Revelation 312 Western Auto Supply 12ga Bolt Action Project

[Andyshowfan]

I am currently in the middle of a "piddling" project on a Western Auto (pre '68). All online sources say its a Mossberg 395 but Mossberg 195 is more like the gun and the parts but I digress :) I've ordered a new magazine, magazine latch, angle bar, stock plate, and angle bar screws from numrich. The stock was/is in bad shape, cracked in a few places and unbeknownst to me, completely busted and screwed back together but done so pretty solidly. I am working on it and possibly going with desert tan with black webbing paint, leaving the barrel the "old brown" color. Initial investment $50

 

 

Before:

 

During:

 

 

 

 

 

[Andyshowfan]

Parts came in yesterday and after arguing with the numrich sales guy on the phone when I ordered (I stated I believed it to be a mossy 195, he was adamant it was a 395) I ordered the magazine, magazine latch for a 195 and to appease mr. know-it-all, the stock plate for a 395, well today I'm sending the stock plate back in exchange for a 195 stock plate. Everything else works. I have officially declared it is a Mossberg 195 series   

[Andyshowfan]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/34/hl5n.jpg/][/URL]

 

Krylon Webbing Spray "Lava Black"

 

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/820/tg1x.jpg/][/URL]

 

I used some old lite brite pegs for the safe/fire indicators. Anyone have ideas on how to make them "shine"?

 

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/43/nkrt.jpg/][/URL]

 

Ready for the hardware as soon as the rest of the parts come in.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Find some glow in the dark stickers and stick them on the back side. Using a LED to light them would be pretty straightforward as well.

[Westwindmike]

I was hoping that you were going to restore it. Now I see you are making a tactical bolt action shotgun. I don't care for it.

[Andyshowfan]

I was hoping that you were going to restore it. Now I see you are making a tactical bolt action shotgun. I don't care for it.

I wanted to do just that, but it was very cost prohibited. I enjoy fixing things and making them new again and would have loved nothing more than to have made this look just as it did when it first hit the shelves at a local Western Auto but the stock alone would have been right around $95 unfinished. The stock on the gun was too far gone to refinish the way I wanted. It actually looked as if someone ran out of bullets and beat someone to death with it. It was cracked, busted, and painted with some kind of hammered finished thick plasticoat crap, so in short,  I made due with what I had. My feelings are not hurt as I wanted the same as you Mike, but other than the color of the stock what makes it a "tactical"? Just to fill everyone in so far I've had to purchase a magazine, angle bar, angle bar screws, magazine latch, magazine stock plate and for my shooting comfort a recoil pad. So technically I will still have more in the gun than its worth even without a new stock.

[Andyshowfan]

Find some glow in the dark stickers and stick them on the back side. Using a LED to light them would be pretty straightforward as well.

I appreciate the thoughts, however I may have mislead everyone. I just want them to be glossy  :P

[Andyshowfan]

I got it put together but still waiting on the magazine stock plate and need to "fit" the recoil pad. After some thought I am going to re-blue the barrel as well. 

 

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/18/mzdu.jpg/][/URL]

[JAB]

Personally, I don't think it looks 'tactical', at all.  Instead, I think it looks classy - likely more classy than it did when new.  My guess (not being familiar with the model) is that this was what I would think of as a utility or maybe a field shotgun even when it was brand new.  To me, that is the cool thing about old, utility and field guns - they aren't anything 'special' in the overall world of firearms and you can get them at reasonable prices, especially if they are 'cosmetically challenged.'  Often, you could just shoot them as-is and not worry about dinging them up because they are already dinged up (with one or two exceptions, that has been my approach with the few that I have.)  Alternately, you can restore them to 'like new' status - but then all you really have is a 'like new' utility firearm.  To me, that works in some cases (depending on the design of the gun, the kind of wood, the figure in the wood and so on) but in other cases it doesn't really do anything exciting and the gun loses the 'character' it got from having seen some real use.  A third option is to do what you have done and do some light resto-modding so that the finished product keeps something of the spirit of the original while at the same time taking on a customized, personal look.  To my eye, what you ended up with looks a lot better than what you started with even if the stock hadn't been broken, etc.  In fact, I'd say you elevated it a bit above the 'utility' class of guns.  In that last pic, the stock almost looks like it was carved from a nice piece of marble or something.  I really like it.

 

Now for a question:  how did you get that 'webbing' look with the black paint.  Did you just go all 'Jackson Pollock' on it or is there some method to getting nice, even coverage?

Edited October 8, 2013 by JAB

[Andyshowfan]

Thanks for the kind words. I really like it myself. I used flat rustoleum tan camo for the base and Krylon "black lava" webbing spray http://www.walmart.com/ip/Krylon-Webbing-Spray-4-oz/24805159 which is tough to find other than online markets. I then applied 3-4 coats of clear matte finish. I am very pleased at the outcome. It is in all aspects a "utility" shotgun being worth no more than $150-175 at best in very good to ex condition I bought it originally for $50 and put about $60 in new parts and materials in it. The love was free :) The lite brite pegs were a friends idea when I found the original plastic indicators were sold out all the other parts other than the paint are OEM.

 

As far as a method on the webbing paint I actually put the can in some hot water, I read somewhere that for thinner webbing to do that and for thicker put it in the fridge. I then just kind of started about 12" from the end and from underneath in an upward angle pffffffftttttt in one fail swoop from one end to the other. I made 3 or 4 passes to get my desired look. At first, if you choose this, you will not like it. Let it sit for a few, it looks like you just squirted it with silly sting but it will "seat" in after a few minutes.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Andyshowfan

[broylz]

looks good :)

 

a rifled slug gun is on my want list.

 

ever google "12ga from hell"? might be the second half of this project...

[Andyshowfan]

Ty kind sir. I've not heard of that particular gun but will look into it, sounds intriguing.

[broylz]

to push others to look, I will say that he makes custom 3.8" slugs out of 50bmg cases with lathe turned rims added. gets 50bmg power from the beast too, if not better. and it would be legal everywhere as it still shoots standard shot shells if you really want so there is a "sporting use".

 

now if I could figure a way to get a turned barrel to match the 50 bmg twist rate and some sabots...

 

maybe a Mossberg "road blocker" brake...

[Andyshowfan]

I got the last part in the other day and finally got to shoot her for the first time yesterday. It functioned well, with just one small hiccup, it did not want to feed one shell. Seemed it wanted to "tilt" the front up too much and kind of "stove piped" it. I wondered if I were to bend the angle bar ever so slightly towards the butt of the gun it would tilt the front of the magazine enough to not effect it so much as to mess it up but to solve this issue? All in all it works like a charm but D**n!!!!! she kicks like a mad mule!

Edited October 21, 2013 by Andyshowfan