Blasphemy?

[Caster]

Did some trading this afternoon and look at the mangy old mutt that followed me home! An Ishapore 2A 7,62.

Now, I for one hate the bubba gunschmitts that hack up old war horses. I don't much care for refinishes either, they ruin the story the old rifle has to tell. BUT, here's my dilemma. The wood (to me) looks great. A little freckling from mold on the butt, but nothing some pledge and an old rag won't scrub off. The metal......oh my God. They have slathered this thing with paint and I swear I think they used a 4 inch brush and quart of oil based black. Basically, it looks like doodoo. It's so bad that the adjustable rear sight won't slide. I'm going to break the whole rifle down in the morning and strip the metal with a wire brush on an air grinder. I can do that without removing any metal at all. I really don't want to, but this is really bad, I wish the pic did it justice. Am I wrong for doing this? What should I refinish with? I'm thinking of using a black etching primer and a light coat of gloss black so it will look like similar, but better than original.

I had one of these before and I let it slip away like a fool. It was a hack job sporter. This one being original for the most part; It ain't going anywhere. It's going into the pass out stash for any little lieutenants I adopt WTSHTF.

[bajabuc]

Well...they didn't come from the factory painted...

[quietguy]

Sounds like you have a choice to make. Go full bore new age, or restore. it. I would restore if practical, but go nuts on a conversion if that wasn't practical.

[bajabuc]

Well...they didn't come from the factory painted...well...the newest ones did..

[Caster]

Sounds like you have a choice to make. Go full bore new age, or restore. it. I would restore if practical, but go nuts on a conversion if that wasn't practical.

Conversion isn't an option to me, I hate sporterized stuff. I've been looking at some Duracote in black. I'd have to buy an airbrush but it would look better than a rattle can job. I think I'll clean the bore and go shoot it first. The level of accuracy will dictate the amount of effort I put into making look better.

[Mike]

Caster, if i remember correctly the Enfields that saw service in India were painted black. I'd do some research before I stripped it.

Mike

[peejman]

If it's been "bubba'd" then I'd be inclined to restore the whole gun to "as issued" condition. No sense just doing the metal.

Though, as Mike mentioned, I'd do my homework first.

[Mike.357]

I have seen others that look just like yours.

Do what Mike said.

[LagerHead]

If it turns out to be non-standard paint, you can't make it look any worse or worth any less.

[Caster]

Well, this paint is SOOOO bad, I had to strip it. It was so bad, I couldn't read the numbers, proofs, or anything. The serial number and importer areas had been scrubbed a bit to make them out. The rear sight was a glob and NOT adjustable. I had to scrap paint away to get the magazine out! I didn't know paint could have such adhesive qualities.

I have decided what I'm going to do though. Nothing. Yup. I have all the paint cleaned off and there's (I would guess) 45-50% of the blueing still there. It looks aged and well used but not rode hard and put up wet. The bore is soaking in Montana Extreme solvent now. I'll get some pictures later this evening. I'm really glad to not have to rattle can this thing. Looks to me now, like it's saying "Yeah, I been there, done that, what's next? I'm ready go." Bore has no pits or rust and the rifling is very strong. (kinda shocked)

It's a shame I don't have any good ammo for it. I could run some 308 through it, but I'm not going to. I have about 500 rounds of Indian 7,62 (gag) and another 1K Israeli but I hate to break the seal on it. I think I'll just scrape me up a 100 pieces of brass, fire form them and neck size only.

[Caster]

Here it is. I left it out in the sun for a while, flipping it back and forth in an effort to get some of the cosmoline out of the wood. Not too much, but enough to keep it from bleeding on me at the range.

[Caster]

I'm pretty taken back by the bore. It took no more than a dozen patches and a few passes with a brush to get it gleaming! I got out of casting rifle bullets, but I'm thinking this one might get me back into it. This would be a great candidate for some really heavy (200g+) hard cast bullets.

I wish this stupid spell check would stop correcting me when I spell B O O L I T S! Bullets have jackets, B o o l i t s don't.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Caster
Spell check is stupid!

[NRA]

0

Here it is. I left it out in the sun for a while, flipping it back and forth in an effort to get some of the cosmoline out of the wood. Not too much, but enough to keep it from bleeding on me at the range.

good call I love the old battle rifles just the way they are supposed to be. If only they could talk.