Rescuing an Katrina Maverick 88

[sportsbud]

I was helping a friend sort through his collection that is still in disarray from Katrina, thrown in a closet in cases, he didn't even know what he had, and so we started digging and separating them, then we came across this:

Now its a rust bucket the actoin seized completly up, rust everywhere, and the alloy receiver has some pretty big nicks on it... The conversation was he was just going to toss it, I said " You know I am going to try and fix this" So I took it on...

I was hoping that it was mainly surface rust, but first thing was I needed to get it apart, so the trigger assembly and the stock came off and the barrel screw came out, but the bolt was frozen to the barrel and would not budge, so I too what oil I had CLP, and sprayed it, and left for work for the day, when I came back I took and smashed the pump handle down and it broke lose!! and out came a LIVE ROUND!!!... Well at least the firing pin was frozen and would never move... I then took some rust remover spray I had bought and sprayed and scrubbed with steel wool and got alot of the rust of, I noticed there was so little pitting, but there was soo much rust I took my dremel with a honing tip and got the bulk off, surprisingly, there is almost 0 rust inside the barrel, but I still have some work to do, need to get the little parts apart with the bolt, and trigger assembly, and need to soak the entire thing in CLP for those little bits of rust hiding in places, I then want to bead blast (Anyone know a place near Covington?) then I want to hot blue everything to stop rust, then I will powdercoat the big parts...
This is my progress



This is the worst pitting on the mag tube...

 

[Jack]

I don't know if you're doing this "just to do it", because you want a shotgun, or because you're trying to save money, but if wager that getting that thing blasted, blued, has taking it, steel wool, cleaning supplies, etc. will cost more than buying a new shotgun. If you're doing it as a project you'll enjoy, more power to ya, I'd look for sugarbug's bluing thread and try to do it myself.

 

[SpeedRacer]

I agree. If you're doing it for fun, why not do it all for fun. I wouldn't sink any money into a $180 shotgun that may or may not even work when you are done. Blasting and hot bluing will probably cost half or more of what a new one would cost. Seems like a good project for some Brownells Alumahyde or Krylon.

 

[Crippler7815]

Don't forget the power of power steering fluid and acetone. That stuff will creep deeper than anything you can buy at any store. Give that action a good soak for a few hours and I'd bet a beer your task will be a hell of a lot easier

 

[sportsbud]

Doing it for the experience, being young I need to learn how to do things, so far only 20 bucks of supplies I can use over on other things... But the know how is what I am after... sometimes doing things yourself is what needs to happen to grow and learn... great experience so far...

 

[SpeedRacer]

Doing it for the experience, being young I need to learn how to do things, so far only 20 bucks of supplies I can use over on other things... But the know how is what I am after... sometimes doing things yourself is what needs to happen to grow and learn... great experience so far...

I agree, that's why I'm saying you should try bluing/coating yourself as well.

 

[nola_]

I soaked a few Katrina pistols in wd 40 for about a week, they were initially more like blocks of rust. Granted, Ive never shot these pistols, just got as pretty as possible bc they were in the family since the 1800's.

 

[LACamper]

I have an .38 revolver that went under in Katrina. CLP helped a lot. I'd spray it down then stick it in a zip lock for a few days. Repeat...

 

[FORman]

Somtimes black powder burners come with a load that never fired. I agree the Mossy is beyond economical repair, but would make a good test piece for a refinish material or technique.

 

[Nomad.2nd]

If your trying to learn:

Paint e reciever, and parkerise the rest.

Parking is the best thing for rusted metal IMHO.

 

[Goatwhiskers]

Electrolytic removal of the rust would have been a lot cheaper, more effective, and much easier. GW

 

[bigjakewelch]

I have done several Katrina Restorations. I can tell you that if you're set on hot bluing it you'll need to give it a profile blast and then finish with steel wool. That's the only way that the pits won't starburst on you.

 

[au01st]

If you end up needing a bolt and carrier hit me up. I've got plenty of 88 parts sitting around.

I'm doing my own 88 restoration on one I picked up for $10 at a garage sale.


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[LACamper]

Electrolytic removal of the rust would have been a lot cheaper, more effective, and much easier. GW

explain please?

 

[CHW2021]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/

It works well and will pull rust from small areas.

 

[03protege]

Molasses and water is also a proven rust remover.

 

[bigjakewelch]

Electrolytic removal of the rust would have been a lot cheaper, more effective, and much easier. GW

Just remember that if left in electrolysis solution for extended times (under current) steel can become brittle and fail. If this is to be done for a wall hanger I'd say go for it but if you plan on shooting it, I'd be careful on how long I did it for. Just a little safety info.
The only reason I wanted to add this to the discussion was, I was going to start using this process to take some of the time out of hot bluing. After doing a good bit of research I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the time that I'd save. The liability was too great, and I couldn't find out what the "Safe" exposure time was without doing some very expensive destructive testing.
If you're going to attempt this with a firearm just know that this is a possibility. You may do the electrolysis and nothing ever come of it but then again it has the potential to go very wrong when adding the pressures of firing a cartridge.

 

[sportsbud]

If you end up needing a bolt and carrier hit me up. I've got plenty of 88 parts sitting around.

I'm doing my own 88 restoration on one I picked up for $10 at a garage sale.


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Thanks for the offer, but looks as if all the parts are good even the Springs are good, but only thing is the bolt won't break dien completly, working on that, abs the magazine tube is still seized on the reciever, going to give it a bath in clr that should do it, abs then I will follow up by rinsing that all off, then I will start the refinishing process

 

[BigNick73]

Thanks for the offer, but looks as if all the parts are good even the Springs are good, but only thing is the bolt won't break dien completly, working on that, abs the magazine tube is still seized on the reciever, going to give it a bath in clr that should do it, abs then I will follow up by rinsing that all off, then I will start the refinishing process

Are you sure the magazine tube is able to be removed and isn't staked/pinned/welded in?

Also for the bluing, caswell plating makes a black oxide kit that I've had great luck with. The 1.25 gallon is $60 but pour it in a wallpaper trough and it works great for barrels and the like. Pour it back in the bucket when you're done and it lasts forever. I've got some that's about 2 years old and still works fine. It wont work for the receiver that'd probably be best for a no bake finish like alumihyde or duracoat, I think gun kote makes a air dry coating now as well.

 

[au01st]

The 88 I'm working on is so old it has a single action bar and the mag tube is screw in. It took about a week of me blasting it with PB Blaster in the morning before work and in the evening after work before I could break it free with some channel lock pliers while holding the receiver braced between two wood blocks in between my legs.

I've never seen an 88 or 500 with a staked/pinned/welded mag tube.