I went in my local NAPA this morning with a MO clutched in my grubby little paws from a member here for a M&P he is going to pick up Saturday. My intention was to go ahead and buy the Marlin 1894 .357 Carbine I have been looking at for so long.
I got way-layed at the handgun counter when I spied an old, finish-challenged Model 19. Turned out to be a 19-3. I had the sales person get it out for me. I told him it had to be a law enforcement gun, but he didn't rightly know. It has lots of holster wear, and suffers from general neglect. It had a new set of goodyears, but the original target stocks were with it, the salesman told me. I asked Bo (the owner) how much, and he grinned and told me I knew the fellow who owned the gun. It had belonged to a man who had been a civilian security guard or police officer at Warner Robins Air Force Base in the early '70s. Bo said the man died a few months back, and his worthless son brought the gun in to sell. Bo said the gun was so nasty he was almost afraid to handle it. He cleaned it up pretty well, and sprayed the grips with brake cleaner. The grips still literally stink. I am going to have to take them back off and do something about them. Actually, there is very little freckling, or other rust on it. The gun is in excellent mechanical condition. Very nice, smooth, crisp double action, and glass-rod-breaking single action. Very tight lock-up with no end shake. There is no flame-cutting, which can be a problem with this vintage 19. Knowing the fellow who owned the gun, and knowing his family, I doubt whether the gun has been fired any more than was required for him to qualify. Then, probably with .38 wadcutters.
There is always the immediate thought about refinishing, or hard-chroming, or parkerizing a gun like this, but that puts you in a price range that would have bought a nicer (finished) gun. I'll probably pop the side-plate and give it my famous 24 hour diesel fuel soak, put it back together and use it for what it is--a good old $300 (OTD) shooter.
Oh, I still didn't get that Marlin. It is still there, though.
The finish isn't quite as bad as it appears in the harsh sunlight. I just happened to have the old Tex Shoemaker holster laying around. I got to do something about those stocks. I wonder just what kind of pile that gun has been laying in the last twenty or so years.
I got way-layed at the handgun counter when I spied an old, finish-challenged Model 19. Turned out to be a 19-3. I had the sales person get it out for me. I told him it had to be a law enforcement gun, but he didn't rightly know. It has lots of holster wear, and suffers from general neglect. It had a new set of goodyears, but the original target stocks were with it, the salesman told me. I asked Bo (the owner) how much, and he grinned and told me I knew the fellow who owned the gun. It had belonged to a man who had been a civilian security guard or police officer at Warner Robins Air Force Base in the early '70s. Bo said the man died a few months back, and his worthless son brought the gun in to sell. Bo said the gun was so nasty he was almost afraid to handle it. He cleaned it up pretty well, and sprayed the grips with brake cleaner. The grips still literally stink. I am going to have to take them back off and do something about them. Actually, there is very little freckling, or other rust on it. The gun is in excellent mechanical condition. Very nice, smooth, crisp double action, and glass-rod-breaking single action. Very tight lock-up with no end shake. There is no flame-cutting, which can be a problem with this vintage 19. Knowing the fellow who owned the gun, and knowing his family, I doubt whether the gun has been fired any more than was required for him to qualify. Then, probably with .38 wadcutters.
There is always the immediate thought about refinishing, or hard-chroming, or parkerizing a gun like this, but that puts you in a price range that would have bought a nicer (finished) gun. I'll probably pop the side-plate and give it my famous 24 hour diesel fuel soak, put it back together and use it for what it is--a good old $300 (OTD) shooter.
Oh, I still didn't get that Marlin. It is still there, though.
The finish isn't quite as bad as it appears in the harsh sunlight. I just happened to have the old Tex Shoemaker holster laying around. I got to do something about those stocks. I wonder just what kind of pile that gun has been laying in the last twenty or so years.
