Project Rifle - Savage Model 3 22

[4570guy]

Call me a sinful man, but I refinished an old Savage Model 3. These little rifles were made in the 1930s. There doesn't appear to be any market for these little guns (ask me how I know), so I decided to experiment with it and turn it into a project rifle that my boys can enjoy target shooting with. See the before and after pics. As you can see, the original blue finish had all turned brown and was very thin. I completed the following:


Stripped and re-blued all metal
D&T'd receiver for Lyman target sight
Installed Lyman globe sight
Bedded stock


I chose to leave the stock as it was. There were a few minor dings in it, but I thought this added character and is a part of the history of this little rifle. I just touched it up with a couple coats of Tung Oil.

I'm sure the real gunsmiths on this forum will call me a "bubba", but I had fun with this little project and learned a few things - mainly how to rust blue steel:drinks:

[Johnch]

Looks nice
Like the globe and peep

But as I grow older
A scope is sure nice



But I have to ask
Before you started your project
It was a decent shooter .....right ?

As I have seen guys spend big $ and lots of hours turning a ugly abused *** rifle that shot patterns
Into a pretty *** that still shot patterns

John

[Bret4207]

Nothing wrong with that. Those were fine little rifles.

[4570guy]

It didn't shoot all that well -- fair, but not great. I tried to sell the rifle and then changed my mind and decided to turn it into a project that I could give to my twin boys. It was intended to be more of a learning project for me than anything else. I haven't shot it yet (after re-finishing), but I figure the stock bedding and the addition of the peep sights should improve the groups. The bore is excellent. There wasn't much I could do with the trigger because of the way it is mechanized. However, a good cleaning and oiling did smooth things up in that department some.

[leftiye]

Polish your sear surfaces. Hey, we have these thangs so that we can have fun with them. "It's mine, and I like it thataway." Enjoy!

[4570guy]

That's just it - there are no "sears" per-se in the trigger of this rifle. Its a pretty crude trigger mechanism with a notch that catches against the face of the striker on the bolt. That's all there is - nothing to polish and adjust.

[jameslovesjammie]

Nothing wrong with that! My dad restores H&R M48 single shot shotguns. You know...the ones you find in every pawn shop for $25 that have been rode hard and put away wet. Why does he do it? Because he likes to.

[4570guy]

I've been giving some thought to doing just that for those cast-off rifles found in pawn shops. I'm sure you can't get rich doing this given the labor hours put into each restoration, but you can sure have some fun doing it:)

[Storydude]

Doing exactly this is how I kep myself sane. :drinks:

[4570guy]

Now I just need to convince the wife that this will be a project worth my time and energy. She'll say, but what about all the house-hold projects I asked you to do?[smilie=1:

[roadie]

Looks like a good job on the Savage and thats what counts to me. I've done more then a few, most were pretty sad looking when I got them, no collector value but when I did it for a living, there were a couple of jobs brought to me that would bring tears to a collector's eyes, damn near did to mine.
The sad part is, when the owner won't trade the thing off, and you know if you don't do it he'll take it down the road to the butcher and lil Jimmy needs shoes, well then that gun is doomed. All you can do is the best job possible within the constraints placed on it.

And you learned how to rust blue, learning is never a bad thing.

roadie

[Molly]

>Call me a sinful man, but I refinished an old Savage Model 3. These little rifles were made in the 1930s. There doesn't appear to be any market for these little guns (ask me how I know), so I decided to experiment with it and turn it into a project rifle that my boys can enjoy target shooting with.

Nice work. I have a hobby of the same thing: Pick up a cheap 22, rework it to look nice, and give it to kids (or officially to their parents) who manange to pass a simple marksmanship and safety course. Mention free guns at the local scout troop or church group, and the kids crawl out of the woodwork. It's how I contribute to the continuation of the shooting sports, and you'd be amazed at the single moms who want some male bonding for their kids.