feedback welcome!