Renegade Restore

[Sharps40]

Install the cleaned and lubed sear.

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Insert the sear kick off. (This bit keeps the nose of the sear out of the half cock notch when the hammer falls, it is overridden when the hammer is pulled slowly to half cock or full cock.)

Reinstall the cleaned and lubed bridle and its retention screws. Carefully check function, lube again as needed and bag it till final assembly.

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[Sharps40]

The double set triggers from TC need no attacking with files or stones either.

Remove the main spring, remove the set trigger adjusting screw. Clean it. Lube it.

Reinstall the set trigger adjusting screw about 1/3 of the way.

Reinstall the main spring. Adjust the screw until the rear trigger is a firm pull and solidly clicks into the set position. You want enough tension to solidly set but not so much it takes a come along to set the rear trigger.

Set the rear trigger. Turn the set trigger screw in until it fires...back it out 2 turns...recheck function. Set rear, front should not fire till you press it. This is the initial adjustment. On reassembly you can set the front screw in further to lighten the release down to a pound or so. But in any event, adjust it so that it does not accidently trip and thereby drop the hammer firing the weapon. Finish oiling the parts again as needed, bag it till final assembly.

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[Sharps40]

Just checked the trigger. With the set trigger screw 3/4 turn from releasing the triggers I get a repeatable 2 lb front trigger pull. I'll probably leave it there. There is a bit of creep to release but nothing objectionable or likely even noticeable when yer lookin at horns over the front sight.

 

[Sharps40]

Second coat leveled with 0000 steel wool, dusted and third coat rubbed in thin and hard till almost dry, pulling always from front to rear. There is always a bit of streaking....less with thin coats and that's what the 0000 buff is for, leveling and blending to perfection and close to the wood.

Again at 3 and 6 pm and perhaps one more tonight or tomorrow to finish the finish application...then on to buffing and waxing. Either way, wood is done by the weekend for sure and I'm happy with the way the figure is showing itself.

 

[Sharps40]

Waiting on about 230ish PM to level that third coat of finish and start rubbing in the fourth coat.

Meantime you wouldn't believe the crap that accumulates inside a Model 60 that is carried daily. Bout a year since I last opened it up....cylinder was stiff, yoke stiff, action gritty....broke it down and swarfed it all out and lightly lubed it and its like new again! Can't wait till it warms up a touch so I can get it dirty again. Now I gotta at least clean out the serpa holster, it sure is hard on the stainless.....the cylinder looks to be brush finished now...Maybe next year the whole gun will get scotch brighted to satin so it matches the grit of the serpa. Wonderful holsters but they sure do tear up a gun...rubbed the Smith Paint off a 643 in about a month and now eatin away at my stainless. Might have to switch to a By-No-Key #5 for it too.

But anyway, waitin for stock finish to harden up a bit more, pulled the tang. As you recall, brought the wood down flush to it. Now, kissing the sides of the tang to match the left side and right side flats which are angled back. This will also eliminate any metal edges above wood in the future as the stock changes sizes from summer to winter. If the wood ever needs sanded again, its a simple matter to round over the top of the tang a bit to continue to have that wood grew around the metal look where all the edges of wood and metal meet neatly together with out sharp edges to snag fingers.

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[Sharps40]

I got some work to do inside this barrel. I may start with an all day soak in CLR or a week soak in white vinegar. At the breech end, the rust is pretty thick and these old TCs have their clean out screw ground flat. So, given the age, I'm not even going to attempt to remove the clean out plug since after drilling and installing the easyout, it'll still be stuck fast. If it were a number 8 size, I'd drill it out and retap for a new removeable plug of number 10 size. But this one is already a large plug installed from the factory. So, lots of work from the front after soaking.

For now, every rifle needs a good crown. Muzzleloader crowns take a real beating for obvious reasons and this crown has seen better days. There is a way to fix that and make it much easier to load and less likely to suffer damage in the future. A ball seat. All my muzzleloaders have one. Simply, counterboreing the muzzle, removing rifleing and establishing a recessed crown. Now the cleaning rod and rod guide can't easily contact the edges of the crown and both ball and slug can be aligned for the quick starter using your thumb! Very nice overall. You can run the ball seat as deep as you like. On my muzzleloaders I cut them 2/3 the length of a TC Maxiball. Here I'll stop short of a half inch, say 3/8" or so. It'll be a nice set up to thumb press align PRB and still allow straight starting of slugs.

This is the .50 caliber ball seat cutter from Clymer. Special order these days. Been using this one and my .45 caliber ball seat cutter for improving muzzleloaders for about 15 or 20 years now. Still sharp as heck and cut a clean and neat new protected crown.

Some lube and start it into the bore. Not much pressure is required...just turn it clockwise with light pressure and remove it every couple turns to swarf out chips and relube.

We are in about 1/8" and starting to see nice crisp and sharp lands and grooves again.

About 3/8 to 1/2 inch in and I'm done. Plenty here for PRB and guiding in slugs. And we have fine definition on the lands and grooves and its deep enough the cleaning rod guide cone shouldn't wear on the crown much at all.

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[Sharps40]

Third coat of finish leveled and fourth coat rubbed in. Its about done. 5 coats looks to be the magic number for this stock. So, fifth coat tonight. Last leveling and a good rubbing out tomorrow evening after its kicked over for 24 hours. Then three or so good coats of johnsons paste wax and I'll be ready to move on to metal work. Sure wish it were humid. But grandkiddies not living here no more so maybe I can convert the spare bathroom to a damp box.

We'll see.

 

[loadnplenty]

Stock work looks awesome as usual

 

[Sharps40]

I ain't lookin forward to cleanin that bore. Folks gotta unnerstand at some point ya gotta use water to clean a bp gun and then oil the thing right regular.

 

[Sharps40]

Rub out time....final buff of 0000 wool and now on to terry and brownells fff. Satiny velvet comin up after the rub and wax.