Can anything be done to a pitted barrel?

[Whitman31]

Hey guys, I've been thinking about a summer project. I've got an old Winchester shotgun, I think it's a model 37. I was thinking it would be a good novelty gun to take to the trap range. Ideally, I'd like to re-finish it to a new-like condition. Due to some cracks I'll probably build new stocks for it, I'd also like to add some length and size to the fore-end.

My problem is that it was a barn gun, meaning grandpa kept it in the milk house for a few decades. It's severely pitted. After a few weeks in an oil bath everything is free and functioning, but the finish is really bad. Is there anything that works to fill pits? In a perfect world I'd like to be able to have it blued, but I know I need a great surface finish to that to look decent.

Any advice would be nice, it's not what I would call an heirloom piece, it has very little sentimental value to me so I won't disregard anything.

Thanks,

 

[stan rose]

You could fill the pitting with a metal filler or epoxy and use a durakote or similar product, bluing or parkerizing will not work to fill pitting though.

 

[NCsmitty]

I concur with stan rose, clean the metal and fill the pits and wipe with brake cleaner, then lightly coat with one of the gun coatings, and it will look great, or at least much better than when you started.


NCsmitty

 

[Whitman31]

Can I fill the pits, polish to a nice smooth finish, then Blue? Or will the blueing show up differently on the filler material than the original steel?

 

[rcmodel]

Nothing you can fill it with except steel will accept bluing.

DuraCoat is your best bet.
They make a filler you can use first.
http://www.lauerweaponry.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=915

Your only bluing option is a course sandblast and then hot blue.
It will mask or blend the pitting to some extent so it isn't as noticable.

rc

 

[stan rose]

Think of it as finding that classic American muscle car of your dreams, only reason its being sold is because of body damage. You have three choices:
-Fill with BONDO, sand and paint (filler and durakote)
-Roughen up all surrounding body parts to match the damaged section and paint (sand blast and hot blue/parkerize)
-Replace the damaged rocker panels, quarter panels etc. (get a replacement barrel)
If it were mine I would probably opt for choice one, but if you tried the second method and didn't like the looks you could always go back to option one.

 

[chrisf8657]

This is something I have kind of wondered with the Nagant revolvers - barrels are not made anymore -- well, actually, nothing of that gun is made anymore....but the surplus guns you get say "possible pitting due to corrosive ammo used by the Russians" on J&G sales website...and I'm sure it's the same for all Nagants and other guns like to OP's Shotgun....

I'll follow this thread with interest...

 

[rcmodel]

The corrosive ammo pitting they are talking about is inside the bore, not on the outside like the OP's shotgun.

rc