In another post someone talked about a real gookey gun his father gave him to clean and it made me think of these two stories. I did not want to side track that thread any more then it already had been....some places take a pretty dim view of that, don't think this place does as it is pretty open, one of the reasons I like it.
My stories are around two guns, one an Auto 5 in 16, the other a Western Auto Revelation (marlin 60). like the other person talked about in his thread.
Story time:
The Auto 5 belonged to my wifes uncle, not a real good dude and he had a blonde Auto 5 and the father in law did not want, he asked my wife if she wanted it, and naturally she said YES (no she does not have a sister)
I get this thing and give it a quick once over, fore end cracked, yea they do that, low SN#...need to look that up, and I carry it home. Turns out to be a pre war auto 5, cool. I start to take this thing apart, and it is fighting me tooth and nail, get the fore end off and the barrel will NOT COME OFF...hmm I have taken these things apart a time or two don't think I am forgetting anything.....watch youtube, nope, pull harder, watch video again, rubber hammer, watch another video, BIG rubber hammer and it is free. Wow it is not looking good in there. Screws out and again the thing will not come apart, There has to be a screw under the butt plate, nope, video again....no it should just pull off, but they say it could be tough....yea, not this tough....and a hard smack gets it free.
To cut this short, ever see those kitchen nightmare shows where they never clean the fryer....yea this poor shotgun. I could scrape gook out by the spoon full...it was horrid. Taking this thing apart I ruined two punches. Lots of soaking and scrubbing.
During the summer we have the in laws and kids out and we do stuff on the grill and shoot shot guns, this 16 sadly is the one everyone wants to shoot now it is just nice and fun to shoot....the sadly part is 16G shells are a bit expensive and hard to find.
I asked the FiL just how often Frank cleaned this thing, he said he does not think he ever did, if it stopped running he would just pour some motor oil on it and it would work again....ahh.
Pic of the innerds of said shotgun after some digging of crap out.
The second one is the mother in laws 22, the Marlin branded by Western Auto. I don't remember the year but it is a pre '68 rifle as no SN#.
It will not even let you pull the bolt back.....ok, is it loaded, don't think so....this is getting better and better. I get it home and a lot of soaking gets the bolt open and there is a round in the chamber that will not eject, fine dig it out, a bit yucky. Nothing else coming out of the magazine, so guess only one in there....not a good guess.
Just old and gooky like the shotgun and a general tear down and cleanup was all it needed, when I went to pull the magazine tube it sounded and acted like the spring was under pressure....I take my cleaning rod and poke it down the magazine tube and 16-ish round are pushed out.....well how about that. They are so sticky and gross they will stick to your hand, grab them turn your hand upside down and they don't fall....gross. Another life lesson learned. Clean it up and I have to get a new follower as this one is just done for. Nice shooting little gun, they won't take it back.
One last one. Several years ago I went under the knife for some surgery, I was down for roughly 5 years of not wanting to do a single thing. I decide I am going to try this shooting thing again, and start to ease back into it. Ever forget about a gun, yup. 1930's colt police positive. I had it loaded and laying in a hide in the house, I go to get it out and think to myself, I really soaked this thing will ballastol before putting it up. Take it out to shoot, BANG, bang, pfft....ahh that was not right. Squib. What the hell I am anal in my reloading, no way. Bullet stuck in the barrel, at least I could open the revolver, drill out bullet, lead is pretty soft, and pull down the last of the rounds in that gun. The powder inside looked like tar. Just thick and sticky.....and I crimp pretty heavy on this stuff. Humm.....guess the ballastol got past the bullet or primer, another note to self.
So those are my stories, do you have any to share?
