I recently won an auction on Gunbroker for a 1926 vintage Oberndorf Mauser sporter in 7X64 Brenneke. I must have been half asleep when I placed the bid, as I don't recall seeing a note about rescuing the gun from a fire. My intention was to restock the gun and resell it. At any rate, the damage is done (pardon the pun) and I'll have to live with the consequences. The firing pin spring, double set trigger spring and magazine spring have been annealed. The bolt release spring and the spring in the claw mount are weak but still working. The bond on the soldered-on claw mount bases have not been affected. The bore is bright and a bright spot (and another pun, sorry). Of course I don't have any idea to what degree the action, bolt and barrel have been affected by the heat. I've posted one photo here and a link to the photos taken from the auction listing. The gun is at a refinisher's who will remove the damaged finish down to bare metal. Are there gunsmiths who can assess the damage and correct it if possible? Of course we all have heard of re heat treating action, but what about the barrel and bolt? The bottom metal is not seriously affected except for the set trigger spring and possibly the sear on the set trigger. I would think that prudence would dictate replacing the cocking piece and perhaps the entire bolt. At this juncture I have about $435 in the gun and I would sell it and ship it to a qualified gunsmith for repair. If the finisher gets to it before I sell it, there will be a charge for his time. I humbly see your expert advise as to how to proceed should I decide to keep the gun.

http://s396.photobucket.com/us...%20Fire%20%20Damaged

If the springs have gone soft, the rest of the metalwork has changed as well. I would not trust it.

I played with a similar fire victim (Columbian 30-06 made by FN) that I got for nothing. In my case the barrel was bent from the heat so it was discarded.
The bolt locking lugs were annealed and I tossed it. I replaced the bolt body, main spring, springs for the floor plate, bolt stop, sear and bolt sleeve lock.
The receiver was reheat treated.
I found a new 1908 Brazilian 7X57 barrel and installed it. Then I painted it with black epoxy polyamid paint and installed it into an old Firearms International stock. Because of its history the rifle will never be sold. It has been used for hunting in bad weather since 1985.
I probably have less than $50 in it but it was not really worth the trouble. The new 7X57 barrel belonged on a better action.

In your case I would check the barrel to see if it is still straight. You could also push some .30 or .31 diameter lead balls or bullets through the bore to see if it still has a uniform groove diameter. That is look for tight and loose spots.
One way to clean the parts is find a shop that has a soda blast. This will remove the scale without significant retexturing of the metal surface.

It is possible that the bolt, barrel and receiver could have warped so check those out.

It may be possible to salvage and use the rifle in some way but what would you tell a prospective buyer?

A fire damaged firearm has to be very carefully assessed before any restoration is in order.

I would contact the seller and attempt to get more information. I would ask about fire damage to the stock. Was it singed? Wood charred? Where burnt on stock? ie just at butt? forend? This will tell you where the most heat occurred and hence the greatest impact on metal heat treat.

I would get a couple estimates for the repair work. My experience is that this is a costly endeavor. The barrel may not be salvageable as it may be twisted. Solder looks to have boiled out of rear scope base (?). Mag box has deep corrosion on side wall.

I know it's tempting to take on a project like this however I sell and put the money towards a good used custom. Lots out there for sale.

Consider the whole thing as un-heat treated at this point, and you have to restore the heat treating of each part.

That means replacement of anything that is a spring, complete stripping of the action and bolt, and having every part re-hardened.

And pitch the barrel, I know of no way to test it safely, and they are not a heat treated part you can have corrected. One soft spot and you have a burst or at best bulge.

Fire is the surest way to ruin a firearm.

Jeremy

Have you confirmed caliber as 7x64...barrel is marked 7mm which normally means 7x57. If it's the larger caliber I'd be very cautious. The barrel can be chamber cast; bore scoped and measured for straightness; crown checked. If out of spec then it's a new barrel.

Shame it was a nice action. From the looks of it I'd say its toast, no punn. You might be able to have it reheated but I think you are taking a big chance to try and restore it. Why throw more money into it only to find that its not usable.

Yes Sam , it's a project .All parts have to be inspected .checked for hardness .Replace all springs , sear .trigger.Receiver and bolt rehardened [case hardened in the process].I don't think it's worth the time ,effort and cost.

The test is; if the springs are soft, then so is all the surrounding metal, and since you can't tell exactly how hot it really got, they are usually junk at that point. So, for me, it would be a wall hanger at best. Or a good lesson to us all.

Reheat it!.

Personally for me, the risk to my eyes, face and head are just not worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Personally for me, the risk to my eyes, face and head are just not worth it.

Not to mention the possible loss/loss of use of hands,fingers,arms. Polish it up and use it for a paper weight!

Hang it on the wall as a reminder to be very careful the next time.

I knew where a pre 64 model 70 feather weight was free for the picking up in a burned down house.

didn't even brother with it.

Once we had a guy trying to peddle a pre 64 M70 .375 H&H Magnum action with the exact same appearance here. He denied over and over that the rifle had been burned. But he had no springs with it.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
Once we had a guy trying to peddle a pre 64 M70 .375 H&H Magnum action with the exact same appearance here. He denied over and over that the rifle had been burned. But he had no springs with it.

I remember that thread quite well.

I sold the gun to a local Mauser expert who knew exactly what the gun is: a commercial Mauser action made circa 1905. He pointed out the proofs and the Orbendorf serial number, and the serial numbers on the magazine box and small parts. He has the expertise and contacts to restore it to working condition and he has extra parts, especially springs, to replace those damaged. He didn't think that heat treating the action and bolt are insurmountable tasks. And he said the barrel can most likely be saved also. But he will proof test it after heat treating before he puts it back into service. I'm glad he has it. If I had not been able to sell it to him, I was ready to salvage the bottom metal and other small parts and cut the rest into little pieces. Unlike the seller from whom I bought it, I would not risk transferring it to someone who might get hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
Once we had a guy trying to peddle a pre 64 M70 .375 H&H Magnum action with the exact same appearance here. He denied over and over that the rifle had been burned. But he had no springs with it.

I remember that thread quite well.

AHH! Sweet memories of the ornery SOB