Rebuilding an old gun buried underground for 7 years

[Stay Sharp]

Then I turned to the fore grip wood and spring assembly.

There are still more applications of tung oil to be worked into the butt stock so I can't assemble the complete shotgun so I will turn my attention to building a remote means of test firing this old gun. I need to make a sled to hold the gun securely and a way to trigger it from about 60 feet away. Back to making sawdust.

Im down to the final 2 applications of tung oil on the butt stock so I am prepping the test firing sled.

The gun will be secure in foam and I can pull the trigger from 60 feet away while the video camera captures it all up close

 

[Stay Sharp]

The gun rehabilitation is complete. The stock is finished. Here it is sitting on what remains of the walnut beam if came from.

Here is a brief video that better shows the stock finish.

[video=youtube;NBGDF--DSyo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBGDF--DSyo&feature=youtu.be[/video]

The 2 ½ inch 16 ga shells arrived in the mail today. All I need is the weather to improve so I can test fire it. At any rate, here it is in its completed state.

 

[Stay Sharp]

 

[Stay Sharp]

I think its an improvement from the condition it was in for the last few decades.

The last phase it test firing. Here it is in the firing sled.

Here is a short video of how the trigger will be deployed from a distance.

[video=youtube;S2mjYXMR7lc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2mjYXMR7lc&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[Stay Sharp]

I put the Enders Royal Western in the homemade sled and it fired without issue. Like most test firings, it is rather uneventful (by design and how it should be). Here is a video of that test firing.

[video=youtube;RaU4gafb9IY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaU4gafb9IY[/video]

with this gun finished Its time to start the next one which involves a 1967 Ithaca model 66 Super single, buck buster, lever action 20 ga shotgun, an angry raccoon, lots of raccoon urine and a coffee can full of nasty gun parts. Time to stock up on rubber gloves for this restoration.

Ill start a new thread for that one.

 

[buckbull]

Wow, impressive. The gun is in better condition than it was new. Why would the gun be buried underground? Only thing that comes to my mind is that it was used in a crime.

 

[sigpros]

Wow. Waiting on the next one. This is better than tv

 

[Stay Sharp]

Wow, impressive. The gun is in better condition than it was new. Why would the gun be buried underground? Only thing that comes to my mind is that it was used in a crime.

It has to do with a rather unstable elderly farmer and his bout with depression when his only son went off to war. This farmer did make an attempt on his own life but was not successful. After returning from the service the firearms was retrieved from the place it was buried.

 

[Gr8bawana]

They say some people are a "jack of all trades" but you are a "master of all trades".

 

[go_deep]

Amazing, just amazing work!

 

[Stay Sharp]

They say some people are a "jack of all trades" but you are a "master of all trades".

Not really, I just dont quit (and I dont watch TV so I have extra time on my hands). I love a challenge and learning new skills. I have a few threads I will post of me trying to learn new (olden) skills. The joy is in the doing.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

The "blond" wood is sap wood. Usually not as hard as the regular, dark wood. There are several places where you can buy un inletted buttstocks. How much pitting is there in the barrel. I actually wouldhave expected the metal to be in worse condition than it is. Was the burlap impregnated with some kind of oil ?

Good project.

 

[Stay Sharp]

No, it was an empty feed sack that no doubt rotted away in the first year.

 

[luckynv]

Wow!! Great Job, this has me thinking about that old double Barrel Damascus, Hmmm. Thanks and God bless

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Wow!! Great Job, this has me thinking about that old double Barrel Damascus, Hmmm. Thanks and God bless

If you do restore a Damascus barreled shotgun, DO NOT SHOOT IT before having a gunsmith check it out. The Damascus barrels on most old shotguns are very suspect and could be pretty dangerous ......

Just sayin.............

 

[LCH]

One of the most enjoyable threads I've read in a long time. Great work.

 

[npaden]

Amazing! A LOT of hours went into that, both the actual restoration and the documentation along the way.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[sigpros]

There is a gun that looks just like this on gunbroker for $20 but the stocks are gone and it doesn't eject but the rest looks really good. Looks like you have enough walnut left to make another set of stocks.

 

[Stay Sharp]

I have plenty of Walnut. Lots and lots of Walnut.

 

[Arrowslinger]

Thread of the year!