CeraKoting a heirloom moral dilemma....

[jbett98]

Try some soaking some Kroil on the blued barrel overnight. It will work wonders on the light rust. The case coloring looks good to go.
I would use an orange citrus paint stripper and Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil on the stock.
Try sprucing it up yourself, it's worth a try.

 

[edogg]

This is the way I'm leaning. A decent reblue and refinish. I want to use this gun and I want to protect it.

I would probably refinish it and clean it up, too.

My dad recently passed down my great-grandfather's Marlin 30-30 that he homesteaded with in Oregon in the late 1800's. When my dad inherited it, he decided to reblue it. Since it's a rifle that's never leaving the family and the bluing was pretty worn after 100 years, my dad wanted to clean it up and bring it back to its former glory.

From a collector's value point of view, it's not worth as much and I don't care. Now I have a rifle that my great-grandpa hunted deer with in a condition where I can do the same. I never intend on selling the rifle so collector's value means squat to me. I never met my great-grandpa but I know my grandpa and my dad are like Boondocks in that they always take care of their tools. So they'd appreciate this kind of treatment.

On the flip side, I inherited my friend's Winchester model 94. His dad passed it along to me after my friend died from cancer. I know that my friend and his dad are traditionalists and wouldn't refinish a classic rifle (this one is from 1956) and they kept it in great shape. Like my Marlin, this one is also never leaving the family. So I hit it with some Old West Snake Oil and am going to keep it in original condition. Because that's what they would have done with it.

 

[orygun]

Never, Never mess with, sell or modify a family heirloom or hand me down firearm. You will regret it every time you shoot it!

Your grandpa put the wear into it, wore the blue in spots, scratched it. Coat it and you wont see all that anymore and it may not mean as much. If it were mine, I would find another rifle.

I have to agree with these guys. While everyone is different and feels differently about things like this, I have some experience to speak from.

My grandpa was not a "gun guy", but had some. They all went to Dad when he passed away. Dad didn't care that I refinished the old, worn, beaten Winchester 94 (1918) or the Spenser shotgun, but now that I'm much older (this was 30+ years ago) I care. The Winchester would never have been worth a ton because of it's hard use, but it was an honest gun. The Spenser? Even in perfect shape they aren't worth much, but the only one to have used that gun was Grandpa. I screwed up a finish that he created. This is probably the gun like your Savage. Not worth a ton, but a good shooter. I wish that I could look at the marks Grandpa put on that gun and wonder what/how he did that. Adding to the "patina" would be an honorable thing, in my opinion.

Use it. Oil it. Wonder where it's been and done. Just don't f-ck with it.

 

[Spitpatch]

Two routes here are viable in my opinion:

1) Clean the gun thoroughly, and remove the rust (Kroil or CLP and VERY light steel wool or denim). Then protect the gun with a coating of Johnson's Paste Wax, well polished off (on both the wood and the metal). Then make a mission out of going out and killing something with it in memory of its former owner. While carrying it, imagine the circumstances that produced each and every "noble scar" on its surface. Your Grandfather will be at your shoulder.
.
2) Invest time and money to PROPERLY restore the gun to its original condition. Then embark on the above mentioned mission. The noble scars will be gone, but Grandfather would be proud that you took the time and expense to make his gun new again.

I prefer option #1. Above all, do NOT commit sacrilege to the heirloom. As a collector of the 24's, I have learned they are a unique and useful gun that equip the hunter to instantly adjust to any game in any situation. This is the precise reason the gun WAS your Grandfather's pickup-truck gun. He knew there was no situation in which he would need anything else.

Properly restored, the gun is quite valuable and sellers can almost name their price for a good 24. Walk around a gun show with one on your shoulder, and the dealers will knock over their own tables to get to you.

In its current "rough but serviceable" condition, and with consideration to where it came from, the gun should be priceless to you.

 

[TwinStick]

After seeing the pics, I think it's actually in pretty good shape and I agree with the above. Try to remove the rust without wearing out the bluing. Oil or wax it to preserve it's current state and to keep it from getting worse. The wood I would refinish. Remove the top layer with a liquid sand or orange stripper then recoat with a tung oil mix. (using 100% tung oil will take days+ to dry before a second coat can be applied)

I've had to do just this to 3 of my heirloom rifles from the 20's, 30's and 1949 that unfortunately weren't cared for during the last few decades.

