Restoring an American classic : The Remington Rolling Block

[essdee1972]

TCda....... I am speechless!

I take a (working) break to a place where I don't get a proper net connection, and you post this!!! Not fair!

There are some words that come to mind ........ mindblowing, awesome, epic, monumental........ still I feel they do much less than justice. (And I am much older than the generation for whom a can of Coke is "awesome"!)

As Timmy points out, keeping the edges sharp while sanding is a whole encyclopedia in itself! Fitting the stock with the mechanism is something many people take as a full-time profession, not as a hobby as you have done, and still do not get as fine a tolerance as you got.

It is hard to believe that this is the first attempt at restoration. Many "experts" couldn't have done it better.

Hats permanently off, Brother!

And I intend to be in Kolkata in mid-Jan...............need I say more? (heh heh)

[captrakshitsharma]

Timmy couldn't have said it better.. You sir are a master gunsmith... A gunsmith course in the US or Europe you attended or apprenticeship under an old master at a Calcutta gun shop you missed out telling us forum members about?. I am planning on reblueing some stuff. May have to knock on your door for that... XL is coming to you with a custom stock request . You sir have opened a can of worms for yourself. Is this the post and restoration of the year... Abhijeet what say....

[Safarigent]

Nice job.
Hows the muzzle? If you havent mentioned it, i am guessing it didnt need to be recrowned?
Have you measured the trigger pull yet?
Looking forward to a range report.

[TC]

Dear Timmy, your words actually made my eyes moist.
I have been living and breathing guns since childhood but never did I feel so honoured, or realize that things I do could actually be so special to so many people someday. Your words, Sir, have made me miss my father after all these years. It was he who inculcated in me the deep interest in firearms and always encouraged me go ahead. I am sure he is watching us now and smiling in happiness.

I did not want to make the post too long (and perhaps too boring for many) by putting in every small detail of the project. But since you have so carefully noticed the work and pointed to the others some of the vital areas, I will explain.

It is fiendishly difficult to polish metal as TC has done here, while retaining the sharp edges of the receiver and maintaining smoothness on flat and round metal surfaces. Usually, careless polishing will round and "soften" sharp edges and lettering, and reflections of light will show high and low points where polishing has not been applied uniformly.

You are 100 per cent right. Without a proper buffing machine with at least three to four steel and brass buffers of varying bristle sizes its is extremely difficult (some might say impossible) to polish a barrel and receiver till the original shine of the metal emerges bright and clear. Reaching the hidden areas, especially the round corners, is no easy task. I must mention here that though I have an array of hand tools and a vise I don't have a proper tool room or even a work bench. So I used to place the barrel between the thick cushions of a sofa in the drawing room and sit on it, keeping one half of the barrel between my legs (the other half remained under the cushion) and polish the barrel with a long strip of paper. I used to hold the paper (I started with 180 grit, then went to 200 and finally 220) by its two ends and pull it around the barrel (without touching it ever so avoid extra pressure) in circular motion. I kept rotating the barrel after 10 or 15 runs of the paper so that no area would get extra rubs - that would take away extra metal and introduce undulations. Oh this was one hell of a job and took weeks. I would switch on the TV and listen to my favourite movies while working just to ensure that I remained alert. I polished the flat surfaces of the receiver by lightly rubbing the papers with two fingers and wrapped the papers around thin steel rods to do the corners.

TC has fitted the wood to the metal -- these joints are perfect and the before-assembly pictures show that he has shaped the unseen mechanical connections between wood and metal -- the parts that you don't see when the gun is assembled -- have been given the same exact attention.

At every stage the barrel and receiver had to be fitted to the butt and forestock to check if they mated nicely and uniformly. However I must admit here that the hole I drilled in the buttstock for the large screw that secures the receiver was offset by a 2 or 3 mm. Had to make up by lightly filing off some wood. but since the screw is not uniform in diameter (hence the problem because the drill bit was uniform) the final fitting was tight.


