A friend has an old High Standard HD Military .22 pistol that went through a fire decades ago. It's been sitting in a box ever since and now he wonders if it could possibly be salvaged.
He and the gun are several hours away so I can't look at it myself, but he says that there are patches of bluing remaining, the grips are either burned off or missing, and the main spring feels weak when he cycles the slide.
Yes, I know the textbook answer: scrap metal. Some loss of spring tension is a clear indication that it got too hot.
I also know the standard internet answer: Dont do it! U will blow urself up and die! You can't replace your exploded head! Danger Will Robinson! Run away! It must be destroyed, right now, or someone five generations from now will die and it will be your fault! etc., etc....
I knew I was likely to get more mature responses here from some experienced and knowledgeable people. What do you think? I'm cautious about this kind of stuff myself because I do have a basic understanding of metallurgy, but at the same time it's not a .30-06 or a .357 magnum. It's a heavy barrel .22lr. I ask the question respectfully- please don't beat me up too bad if it's a dumb question and you think it should be scrapped immediately, for posterity.