PSA Grade 2 project

auskip07 · July 20, 2020, 10:38:39 AM

Thought i would get this started so maybe people can shed some light on this gun (you guys have a sharper eye for details than i do)
Bought from PSA as one of their Grade 2 for 299 specials
Factory 26, 10 million (1965?)
Import serial in the 18k range
Number matching gun + Stock
Bluing on receiver cover is 2/10 but rest of gun looks fine (not an issue)
stock has some dings as normal but no chunks missing

Pictures

auskip07 · July 20, 2020, 10:41:28 AM

Overall shot

ffjoey · July 20, 2020, 11:07:04 AM

That looks like a pretty nice example. Post some pics with the cosmo cleaned off when you can. Looks good so far though.

Justin Hell · July 20, 2020, 01:31:32 PM

For being a grade 2, that is pert dern nice!

I think I like the eyes at PSA better than the myopia at Classic.

Phosphorus32 · July 20, 2020, 02:50:37 PM

Looks like a winner to me

After you bleed the Albanian ersatz Cosmoline out of the stock with mild heat it should be a good looking well-used Type 56.

auskip07 · July 20, 2020, 03:08:42 PM

Ive had luck with easy off oven cleaner and then a nice coating of 100% tung oil to bring back the finish. I tried leaving it out in the Georgia sun 90+ degrees but not much luck on getting it to weep out of the stock.

The firing pin needed to be punched out. soaking in mineral spirits and an ultrasonic bath did very little to free it up

Justin Hell · July 20, 2020, 03:43:34 PM

You generally should remove the firing pin and clean the bolt well. I tried twice recently to see if soaking was enough....sure enough upon taking it out as I planned to do anyway, there was a lot of crud/cosmoline in there. There was a little movement, enough that most folks would consider it OK, it did rattle....but there was more than enough crap in there to cause a problem down the road.

I seriously doubt they were ever fully cleaned before being doused in cosmoline for storage.

carls sks · July 20, 2020, 06:52:15 PM

try a heat-gun on everything after the mineral spirits.

Phosphorus32 · July 20, 2020, 06:57:27 PM

Quote from: carls sks on July 20, 2020, 06:52:15 PM
try a heat-gun on everything after the mineral spirits.

^ this!

Potassium hydroxide (Easy-Off) is very harsh on wood and will strip off everything on the surface (as well as some of the hemicellulose in the wood).

Larry D. · July 20, 2020, 10:12:56 PM

I think you may well find a pretty nice specimen under all that cosmo and dirt.

As others have already stated, you did a lot better than what folks are getting from Classic these days.

auskip07 · July 22, 2020, 12:31:45 PM

Started on this project, we have company coming this weekend and a surpise engagement party to go to. So that gets in the way of finishing this up soon but the stock looks to be in great shape and right now soaking parts to make a better evaluation. No rust on this rifle that i can tell.

My aluminum container sprung a leak so ill have to deal with the ziplock bags, those wont last long in my experience.

IndyColt · July 22, 2020, 01:44:19 PM

Looking good....you did better than me as a whole...

Mine can't even be considered "fully functional" as PSA described them....and "no broken stocks"....but I might have replaced my stock anyway....depending on how beat up it was....overall, the metal on mine I'm happy with.....however, ..yeah, I get to tear into my trigger group and hopefully have just a safety spring to replace...might as well learn right off the bat, lol......

In PSA's defense for me, mine's Cosmo was so thick, it was protected well, and hard to tell how bad/good it was.....their reviews seem pretty good overall..

auskip07 · July 22, 2020, 02:39:04 PM

Yeah it looked like the cosmoline applyer used the cosmoline to keep the stock together and to be fair they knew they would be long gone when it was uncovered.

Numrich has stocks for about 35 shipped i would go that route if you like the wood stocks. But otherwise your build looks good. (minus the safety )

auskip07 · July 22, 2020, 08:12:05 PM

i have a feeling the stock will turn out beautiful and with lots of character. Picture showing after cleaning and light sanding ive applied some 100% Tung Oil and will let that soak until tomorrow. Initial cleaning this gun has been dropped in the mud and there is some pitting on the receiver which i worked some xxx steel wool +oil on it to see what progress i could make.

Bob_The_Student · July 23, 2020, 04:50:55 AM

Looks like it will be a good one when all cleaned up. I only use a heat gun when I remove cosmoline. I hang both the receiver and the stock and keep the heat gun moving. As cosmoline softens or melts I wipe it away and repeat. As others have said, I'd be careful with easy-off on a matching stock. Personally I wouldn't use easy-off at all.

auskip07 · July 23, 2020, 07:43:30 AM

Thanks Bob, I did skip the easy off and just used mineral sprits and hot soapy water. then the heat gun when finished

What would you all suggest for the pitting on the receiver?
I have a few options, right now its soaking in wd40

-Clean it and apply a cold bluing solution
- try to sand the side smooth to eliminate some of the pitting and then apply cold blue
- Expensive dura-fil then a dura-blue that would cost around 100 dollars in material for the areosol cans since i dont have any spray guns or air brushes

Open to suggestions on how to handle it.

Phosphorus32 · July 23, 2020, 08:06:57 AM

Quote from: auskip07 on July 23, 2020, 07:43:30 AM
What would you all suggest for the pitting on the receiver?
I have a few options, right now its soaking in wd40

-Clean it and apply a cold bluing solution
- try to sand the side smooth to eliminate some of the pitting and then apply cold blue
- Expensive dura-fil then a dura-blue that would cost around 100 dollars in material for the areosol cans since i dont have any spray guns or air brushes

Open to suggestions on how to handle it.

Remove active rust using the oil/solvent soak you’re currently doing and a brass brush and/or bronze wool. Clean off with a good WD-40 or RemOil spray-down then oil the metal and call it good. Sandpaper and cold blue shouldn’t even be in the same room with a milsurp

auskip07 · July 23, 2020, 08:39:36 AM

Quote from: Phosphorus32 on July 23, 2020, 08:06:57 AM
Quote from: auskip07 on July 23, 2020, 07:43:30 AM
What would you all suggest for the pitting on the receiver?
I have a few options, right now its soaking in wd40

-Clean it and apply a cold bluing solution
- try to sand the side smooth to eliminate some of the pitting and then apply cold blue
- Expensive dura-fil then a dura-blue that would cost around 100 dollars in material for the areosol cans since i dont have any spray guns or air brushes

Open to suggestions on how to handle it.

Remove active rust using the oil/solvent soak you’re currently doing and a brass brush and/or bronze wool. Clean off with a good WD-40 or RemOil spray-down then oil the metal and call it good. Sandpaper and cold blue shouldn’t even be in the same room with a milsurp

Good advice but do you not think the cold blue + oil will provide better future protection?

Larry D. · July 23, 2020, 11:03:07 AM

At the end of the day, it's your rifle to do with as you will.
As for me, I'll touch up bluing to cover wear or a scratch sometimes. But for pitting, I think it turns out looking pretty cheesy.
You might want to try to find some images online to see if you're gonna get the result to really want.

I think a lot of milsurp guys consider pitting just part of the life of the gun and, while we may not highlight or brag about it, we generally don't cover it up either.

Keep up on your regular maintenance and it'll be just fine.

auskip07 · July 23, 2020, 11:46:51 AM

good point, ill just keep it oiled and not bother with the bluing.

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PSA Grade 2 project