This picture was taken just before I started with the bluing process. Since the barrel had to be dipped in boiling water (300 degree centigrade is ideal) I plugged the two ends with wooden chopsticks (they sell a dozen for 20 bucks at the shopping mall) wrapped with masking tape and plastic so that water didn't enter the barrel. I bought a huge aluminum pan (capacity 4 litres) to boil the water. Thankfully my wife never complained of wasting expensive cooking gas.
Later, the small parts and receiver were boiled in the pan itself. I secured them with galvanized iron wire and set up a contraption with plywood pieces left over from the home renovation, to hand them in the water. There was an improvisation in every step.

People who are not careful with using the proper screwdrivers will deform screw head slots and raise burrs.

Many of the screws already had burrs and deformed heads when I bought the rifle. I used fine jeweler's file and 220 grit paper to mend them. Those who earlier had the rifle must have used screw drivers, and several times at that, on the takedown screw. One should only use coins. I had to take care of the deep and jagged cuts. You will notice an inner circle lightly milled on the head of the takedown screw. This had been damaged too but I decided not to do too much to mend it. That might simply make the circle disappear, I felt. After all, restoration should not take away the originality and make a weapon look factory fresh.

The wood is smooth, without ripples, and the finish is deep and lustrous.

This is the result of sheer patience and weeks of sanding, oiling, polishing over and over again. The Walnut is soft and hence tricky to work on and often treacherous if you get careless. Since I had worked on wood before I was lucky I think. Here's another pic for you


Timmy since you mentioned lettering let me admit that this one area that has left me wanting and disappointed. The original marking on the barrel should have been like this. This is exactly how the good men at Remington put the name and the calibers


When I got the rifle there was no marking left on the barrel. Nothing at all !! One option was to pay a professional gunsmith who was good at lettering but that would take the soul out of a DIY project. Alternatively I could take the risk and do it myself. I knew jolly well that I would never be able to write "Remington" in that font and that too in upper and lower case. It was too tricky for me. So I paid a guy to write the word and put in an underline. I was horrified by the results. The 'O' and the 'G' were all un-uniform. Desperate by now, I took the plunge and engraved the rest of the words with the Dremel tool, first writing the words on that shiny steel with a micro-top pen and carefully moving the bit rotating at 300 rpm. It was a dangerous thing to do and I could have ruined the rifle. The bit slipped on the round slippery surface too many times and could not do a few letters right. Deepening the "Number 4" and the serial number on the receiver was comparatively easy, since the surface was flat and I already had the original letters. I can only thank the Almighty for taking through the lettering part.

There should be a comma between 'Short' and 'Long'.... I didn't dare to give it a shot. One mistake and that tiny comma could have become a mess
(added after editing) the rifle I have is the Number 4 advanced model which shoots ... .22 short, long and long rifle and is marked so

Well, that's the long and short of this story. The appreciation I have received from you can't be summed up in words. I thank you again.


TC

[TC]

And I intend to be in Kolkata in mid-Jan...............need I say more? (heh heh)

Dear Essdee, all of you have made me speechless with your unbridled appreciation. Thank you so so much Brother. I hope Hyderabad treated you well with Biryani

As far you Kolkata visit goes, just give me a ring before you arrive. So far I have no plans to be out of town in mid-Jan. But expecting a seven and a half foot tall visitor ; an old friend from Spain. He is a writer and while writing hunting stories keeps asking me about rifles


TC

[TC]

Timmy couldn't have said it better.. You sir are a master gunsmith... A gunsmith course in the US or Europe you attended or apprenticeship under an old master at a Calcutta gun shop you missed out telling us forum members about?. I am planning on reblueing some stuff. May have to knock on your door for that... XL is coming to you with a custom stock request . You sir have opened a can of worms for yourself. Is this the post and restoration of the year... Abhijeet what say....