 

[jluck]

Talked with my brother today about this. His suggestion was also to re-blue and refinish the wood. I am still leaning this way but still going to check out the local place that "produces" AR's that come cerakoted, They Cerakote other stuff too. I saw one gun done that was very nice and not at all "painted" looking, I thought it was quite classy looking and unexpected.

I am also shopping for a "C" series sliding but plate to keep spare ammo and things in. I will also be getting chamber adapters for 223 to 22 hornet, 223 to 22 cal pellet and 223 to 22lr/mag all to keep in the stock. I will be replacing the crap scope with the Zeiss Diavari 3-9 that came with my Steyr project, Also I will have a co-witnessed peep sight.

 

[Spitpatch]

In a final effort to spare a good gun from what I would consider butchery, I will advise that Savage has a new version of the 24 that is every bit as hog-ugly as your fine 24 would become under the manure pile (in this case, applied to this gun) of Cerakote. This new model has everything you seek I believe, including the trapdoors for various cartridges and gadgets.

Fix up Grandad's Old Reliable to presentable condition, sell it to someone who will keep it whole, and go buy the new version: On second thought, I must apologize to the entire porcine race for comparing this new gun's appearance to them. Doing so is an insult to pigs.

As to optics, a 3x-9x is completely inappropriate, especially for a "bug-out" application as you seek, and more directly toward the calibers involved. The best scope for this over-under is a 1x-4x or 1.5x-5x variable: light and versatile enough to even wingshoot with the scope still attached (at the lowest power setting). Wingshooting with a low power scope on a Model 24 takes only a short time to master, and is really quite fun when such is achieved. Invest in a set of Leupold QRW rings, and you will still be able to utilize your fine buckhorns supplied originally on the 24, and instantly install your reliable scope to reliable repeatability.

You may be disappointed with initial accuracy of the centerfire rifle barrel on a 24, if you try to shoot a decent group by firing 3 to 5 consecutive shots. The secret with these guns for good groups on paper is to shoot once with a stone-cold barrel, leave the bench and then return only after the barrel is stone-cold once more. Then these guns group quite nicely: it has to do with the precarious suspension of the rifle barrel over the shotgun barrel, separated and with a barrel-band (like yours) or a welded lug (in the earlier version.

This strategy, discovered with working on multiple 24 centerfires makes perfect sense: in reality and practice the gun is actually a single-shot. I do not consider the propensity to string out subsequent shots from a warm barrel a fault with this special-purpose versatile gun. Extremely rare would be the real-world situation in which that upper barrel is ever fired twice.

This advice is only gathered from 48 years with the 24. You may well consider it worth precisely what you paid for it.

 

[jluck]

In a final effort to spare a good gun from what I would consider butchery, I will advise that Savage has a new version of the 24 that is every bit as hog-ugly as your fine 24 would become under the manure pile (in this case, applied to this gun) of Cerakote. This new model has everything you seek I believe, including the trapdoors for various cartridges and gadgets.

Fix up Grandad's Old Reliable to presentable condition, sell it to someone who will keep it whole, and go buy the new version: On second thought, I must apologize to the entire porcine race for comparing this new gun's appearance to them. Doing so is an insult to pigs.

Yea, Yea... I get it. and no this gun will be forever buried in the safe and passed down if I don't "restore" it. If I did buy the new Savage model 42 I would more than likely fire it only once, In to my own head. I don't care for them either in other words.

I do appreciate your candid input and like I said, A nice simple restore/clean up is most likely.

 

[Spitpatch]

What a relief! My direct approach is often ill-received. You saw some value in it, and for that I am grateful (and happy for the gun).

 

[jluck]

Took rifle out for a function test yesterday (It had been many years). Even with the fogged up golden antler scope I managed a nice little three shot group with two bullets in nearly the same hole. This was only at 25 yards but I will be happy if it shoots 2MOA or less. I know these are not known for superb accuracy. Off to get citrus stripper....

Oh yea... I also Ebay scored a vintage see through scope base/ring combo that should work nice on this project.

 

[jluck]

Progress Pics





BEFORE

 

[Spitpatch]

Looks like she's on her way to salvation!

What are you using for finish? Seems pretty thick and shiny. Lacquer dip? (Noted the "dipsticks" attached).

