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Refinishing a 99M1

937 views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  phishisgroovin 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm not a big fan of refinishing any vintage firearm prefering to just clean and preserve. But some are just so neglected and damaged the former doesn't become an option.

This is a 99M1 that was advertized as "needing repair". I have posted before about the damaged feed throat, missing hammer spring and missing rear trigger guard screw.

The stock wasn't that bad, but I wanted to eliminate the glossy finish, steam out a few dents, and restain a little darker walnut.

I removed the original finish with paint/varnish remover and sanded the stock. These 99M1's have a upper handguard so I was very careful not to remove any wood at the mating surfaces and the area where the front barrel band touches the stock.

I found that a 13mm deep socket works well to sand the relief for the cross-bolt safety and a 15mm deep socket for the hand guard relief both wrapped with 220 grit paper sanded those areas with ease.



Stock refinishing 101 dictates sanding the stock with the buttplate on, it works well to blend the two mating surfaces together.





I refinished the alloy receiver, trigger guard, and from sight. The blue on the barrel was pretty good so I didn't touch that.



Overall it turned out pretty good despite the below picture. I stained it with Minwax "Special Walnut" and finished with three coats of low gloss tung oil, gives an oiled walnut military effect.



Took it to the range and it rattled off about 100 rounds of different types of L/R ammunition without a hitch except for one Remington "golden bullet" that dispite several taps would not fire.
 
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#4 ·
I used Krylon Semi-flat black. It matches the original finish well, but lacks durability. I haven't had any complaints with it yet, except where the pressure points for the scope bases are attached.

I am going to be experimenting with other finishes shortly.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, I just wanted to pass on some things that work.

I wanted to maintain the sharp edges along the groove in the handguard while sanding and found that a 15mm deep socket (Craftsman in this case) when used with sandpaper worked perfectly, same goes for the safety relief with the 13mm.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I sandblasted it with an inexpensive Craftsman sand blaster. Got the sand right out of my back yard, beautiful white clean beach sand. Your probably setting on several million zillion tons of it down there. Florida is one big beach sand ant hill. :eek:

The chemical strippers I tried wouldn't touch it, score one for Marlin. Yes, after I sandblasted it I smoothed it with 220 grit wet paper. You can really polish up this aluminum alloy and get a glossier satin finish, but I like more of a matte satin finish.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_12605?keyword=sandblaster&x=24&y=11

This is the one I have, 50 pound hopper @ $60
 
#9 ·
Man, I feel ya about those chemical strippers...

I used one Chem-strip that was supposed to be the Best out there...and it didn't even take the paint off of a Intertec AB-10's action (Had been painted yellow). No effect whatsoever...

Sandblasting is DEFINITELY the way to go :)

Just outta curiousity, what kinda compressor/power ya got?
 
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