Dear brother I wish I had attended a course in the States or perhaps in Germany . I did spend a lot of time with an old uncle who was a self taught gunsmith and the best I had ever seen. That was years ago when I was a teenager. It was his 9 mm Luger that I fired first, before my father's handguns and other guns in the family. This man, just like my father, loved to experiment and taught me a lot of finer things about guns and metals that one doesn't get to learn easily today. We lost him some 20 years ago.
As far as rebluing goes I can do it anytime but what if things go wrong ?
Doing a stock for XL would be a pleasure any day. I have come to know that he has a stock of dry black walnut in stock, collected from trees in his backyard. Wis could settle in Minnesota and open a shop That would make my day. Tired of writing for a living
Well, you have pampered me so much that I have cut down on my food these days Always feel so FULL


TC

[TC]

Nice job.
Hows the muzzle? If you havent mentioned it, i am guessing it didnt need to be recrowned?
Have you measured the trigger pull yet?
Looking forward to a range report.

Thanks Safarigent.
The muzzle is fine and the crown was perfect when I found the rifle.
The trigger was light and smooth but I still polished the contact areas of the trigger to make it break like glass. Haven't really gone out with the rifle yet but plan to do so soon. Will post the results.

TC

[ckkalyan]

timmy well said, very well articulated synopsis of TC's labor of love!

Ah, TC thanks very much for all the painstaking details of the process, most of which we could only, barely imagine. That engraving and stock work took a large set of cojones my friend!

I am certain that your dad is looking on with a very pleased smile - well done - again!

[TC]

Kalyan Da,
After all the good things you have said I can't even remember any of the pain

I am certain that your dad is looking on with a very pleased smile - well done - again!

He would have been one of the most active members on this forum for sure had we allowed him here.
His Left eye was very weak right since birth but never saw him missing a target, no matter how far or small, as long as it could be seen through open sights. His right eye was abnormally strong. A mechanical engineer by profession, the man loved handguns but his prime interest was shotgun.

Thanks again Dada


TC

[TC]

A few internal as well as external parts of Remington Rolling Block rifles vary according to model and year of manufacture. Since I have talked of internal parts and polishing contact points of the trigger to make it lighter and crisp here are rough schematics of two different models (not the Number 4) that may help fellow members understand how the parts work. Its simple yet strong, I would say the perfect platform to try a DIY restoration at home. To study and understand the rifle I downloaded these pics from the net more than a year ago. Cannot mark the source now. Mods please forgive.


The caption in this photo talks of a hammer lock but I am yet to come across a rolling block with a catch that has to be disengaged to cock the hammer.My rifle has a simple half cock safety.



This is a page from an old French magazine I found on the net. The sketches explain the locking mechanism a bit better.

This is one Number 4 Rolling Block I would give an arm for. I keep looking at the image. Such rich and exquisite engraving is lost art, at least for us in India.



TC

[Sakobav]

TC

Amazing work and restoration..keep it up..what a rescure

Cheers

[slingshot]

TC....Totally smitten. And even though everyone has said this already in some form or the other...you are truly passionate about your craft. You have re-created this from your soul. Totally humbled by your creativity, attention to detail, passion for perfection.

[deep27]

TC sir
Great work sir. You have inspired me as well as many other members. Keep it up.....
Regards.....

Sent from my XT1022 using Tapatalk

[Sakobav]

TC

Due to work I am unable to login to IFG but read the entire post and its amazing what you have accomplished..More photos please

Cheers

[TC]

TC

Amazing work and restoration..keep it up..what a rescure

Cheers

TC

Due to work I am unable to login to IFG but read the entire post and its amazing what you have accomplished..More photos please

Cheers

Navi my dear friend its a great pleasure to hear from you these words of encouragement.
I will surely put a few more photos from the field and, as suggested by XL and CK Dada, a video too

Give give me some time. Will try to add to the Christmas and New Year spirit

TC