Float Pilot
Member
A few years ago I was at a moving sale and I saw the stock of a rifle sticking out of a trashcan. I pulled it out and discovered an Ithaca Model 49R repeater encrusted with mud and rocks. The house owner said it was a broken pellet gun his kids played with and he was throwing it out. The barrel and action were both packed with small gravel and hard mud. the stock had NO finish left on it and the metal parts that I good see were bare of any finish but rust.
So I tossed it into the truck and drove to the local car wash. $1.75 later I had blown the sand and rocks from the action and bore. Then I discovered it had no magazine internal tube assembly.
Later I soaked it in PB Blaster for a couple of days until the lever could be moved and pried some more stuck rocks from the feeding mechanism. Then it sat in my shop until a few weeks ago.
While working on another project I came across a 22 internal magazine tube for $3. It did not have a spring or follower. Plus it was a few inches too long.
So I cut the tube, refit the end cap / knurled knob and found a long spring at the furniture store for $2.50. Then I made a follower out of a plastic dart from one of the old toy sets my kids had left around here years ago.
Now it was a challenge to see if I could make it shootable for hardly any cash.
So I removed the stocks and wire-wheeled all the metal parts.
Then I coated them with the last bit from a can of barbecue spray paint.
Then I lightly sanded the stocks, which were white and coated them with a little Varathane stain that was left over from another project.
Then I needed to but a rear sight adjustment step since that was missing.
CASH Spent So Far:
Gun in found condition: FREE
Cleaning at car wash : $1.75
Mag Tube:....................$3.00
Mag Spring from curtains: $ 2.50
Rear sight adj step:........$3.00
Paint: Already an old can
Varnish: left-over residue
Oil and solvents: Maybe 50 cents used.
Total : just short of $10
I took it to the range a couple days ago to see if the scared up barrel would still shoot. The rocks and rust had not been kind.....
RESULTS AT 50 YARDS:
CCI Mini-mag Solids : 1,228 fps and a 1.0 to 1.5 inch group
WW Super X solids ; 1,344 fps and a HUGE group
Rem Yellow Jackets: 1,350 fps and a 1.0 inch group, (some feeding problems)
CCI- Velocitor 40gr: 1,335 fps and a 3.0 inch group
Federal Lightning: 1,279 fps and a huge group
CCI Mini Mag HP: 1,280 fps and a 2.0 inch group
CCI-Blazer ;........1,240 fps and a 3.0 inch group
CCI-Stingers HP....1,595 fps and a 3.0 inch group
Remington Viper solid: 1,388 fps and a 2.0 inch group
THIS WAS ME BLAZING AWAY THE WHOLE MAG AT 50 YARDS AS FAST AS I COULD CYCLE AND FIRE
So at least two loads will make a 1.0 to 1.5 inch group at 50 yards. Which is not bad considering the front sight blade has a ball shape on top which covers the entire black section of the target at 50 yards.
It is now the $10 truck gun.
So I tossed it into the truck and drove to the local car wash. $1.75 later I had blown the sand and rocks from the action and bore. Then I discovered it had no magazine internal tube assembly.
Later I soaked it in PB Blaster for a couple of days until the lever could be moved and pried some more stuck rocks from the feeding mechanism. Then it sat in my shop until a few weeks ago.
While working on another project I came across a 22 internal magazine tube for $3. It did not have a spring or follower. Plus it was a few inches too long.
So I cut the tube, refit the end cap / knurled knob and found a long spring at the furniture store for $2.50. Then I made a follower out of a plastic dart from one of the old toy sets my kids had left around here years ago.
Now it was a challenge to see if I could make it shootable for hardly any cash.
So I removed the stocks and wire-wheeled all the metal parts.
Then I coated them with the last bit from a can of barbecue spray paint.
Then I lightly sanded the stocks, which were white and coated them with a little Varathane stain that was left over from another project.
Then I needed to but a rear sight adjustment step since that was missing.
CASH Spent So Far:
Gun in found condition: FREE
Cleaning at car wash : $1.75
Mag Tube:....................$3.00
Mag Spring from curtains: $ 2.50
Rear sight adj step:........$3.00
Paint: Already an old can
Varnish: left-over residue
Oil and solvents: Maybe 50 cents used.
Total : just short of $10
I took it to the range a couple days ago to see if the scared up barrel would still shoot. The rocks and rust had not been kind.....
RESULTS AT 50 YARDS:
CCI Mini-mag Solids : 1,228 fps and a 1.0 to 1.5 inch group
WW Super X solids ; 1,344 fps and a HUGE group
Rem Yellow Jackets: 1,350 fps and a 1.0 inch group, (some feeding problems)
CCI- Velocitor 40gr: 1,335 fps and a 3.0 inch group
Federal Lightning: 1,279 fps and a huge group
CCI Mini Mag HP: 1,280 fps and a 2.0 inch group
CCI-Blazer ;........1,240 fps and a 3.0 inch group
CCI-Stingers HP....1,595 fps and a 3.0 inch group
Remington Viper solid: 1,388 fps and a 2.0 inch group
THIS WAS ME BLAZING AWAY THE WHOLE MAG AT 50 YARDS AS FAST AS I COULD CYCLE AND FIRE
So at least two loads will make a 1.0 to 1.5 inch group at 50 yards. Which is not bad considering the front sight blade has a ball shape on top which covers the entire black section of the target at 50 yards.
It is now the $10 truck gun.
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