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Post by madyareh on Mar 29, 2010 23:33:16 GMT -5
I recently came across a Model 8 35 cal in very dirty but undamaged condition. Got it for free. It looks like it worked hard most of its life but doesn't seem to have been shot a lot. The barrel is clean and the rifling is still distinct. It looks like it bounced around in a truck or scabbord a while. The rear stock is broken off at the mount, the forestock has been butchered and is cracked where it meets the receiver, the blueing is largely gone, the rear sight has the whole notch part broken right off after the tangs and it is seems to be missing the main action return spring that sits into the rear stock as the bolt doesn't return. Otherwise it seems to be all there and could be a good project. I'm totally new to these guns and gun rebuilding in general but have several vintage arms in my meagre collection. In addition to maintaining a fleet of vintage motorcycles and many other time and labour intensive hobbies and outdoor activities, I even work occasionally. I thought that this particular gun did not have a serial number as I assumed the "35" and a circled J on the lower area aft of the forestock was simply a repeat of the hand scribed "35 REM" on the top. After seeing serial number 59's picture with the serial number in the same area, the light came on, I realized the s/n and similar calibre were simply a coincidence and that I had a truly rare find. Before I discovered the serial number, I managed to remove the trigger action with the instructions from this and other sites and have started cleaning the internals up. (can you spell grunge?) It was a tough pull as the machining is real tight. Someone took their time making this one. I need some advice as to what to do next. Should I halt my overhaul? I'm not into disassembling the bolt assembly, I just gave it a once over in my varsol parts cleaner. Is this early antique worth a good chunk for its low s/n? Thanks Rob slickcity2010 at hotmail dot com
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Post by Hardrada55 on Mar 30, 2010 7:02:03 GMT -5
Saw the pix you posted on Pack's site. You got yourself quite a project there now, don't ya. I personally think that SN35 in 35 Rem is going to have some importance. Think about it....it's certainly from the first day of production of these fascinating firearms. Might have been touched by Browning himself. I personally think you ought to take your time, talk to some of the extremely knowledgeable guys on these forums and gradually put her back together. Restoration is a touchy subject with some folks. And restoration is so different from re-finishing. This is a gun that, in my humble opinion, deserves restoration. My personal preference is to own firearms that, if necessary, I could shoot. And I think in it's present condition, it's worth about what you paid for it. By the way, does it have the stripper clip guides milled into the back of the ejection port. Erich H. showed me a very early gun that lacked the stripper clip guides. Anyway, welcome to the forum. Please keep us posted on your experiences with this gun.
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Post by madyareh on Mar 30, 2010 12:04:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome. I'll post a raft of pictures of it onto photobucket. If you want, I can quickly tear it down to the bolt assembly level again and post specific detailed photos of any of the internals you might want. Just let me know which parts. I have a tear-down and rebuild procedure already and a detailed parts list. It really is a well built yet simple action. Marvelous in its simplicity.
I spent 20 years overhauling repairing and installing aviation instruments (gyros, altimeters and autopilots) as well as R&D for new designs of airborne surveillance equipment. I'm also a journeyman industrial instrument technologist and now acting as an instrument design engineer. I run a fleet of 6 mid 80's V4 Suzuki GV1200 Madura motorcycles in both 700 and 1200 caliber as well as a GV1400 Cavalcade and have rebuilt most of them down to the wheel bearings and carbs so getting this gun going is really not that much of a challenge. I also act as a moderator on our forum supporting these bikes. As you said though, doing it and doing it right can be two very different things. Thus far I just got it apart and gave it a scrub with a plastic bristle brush in the varsol tank and carefully lifted off the grime out of the crevices with a dull pin vice. I really should at least give it a spraydown with some LPS to protect the exposed metal in the interim but I wanted the parts cleanish and without a film of oil for pictures. I don't think it's ever really been taken apart before.
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