What can I do with a "frosty" action that has some pitting. It's not worth filling it in with weld or anything else like that. Is there one finish that hides better than another? I have bead blasted it and can not seem to blend the pitting. It is an otherwise nice FN 24/47 action. It is gonna be a "utilitarian" grade shooter when I'm done with it. I'm considering Gunskins. I'll try to get pix up.
Don't sweat it. Maybe just cerakote it. I have a deluxe engraved 700 bdl action built into a 7mm-08 with a 700 Ti barrel. It was cerakoted olive drab. It was pitted badly before cerakoted. Even the bolt handle and knob. But it doesn't bother me. It's fine on the inside.
Pretty hard to "blend" pitting and not have it looking like pan hammered s hit. "That'll buff out", ah, no.
I've seen several examples of pitting blended in with epoxy filler prior to cerakoting and they looked great; I've done a little with my shop epoxy on sight holes on barrels, followed by slow-low heat bake to cure, then about 250 for an hour - will cerakote later to see for myself how it comes out. Wish I could give you the results now. Talk to Cerakote applicator.
Better hope the epoxy doesn't let loose.
Bart, I've used black accra-glas w/a thin coat on an old Mauser before cerakoting and it worked out slick. Very little sanding before the cerakote. powdr
Buddy bought an old 700 from a gun show and brought it over to the house. I told him something was not right about the gun as Remington did not make a stain black gun way back with a gloss stock. He left and carried it home and started cleaning it. He called me later to tell me the more he cleaned the more crap came off the rifle.
Turns out the action and part of the barrel closest to the receiver were pitted. The guy he bought it from had taken black shoe polish and filled in the pits and buffed everything down. I don't know what he put on the gun to keep the shoe polish from coming off on your hands but it did not. My buddy bought the gun for the action and was not upset about it as he was building a beater rifle to lone out to others that did not have a gun when they went hunting with him. Needless to say that gun is still known as the shoe polish gun.
I have not done it, but people used to use epoxy to fill the pits sand it down smooth and then apply Cerro-Coat in whatever color one chose. The looked OK. I am a blue / walnut man.
Depends on how much work you want to put into it. If the pits aren't too deep you can run it on a sander grinder like most 'smiths do to get them ready for bluing and take off most of the pits if you know what you are doing. Of course, if you don't know what you are doing you can also remove all of the factory rolled lettering, serial numbers, etc.... draw filing also will take out the pits but is labor intensive and also requires a bit of skill and experience to get it done right.
Whoa, that's the pits. Nasty.
You could draw file a bunch of that out and and see what's left. I've had good results doing that and finishing with cerakote. If you do epoxy it, be aware that the epoxy will show a line at the transition if you are not VERY careful with the blaster.
If you want quick option and can live with a painted action.
Start with some sandable primer. Paint with primer, sand with wet/dry sandpaper (wet). Repeat as necessary until smooth. Paint with final finish.
If you want quick option and can live with a painted action.
Start with some sandable primer. Paint with primer, sand with wet/dry sandpaper (wet). Repeat as necessary until smooth. Paint with final finish.
This. It'll cost you < $20.