As to "see thru" ring mounts, although they seem to solve the "irons/optics" selection process, I find they elevate the scope above the comb so much as to interfere with a natural, swift and comfortable mounting of the gun for the shot. In addition, a cheekbone that high off the comb will magnify recoil to a painful level (not a concern with .223 of course, but with a full-house 3 inch 20ga Magnum it is not to be ignored). It's your gun and your funeral (in the case of a belt to the cheekbone), but I prefer the QRW "low" rings on the Weaver base, or even standard weaver rings with the big release knobs. Amazingly repeatable when re-attached (although in experiments the QRW's are better). The choice of optics or irons is very most often confronted prior to the hunt, or during the course of the hunt with changing conditions. Rarely (if ever) is that choice presented at the precise moment of the shot itself. Also, if the choice for irons is preferred, trimming the gun for portability and snap-shot quickness to the point is facilitated greatly by the removal of the scope.

I watch with interest and admiration your project. Another "Business Rifle" back in business.

 

[jluck]

Looks like she's on her way to salvation!

What are you using for finish? Seems pretty thick and shiny. Lacquer dip? (Noted the "dipsticks" attached).

As to "see thru" ring mounts, although they seem to solve the "irons/optics" selection process, I find they elevate the scope above the comb so much as to interfere with a natural, swift and comfortable mounting of the gun for the shot. In addition, a cheekbone that high off the comb will magnify recoil to a painful level (not a concern with .223 of course, but with a full-house 3 inch 20ga Magnum it is not to be ignored). It's your gun and your funeral (in the case of a belt to the cheekbone), but I prefer the QRW "low" rings on the Weaver base, or even standard weaver rings with the big release knobs. Amazingly repeatable when re-attached (although in experiments the QRW's are better). The choice of optics or irons is very most often confronted prior to the hunt, or during the course of the hunt with changing conditions. Rarely (if ever) is that choice presented at the precise moment of the shot itself. Also, if the choice for irons is preferred, trimming the gun for portability and snap-shot quickness to the point is facilitated greatly by the removal of the scope.

I watch with interest and admiration your project. Another "Business Rifle" back in business.

I used Varathane HD (sp?) Sprayed on with a automotive spray gun. The finish is curing and still looks a mile deep but doesn't fill the chekering the way the photos look. The wooden dowels aid with sanding and finishing without touching the raw wood thus contaminating it. It worked extremely well too.
I heed the warning with the see through rings and still am on the fence there. I may just go open irons. I have more and more trouble seeing blade rear sights and have been exploring some peep sight options.
Your input is appreciated.

 

[jbett98]

Redfield made a peep set-up that locked into the grooved receiver. Works like a charm, but needs a slightly higher front sight.
Along with the peep sight, Redfield supplied a spacer that raised the from sight. Made of aluminum.

 

[jluck]

I will look into it, thanks.

 

[xlsbob]

not a bad looking piece of wood you have there either. It's always cool to see what's under years of neglect.

 

[Spitpatch]

Redfield made a peep set-up that locked into the grooved receiver. Works like a charm, but needs a slightly higher front sight.
Along with the peep sight, Redfield supplied a spacer that raised the from sight. Made of aluminum.

Yes. My father had this Redfield dovetail peep on his .22 WMR over 20. I tried to find one when I got my own in same caliber(s). A rare bird I could not locate. Then I stumbled on what I believe was a Williams peep for a round receiver gun (Springfield '03?), and had the thick-walled 20ga barrel drilled and tapped for this sight. (Holes in the side, just as it might have been for the Springfield). This was a perfect arrangement, requiring no front sight change. Somewhat bulkier than Dad's fine Redfield on the dovetail that worked so well, but more easy and precise to adjust. As I recall, NO alteration of front sight was necessary on Dad's gun with the Redfield. This gun, purchased new in 1965 was my introduction to the 24's. Silver receiver with fox and quail engravings, gold trigger, rifle barrel welded solidly to the shotgun barrel at full length, resulting in bull-barrel stability and accuracy for the rifle. Quite possibly the epitome of the 24's development.

 

[jbett98]

A "Williams 5D" is what your describing Spitpatch.
The Williams web site has it marked as described below.
Drilling and tapping would be required.

1387 5D-22/410 with Shotgun Aperture(3/8X.093)
For the .22-410, 20, etc. over and under Savage or Stevens. (With Shotgun Aperture) $41.95

 

[jluck]

not a bad looking piece of wood you have there either. It's always cool to see what's under years of neglect.

I was pleasantly surprised myself.

 

[jluck]

Progress pic.