Having just read with Dr Finley’s article “Rust in peace “ in Junes Airgun world on bringing a friends HW77K back from the dead I thought some may be interested to hear about my latest project ( with a little help from a friend...) Exactly the same make and model of rifle but in far worse condition. My aim was to end up with a functioning, mechanically sound and reliable rifle regardless of aesthetics whilst spending as little as possible. Challenge set!
I acquired it locally after responding to an ad’ asking if anyone was interested in a project gun. To begin with I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew but decided to give it a go anyway and glad I did. The gun looked like it had been stored at the bottom of a pond for years with all the metalwork that lovely browny orange colour with a crumbly texture and the stock looking like a piece of driftwood that had just washed up on the beach. I set too stripping it down and to my delight discovered that the internals (barrel bore, piston, cylinder etc’) had escaped the fate of the rest of the gun and only needed light work so the game was on……………….
Luckily one of my friends at my rifle club has recently developed an interest in gun woodwork (carving/restoration and stock making) and he agreed to see what he could so he took the stock with me having given him free licence to anything he chose to do, including scrapping if beyond salvation. Seeing as my limit would have been to surf the net and find a replacement this was the best option.
With the stock in Toms capable hands I set too on the metalwork with all sorts of rust removal processes including citric acid (great for smaller items like back block etc’) belt sander, wire brush and more and fairly soon had shiny metal again. The rust had left a lot of rather bad pitting but hey ho, I wasn’t worried as the integrity of the parts hadn’t been compromised. The original spring was broken and obviously the seals were shot so ordered a standard service kit and when it came soon discovered the new springs are a smaller diameter so the original spring guide wouldn’t fit. Chatting up at the club again another friend offered to turn me up one so another problem sorted cheaply, magic.
A quick clean and polish of the internals saw it ready for assembly and testing which all went to plan so stripped it again while deciding how to finish the exterior. Seeing as I had set a budget of cheap as possible I decided just to go with a satin black rattle can. Not destined to be a shelf queen so that’ll do……..
Having had the stock for about 5 weeks Tom let me know it was done (he hadn’t had to scrap it after all but hoped I’d like the result ) and would have it with him next visit to the range so I pulled my finger out and got it all sprayed up and reassembled ready to be reunited that coming weekend. Saturday morning came and I was presented with a stock shaped parcel covered in birthday wrapping paper, nice touch mate, and I excitedly unwrapped the stock and WOW, we couldn’t believe it was the same lump of firewood he’d taken away a few weeks earlier. I then flipped it over and was amazed at the carving he’d put into the right-hand side, this boy has talent!!!!!
One last session in the batcave saw the two halves reunited at last, scope fitted and then a quick zero the next week up the club and I have a lovely showpiece to display and get out and about with on my permissions.
Just goes to show you can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
If I've got the hang then pix should be here......
http://imgur.com/a/s2iYn
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Originally Posted by Rooti McNote
