Project Mossberg

[tws3b2]

My new project is my son-in-laws Mossberg 42b bolt action 22 made from 1938 - 1941. It was his grand dad's gun. My son-in-law has had it around 30 years. It has a few problems but nothing that can't be fixed. One thing I can say about him is that he does not take care of anything. He has a few guns and you can tell he has never cleaned any of them. You cannot even see light through the barrel. No kidding, It's completely stopped up with dust, lent, dirt, whatever. I pushed a few patches with hopps9 , a few passes with a brass brush and a couple patches with wd40 and surprisingly it shined up pretty good. No rust or pits I can see. I'm not going to refinish stock or reblue the metal. There are a few dings in the wood and a couple scratches on the metal but nothing serious. I did find some light rust around the front and rear sights so I pulled them both off. I did take some fine wool with a little Wd40 and knock off the rust. You can see what I found. NO Blueing. I'm not a gun Smith or professional gun restorer but I have refinished, reblued a few of my own guns. I've never removed any sights before and not found the metal underneath blued. It looked to me that the sights were installed before bluing. Would Mossberg have done that? Has anyone seen that before?

 

[courtgreene]

I fixed one of those for a friend once. Could not find parts ANYWHERE. This is when you’re thankful for sheet metal stamped parts. It was easy to make my own.

once I got it shooting, it was shockingly accurate.

 

[tws3b2]

I fixed one of those for a friend once. Could not find parts ANYWHERE. This is when you’re thankful for sheet metal stamped parts. It was easy to make my own.

once I got it shooting, it was shockingly accurate.

I was lucky. I need trigger parts. Found the entire trigger assembly on eBay for $25. If I had to find my parts one at a time it would have been well over $60. If I could find them. Still looking for butt plate.

 

[troy fairweather]

You got the mag?

 

[courtgreene]

I think the part I had to make was an elevator, also I was wrong, it was a 46, not a 42.

 

[Merle1]

I was lucky. I need trigger parts. Found the entire trigger assembly on eBay for $25. If I had to find my parts one at a time it would have been well over $60. If I could find them. Still looking for butt plate.

https://www.havlinsales.com

try these guys - I've gotten parts for a M44US and a M46B from them

 

[tws3b2]

You got the mag?

Yes, got one mag.

 

[Scooter22]

Thats is interesting.It would have been blued and the sights installed. Besides the hot blueing would have gotten under the sights no problem. Looks like someone removed the sights and cleaned the metal up with steel wool then put the sights back on. Now you have the patina of rust and oil on the exposed areas. I have a bunch of old Mossberg .22s and never seen a good blued one missing under the sights. Your lucky to have the sights and mag. Those 3 parts would be about 125.00 plus. I can,t see the other side but it may have come with a No.4 receiver sight. That would be another 75.00 or so. Clean it up and use it. They are nice accurate rifles. I,ve used Vans cold blue to redo rifles and it comes out real nice. Havlins makes a nice scope side mount if you want to mount one. Good luck. You have a classic. Oh check out this place. Most correct info you,ll find on old Mossbergs anywhere.
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=51

 

[tws3b2]

Thats is interesting.It would have been blued and the sights installed. Looks like someone removed the sights and cleaned the metal up with steel wool then put the sights back on. Now you have the patina of rust and oil on the exposed areas. I have a bunch of old Mossberg .22s and never seen a good blued one missing under the sights. Your lucky to have the sights and mag. Those 3 parts would be about 125.00 plus. I can,t see the other side but it may have come with a No.4 receiver sight. That would be another 75.00 or so. Clean it up and use it. They are nice accurate rifles. I,ve used Vans cold blue to redo rifles and it comes out real nice. Havlins makes a nice scope side mount if you want to mount one. Good luck. You have a classic. Oh check out this place. Most correct info you,ll find on old Mossbergs anywhere.
https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=51

It's all there except the butt plate. I know about all the places to look but have had no luck so far.

 

[Skylerbone]

I found bottom metal on Gun Broker for my Mossberg manufactured Western Field and I recall at the time buttplates were available. A second on the Havlin scope mount. In fact if I were you, I’d offer to by him a new rifle in exchange for his Mossberg.