Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30

Print Thread

Hop To

Page 1 of 2

Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 #8763500 04/09/14
Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 156 Yellowknife J JFKinYK OP Campfire Member
OP JFKinYK Campfire Member J Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 156 Yellowknife	Hello Campfire- I recently acquired an old 30-30 that has seen better days. Any advice where to start? Is it worth trying to save it myself? Get professional help? Thoughts on value in current condition (if any!)?

HR IC

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JFKinYK #8763528 04/09/14
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 9,533 Likes: 2 Vic_in_Va Campfire Outfitter
Vic_in_Va Campfire Outfitter Joined: May 2002 Posts: 9,533 Likes: 2	Is the bore good? A friend of mine had an old Marlin given to him that had been left in a basement. The outside was horrible looking, but it had a good bore. So, he removes the rust and coats it with spray-on truck bed lining. It actually looks good.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 Vic_in_Va #8763546 04/09/14
Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 977 Madison Co., KY J jimdgc Campfire Regular
jimdgc Campfire Regular J Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 977 Madison Co., KY	Oil and 0000 steel wool will do wonders for it. Hope it shoots well.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JFKinYK #8763558 04/09/14
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 4,847 R RevMike Campfire Tracker
RevMike Campfire Tracker R Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 4,847	What are you planning to do with it? I bought this one to use as my truck gun. The outside had seen its better days (although yours is pretty rough) but the bore is shiny as a new dime. Just use a bit of steel wool, throw some oil on the stock, put a Williams Firesight on the front and a FP on the back, and you're in business. "An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 jimdgc #8763561 04/09/14
Joined: May 2005 Posts: 9,611 Central Texas P powdr Campfire Outfitter
powdr Campfire Outfitter P Joined: May 2005 Posts: 9,611 Central Texas	Send me your address and I'll send you $75 for it. That should take all your worry away. powdr

IC B2

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 powdr #8763709 04/09/14
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 18,508 Mississippi JohnMoses Campfire Ranger
JohnMoses Campfire Ranger Joined: May 2009 Posts: 18,508 Mississippi	You need to let a smith disassemble, clean and inspect before you try to run a round through that thing. The outside can be fixed, it's the inside that would have me worried. Chances are the magazine tube is full of crap, the spring is toast and there is the possibility of a rusted, protruding firing pin sending one down range as soon as you lever it...or it becomes stuck after firing the first shot and you get a surprise bang levering it for a 2nd... An out of battery ignition isn't something you want to experience with a gun in that condition...Especially with a lever gun that has top ejection - Good bye nose and eye. If you want to keep the rifle, spend the coin to have a smith give it a good going over. Money well spent.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JFKinYK #8763779 04/09/14
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 8,898 Montana P prairie_goat Campfire Outfitter
prairie_goat Campfire Outfitter P Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 8,898 Montana	Looks fine to me. Shoot it and see how it does. Even if the bore is rough, it may shoot just fine.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JohnMoses #8763797 04/09/14
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 4,847 R RevMike Campfire Tracker
RevMike Campfire Tracker R Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 4,847	Originally Posted by JohnMoses You need to let a smith disassemble, clean and inspect before you try to run a round through that thing. The outside can be fixed, it's the inside that would have me worried. Chances are the magazine tube is full of crap, the spring is toast and there is the possibility of a rusted, protruding firing pin sending one down range as soon as you lever it...or it becomes stuck after firing the first shot and you get a surprise bang levering it for a 2nd... An out of battery ignition isn't something you want to experience with a gun in that condition...Especially with a lever gun that has top ejection - Good bye nose and eye. If you want to keep the rifle, spend the coin to have a smith give it a good going over. Money well spent. That's good advice, especially the possibility of a protruding firing pin. Always a surprise, never fun. "An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 RevMike #8763933 04/09/14
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,796 Alberta 378Canuck Campfire Tracker
378Canuck Campfire Tracker Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,796 Alberta	Things must be pretty tough in Yellowknife. lol you can probably fix it but you need to study on how to blue rifles and polish bores. Rework the stain and clear coat on the wood. Your on the right site for that. It is better to be judged by 12 than to be carried by 6.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 378Canuck #8764004 04/09/14
Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 14,810 Likes: 5 J JoeBob Campfire Outfitter
JoeBob Campfire Outfitter J Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 14,810 Likes: 5	Oil it up. Put a receiver sight on it. And throw it under the seat of your truck.

IC B3

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JoeBob #8764063 04/09/14
Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,891 Edge of nowhere B bangeye Campfire Tracker
bangeye Campfire Tracker B Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,891 Edge of nowhere	I have found using steel wool and hoppes does a good job removing rust Last edited by bangeye; 04/09/14.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 bangeye #8764520 04/09/14
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,844 Craigmont, Idaho M mart Campfire Tracker
mart Campfire Tracker M Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 5,844 Craigmont, Idaho	Lots of steel wool and elbow grease. If the bore is shot have JES Reboring open it up to 35 Maine Guide (35/30-30) or 38-55. Definitely strip the action and clean and inspect all the parts or have it done. Replace the mag spring. It's likely toast like one of the preceding posters stated. After all that go shoot some stuff with it. Everybody needs a good beater gun that your not afraid to use in any weather. Mart Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 mart #8764632 04/09/14
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,057 LNF150 Campfire Regular
LNF150 Campfire Regular Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,057	It would be way overboard expense wise, but after all the cleaning and replacing the needed parts, you could have the Birdsong company coat it with their Black-T...

