Would be nice if We could comment here on Paul's thread regarding 'Rolling Block Refurbishing Project' thus keeping the original thread 'clean' - just a thought...

Was thinking that you could make a plug for the barrel to avoid crush if you want to save it! Then again you might have summat else in store for the action!!!

I just saw your thread. I'll put a note in the original thread http://thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15825 to comment here. I think it's a good idea as long as it doesn't get confusing. I'll number the pictures so we can reference them easier.

Paul

Gitano,

           The quality, or lack of it, reminds me of the Indian Snider .577" I acquired. I never did much with it as the workmanship left me with an uneasy feeling. Somehow i could not bring myself to have any trust in it.

Hello BH.

I wouldn't disagree with the comparison, but I don't have any "trust" issues. I never had any plans for anything 'substantial' in a chambering. At the moment, I'm hardly thinking about a barrel let alone a chambering. The only cartridge I have given ANY thought to is the 8x.357 Max, with the intent to keep it subsonic or in the 'teens. The .30-30 (or .30-40 Krag or .303 Brit) necked to .25 is a thought. I find some of the "Hornets" interesting, but they seem a little small for this action. Even 8x.357 Max is on the small end of the "size" spectrum. Heck, if the barrel comes off without damage AND takes the 'blacking' well, this thing might stay a 16 ga. I like 16s.

I would add that photography, especially flash photography, usually makes "rust" look worse than it is. The crudeness of the components however, is not "enhanced" by flash photography. What looks crude, is.

I have two other RB actions - one Remington and one Husqvarna. This exercise is primarily to 'test out' the procedures I will employ when I build on those other two better actions.

Paul

I fully realize that this may be an exercise in 'putting lipstick on a pig'. The question is: If I do, will anyone want to dance with the pig?

Paul

Great project Paul.   I admire your efforts completely and look forward to its` completion.   As to dancing with a pig..........      I hardly see it as a pig, it is a piece of Americana or a piece of history which I think deserves preservation.  As the saying goes......   It is what it is.  Comparing it`s `quality` to other manufactuerers` is only subjective.  I believe a Model T  is just as important or significant  as a Stutz Bearcat.  It is a project that you can take pride in........ whether someone else thinks so or not.  I look forward to your future posts and pictures.    
 
  JaDub

I agree for the most part, JaDub. It's just that when I hold all three actions side-by-side, the "odd man out" is easy to see. On the other side of the coin, ALL of these old firearms I hold to my shoulder seem SO MUCH better than today's arms. They come RIGHT to my eye, and fit like a glove. The drop at heel and comb are a bit lower than I like, and make felt recoil a little worse than those with less drop. However, when shooting the cartridges for which they were built AND at pressures and velocities for which they were built, recoil isn't really an issue.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Now it's off to the shop to see if I can get that barrel off.

Paul

Lip stick on a pig. Reminds me of a girl I knew in high school and took to a couple dances.

I'm with jadub on this one. It may not be all that well built "up close" but the hand cut knurling on the breach block and the hammer are I think very cool. The wood looks very nice.

If it was mine? I'd put a 38-55 barrel on it and enjoy.

RJ

:smiley:Paul I'm sure you're going to do an outstanding job on this, looking to see more...............Ron

Could've saved a little sweat with some early file work #'s 20a-e show some scarring that would appreciate a little file attention before the abrasives.

Oh, one small tip to save the metal saw bed from abrasives - use a sheet of glass!
Works well if you want to make a grinding slurry and need summat to put it on + it's cheap!

I would mention , felt or muslin wheel with a black emery bar, really does a job on rough castings of brass and silver, the bars are available through lapidary supply dealers, as are high quality felt and muslin wheels.
There are a number of bars available, white rouge and red rouge are some of the most useful.
I was looking at the threads, any idea what profile they are?
They do not look like US, metric or whitworth, at least to me.
I can just see the Swedes pinning a barrel in the action.
Suppose this is from outer Mongolia or goatastan?

Thanks for the suggestions fellows.

I'm not too worried about the saw table with wet/dry paper. It doesn't even wet the back side. That said, I use 'float' glass as backing for wet/dry sandpaper that I use to sharpen chisels, so the same would be a good idea for this.

I tried filing first. The receiver is at least case hardened if not through-and-through. Would have required an effort with a file that if mis-applied would have lead to a worse problem.

I've got those sticks of abrasives, Don. I'll probably use them when I get 'close'. For now, there is some serious 'leveling' and 'facing' to do. I briefly considered face milling but figured that the setup for the precision I would demand would be more work than the sanding is, AND ONE, SMALL, error with milling and the whole thing could be ruined. An "oops" with hand-powdered sandpaper is insignificant.

"I was looking at the threads"???

You'll need to 'splain that one, Don.

Paul

Paul,

      Do not discount files but use emery cloth on the file. Fold a strip over the end of the file so it comes down over the flat and this way you can get some pressure on the cloth but keep it flat. It would also work for some of the simpler curves. With the emery cloth of the file you can also draw file to keep flat surfaces flat.

I have done that very thing with wet/dry, BH, but hadn't considered it for the round parts. Thanks.

I got some 80-grit "Durite", and intend to start with it. If that doesn't 'cut it', I'll be searching for alternate solutions.

Paul

This is what open-mesh-backed "Durite" looks like. I cuts aggressively on other metals I have used it on.

The threads on the action screws seem to be unlike US, metric or whitworth pattern, sorta a weird looking acme , whitworth, who knew who the daddy was mish mash.
Are they a standard pitch?

Paul, good project & lots of hand work. The action looks like something Hopkins & Allen would make but it obviously isn't. The Crescent rolling block didn't have a screw in barrel shank but it had no lower tang either. The stock design, if original, indicates German or Austrian ancestry. Many old guns from that area don't have makers markings.  .....If I was gonna clean up the flats on that particular gun it would get the belt sander treatment with fine grit. I use my horizonal/vertical four inch wide belt sander for rough work. The backing plate is flat but you can still screw up a flat surface with it if you're not careful......Paul H