Remington model 10 refurb

[USAF_Vet]

So while my step dad is in Japan, I want to refurbish his old Remington model 10 trap grade shotgun. It's not in very good shape, lots of rust in the receiver and I don't know if it even fires. The receiver is worn practically to the white, and the stock is a little beat up.

I'd like to get it in working consolidation and have it refurbished. Is it worth the effort or is this better off as a wall hanger?

 

[Black Knight]

Not being able to see it, it is nearly impossible to say. I would send it to a competant gunsmith that you trust that specializes in this work. They should be able to tell you if it is feasible and how expensive it might be. Remember according to Remington this model was discontinued in 1929 so parts may be difficult to find. I commend you for your desire to refurbish his gun. It would make quite a Christmas present if it could be finished by then. Nice idea.

 

[USAF_Vet]

He gets back from Japan a few days before Christmas, and the refurb was the idea I had for the gift. I checked it, and the flapper cycles pretty well, and I'll see if it fires tomorrow. If it fires, all the needs a good cleaning and then the cosmetic refurbishment.

 

[Milkmaster]

The advice Black Knight gives is good. A lot has to do with heart. The cost doesn't really matter if it is a labor of love and you can afford it. A good gunsmith however, can make sure it is still safe to fire on a regular basis so that your Step Dad or anyone else is not injured. Afterwards you can do the cleaning and maybe replace a spring or two for your own investment in the gift. Safety first whatever you choose to do will pay in the end! Good luck with it!

 

[USAF_Vet]

I got it taken down and cleaned. Looks like it was dropped in the mud some decades ago. It's soaking in CLP overnight, but nothing looks too bad, aside from the complete lack of bluing. The fore end retention nut looks like it might have been brass plated at one point.

I'll shop around for a gunsmith who has experience in near hundred year old shotguns (if they are anywhere, they'll be in Michigan) and have him inspect it. The barrel is pitted in some spots inside, so I may be looking to invest in either a new barrel or have it sleeved. The bolt was frozen, but I managed to get it to release after a quick clean with some CLP and a nylon brush.

After talking to my mom, she thinks it belonged to his father. I have dated it to November of 1923. My step dad was born in '48, so that is likely.

He doesn't shoot much these days. And when he does its either his 870 or one of his 20 gauges. Getting old sucks. But I saw the look of his face when I bought some ammo for the Arisaka type 38 his father brought home from WWII. Shooting that rifle brought a smile to his face, and I'm sure brought back some memories. I'm hopin this old shotgun can do the same.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Oh yeah. As far as the restoration goes, I plan on doing much, if not all of it myself.

I've got some experience refinishing stocks and cold bluing steel. I did a lot if work on my M44, which was pretty rough when I bought it. So I am pretty confident in the cosmetics. But I'm no metallurgist, so having the receiver and barrel checked out is a must. But the receiver is solid steel, pretty heavy, and as a bottom ejector, should have a lot of structural integrity as long as the surface rust wasn't any deeper than it appeared.

It will need a new extractor spring, and Numrich is sold out. So hunting for one of those, but might end up having to make one. I'm a mechanic, with some decent fabrication experience, so nothing outside of my skill set.

 

[Milkmaster]

Pictures would be nice!

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've got some on my phone. I'll transfer to my computer and post them this evening.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Pics:

internals of the receiver after a spray down of CLP


Bolt assembly after removal. The hammer block was seized in the bolt.


Shoulder stock and trigger internals before cleaning



Receiver. As you can see, it has no finish left.


Barrel, also showing very little finish


Fore end wood and action rail




And the pile of parts as it sits as of last night:


Still need to pull the trigger assembly from the shoulder stock and get a good cleaning on that. Then I'll be hitting the stock and fore end with wood stripper and some fine grit sand paper before restaining and a coat of varnish.

I'll head over the the local gunsmith or three with the barrel and receiver and have those looked at for safety, then it'll all be reblued.

As I disassembled the magazine tube, I found a duck plug still installed. You can see it in the pile of gun parts picture, the red wooden dowel rod.

 

[USAF_Vet]

At some point in it's life, someone had it in a vise without padding, or tried to removed the barrel incorrectly (with a pipe wrench) and dinged up the barrel, magazine tube and breach block. I'll fill those spots up with a welder and file it down smooth again before the blue goes on.

Tonight it's getting a brass brush treatment. The Nylon brush knocked a bunch of the gunk down, but the brass brush will finish the job.

 

[Milkmaster]

Some of the pictures reveal edges and milled grooves in pretty good shape. Doesn't look worn out at all. I am loooking forward to seeing more.

 

[VAPOPO]

Please dont cold blue that old Remington. Have it done properly by someone with hot bluing tanks. A M44 is fine but that old gun probably has some real sentimental value for him and having it done right by you would only improve that.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I think I might polish the receiver rather than blue it. I'm still in the early stages if this refurb and kicking around ideas. It still has a bit of cleaning yet to do down in the deepest recesses, nooks and crannies. It'll probably get an acetone bath just to be sure it's completely clean.
I think a bright mirror finish rather than blue might look better. The finish on the barrel and magazine tube look okay now that it's cleaned up and I can actually see beyond the stains.

So if that is the route I take, then all I really need to do is replace the broken extractor spring and refinish the stock.

There are quite a few chrome shops in the area, too. Anyone ever have a shotgun receiver chrome plated?

 

[Jim Watson]

Polishing it out and leaving it in the white would be an invitation to rust.

"Chrome shops" doing bumpers are not skilled in the fine work needed on a gun.
An industrial hard chrome shop doing hydraulic cylinders might do better.
Neither is likely to have a license to work on a firearm.

A standard blue, not too shiny, would be simple and appropriate to the gun.

I would think twice about trying to weld up the wrench marks. Warpage is a problem when welding on finished parts. Not to mention the risk of burning through a thin piece like a barrel or magazine.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I didn't think about licensing. The shop we use rechromes industri tooling among other things, not relative to the auto industry. But licensing would be an issue.

Back to the idea board. Having it hot or salt blued would cost more than the gun is actually worth, and more than I have to put toward it. Cold bluing is probably the way to go with this unless there is something to coat the metal to prevent rust after it has been polished.

The Mosin M44 I have was practically in the white, not much better off than this old Remington. I think cold bluing will turn out as good, if not better than my M44.

It's not my first gun refurb, so I'm not exactly treading into unknown territory, I just want this gift to be special. Hence me second guessing my own ideas.

As it stands, I've got a lot of work ahead before I get to the point of putting on the finish. I've got til Christmas, so I'm not rushing anything.

 

[Jim Watson]

You could polish it and apply a clear coat.
Brownells Aluma Hyde is available in clear and would probably do for a gun to be used only a little.

My gunsmith has done some whole-gun work with Oxpho-Blue and it looks pretty good.
It is a more involved process than just touchup, and more work than just slathering on some regular cold blue, but it surprised me how good it looks. I have not shot one of the guns so treated enough to tell how durable it is, but see above.

http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-113 Bluing Booklet.pdf

Go down past the Oxynate 7 (hot blue) instructions to the Oxpho-Blue section and read the part Professional Overall Bluing Technique. I assume that is what my guy does.