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 LNF150 #8764755 04/09/14
Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,828 East Haddam, CT gmsemel Campfire Tracker
gmsemel Campfire Tracker Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,828 East Haddam, CT	Well fine steel wool and hoppe's # 9 will take most of it off, provided its not a lot of pitting damage - Check the bore first. It would be best to have a gunsmith buff it out for you, there might be a few parts that will need to be replaces. I "Any idiot can face a crisis,it's the day-to-day living that wears you out." Anton Chekhov

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 gmsemel #8764773 04/09/14
Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 5,176 Likes: 1 On the Santa Fe Trail T taylorce1 Campfire Tracker
taylorce1 Campfire Tracker T Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 5,176 Likes: 1 On the Santa Fe Trail	Clean it, shoot it, and next winter refinish it. I'd buy a gunkote kit for the metal, and refinish the stock and call it good to go.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 taylorce1 #8764780 04/09/14
Joined: May 2009 Posts: 18,508 Mississippi JohnMoses Campfire Ranger
JohnMoses Campfire Ranger Joined: May 2009 Posts: 18,508 Mississippi	I'd send end it to one of these internet genies who can magically proclaim it's safe based on 4 pics and let them shoot it. I doubt anyone who would say this has much experience with lever guns or even understands what happens when an OBD occurs with one of these rifles. Getting part of your face blown off with a $50 dollar gun takes the fun out of shooting.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JohnMoses #8764804 04/09/14
Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 8,573 Northwest corner of Louisiana W websterparish47 Campfire Outfitter
websterparish47 Campfire Outfitter W Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 8,573 Northwest corner of Louisiana	Originally Posted by JohnMoses You need to let a smith disassemble, clean and inspect before you try to run a round through that thing. The outside can be fixed, it's the inside that would have me worried. Chances are the magazine tube is full of crap, the spring is toast and there is the possibility of a rusted, protruding firing pin sending one down range as soon as you lever it...or it becomes stuck after firing the first shot and you get a surprise bang levering it for a 2nd... An out of battery ignition isn't something you want to experience with a gun in that condition...Especially with a lever gun that has top ejection - Good bye nose and eye. If you want to keep the rifle, spend the coin to have a smith give it a good going over. Money well spent. ^^^^^^^ What he said.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JohnMoses #8764841 04/09/14
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 8,898 Montana P prairie_goat Campfire Outfitter
prairie_goat Campfire Outfitter P Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 8,898 Montana	Originally Posted by JohnMoses I'd send end it to one of these internet genies who can magically proclaim it's safe based on 4 pics and let them shoot it. I doubt anyone who would say this has much experience with lever guns or even understands what happens when an OBD occurs with one of these rifles. Getting part of your face blown off with a $50 dollar gun takes the fun out of shooting. So you can magically decide it's unsafe from 4 pics? Did you notice how the pic with the lever partially open shows the internals to be devoid of rust? I've seen much, much worse lever action rifles that were perfectly functional, and used often.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 JoeBob #8764861 04/09/14
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 29,786 Land of milk and honey...for s... J JSTUART Campfire Ranger
JSTUART Campfire Ranger J Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 29,786 Land of milk and honey...for s...	Originally Posted by JoeBob Oil it up. Put a receiver sight on it. And throw it under the seat of your truck. And if in doubt you can strap it to a tire and test fire it with a long string. I would tend to strip it down, linseed the wood and run over the metal work with some breakfree and some used bore-brushes (bronze), then reassemble, test and use. These are my opinions, feel free to disagree.

Re: Advice needed for old, rusty 30-30 prairie_goat #8764862 04/09/14
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 29,786 Land of milk and honey...for s... J JSTUART Campfire Ranger
JSTUART Campfire Ranger J Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 29,786 Land of milk and honey...for s...	Originally Posted by prairie_goat Originally Posted by JohnMoses I'd send end it to one of these internet genies who can magically proclaim it's safe based on 4 pics and let them shoot it. I doubt anyone who would say this has much experience with lever guns or even understands what happens when an OBD occurs with one of these rifles. Getting part of your face blown off with a $50 dollar gun takes the fun out of shooting. So you can magically decide it's unsafe from 4 pics? Did you notice how the pic with the lever partially open shows the internals to be devoid of rust? I've seen much, much worse lever action rifles that were perfectly functional, and used often. I did not read that in his reply, once you get past the abrasiveness the man has a very good point regarding keeping ones face intact. These are my opinions, feel free to disagree.

Page 1 of 2

Moderated by RickBin

Link Copied to Clipboard

AX24

74 members (AKislander, 300_savage, Anaconda, 69sportfury, 17CalFan, 8 invisible), 1,577 guests, and 880 robots.

Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod

May
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Forum Statistics

Forums81

Topics1,192,503

Posts18,490,574

Members73,972

Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023