Rifle action restoration and rebuild

[tjones96761]

I have what is left of this rifle that used to belong to my father. My brother somehow lost it out hunting and didn't find it till a year later, after it had been run over in the pasture. It's been kept oiled for the past 10 years, but the damage had already been done.
I would like to use the action and build a custom rifle if it can be salvaged. I'm sure it would be more cost effective to just put this one back where it was found, but it has sentimental value. That said, I don't want to rebuild it if it isn't going to look nice when it's finished.
I know zero about restoration/customizing. Can someone give me a clue as to whether this can even be rebuilt? What I'd like is to have the action rebuilt/repaired, fitted to a good synthetic stock and fitted with an ABS carbon fiber barrel. I can find price for the barrel and stock, but how much for the restoration, barrel fitting, bedding etc.? I'm sure there is more to the evaluation than the pictures will provide, but any help would be appreciated.
It's a Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model MCA in .243win. If you were blindfolded and racked the action in and out you'd never know how bad it looks on the outside, it's still silky smooth like it was 20 years ago.

 

[flatwins]

Wow, that was one beautiful rifle in its day. I'm assuming it has the full length stock?

 

[Leadlobber]

Wow, what a shame ... How biga boy is your brother ..that's deserving of a popknot.

That was one fine rifle in its day .

 

[willystruck]

Rust can be removed fairly easily. The problem is the pits left in the metal made by the rust. They are hard to hide or fill. How's the bore look? Have you run a cleaning rod through it? Are the bolt internals free, does it cock and dry fire? I'd get the stock off of it and check the internals asap. Take it to a gunsmith that builds/restores rifles and get a better idea of weather it can be made to look good and fire reliably either with a new barrel or the existing one.
If the action can be saved and made to look good again then you've got the makings of a fine rifle that will last the rest of your life and longer. As long as you keep your brother away from it!

Frank aka willystruck

 

[tjones96761]

I'm sure he's beat himself up over it enough already. Let's just say when I give my kids the "don't take drugs" speech he'll be there with me holding this rifle. I'm sure we'll do the same with his kids.
Thankfully he grew from a dumba$$ kid into a good family man. We've been looking for a replacement for nearly 10 years and found this one. He plans on giving it to our dad on his birthday in a couple months.
[Broken External Image]
That's why I'm looking for advise on the scope base in the other thread. the base on this one is an adjustable Kuharsky Bros and a fixed 4x Bosch and Lomb. gonna replace it with a Redfield 3-9 like what was on the old one.

 

[shortgrass]

Rust can be removed fairly easily. The problem is the pits left in the metal made by the rust. They are hard to hide or fill. How's the bore look? Have you run a cleaning rod through it? Are the bolt internals free, does it cock and dry fire? I'd get the stock off of it and check the internals asap. Take it to a gunsmith that builds/restores rifles and get a better idea of weather it can be made to look good and fire reliably either with a new barrel or the existing one.
If the action can be saved and made to look good again then you've got the makings of a fine rifle that will last the rest of your life and longer. As long as you keep your brother away from it!

Frank aka willystruck

There is ALWAYS rust in the bottom of those pits and, given even half a chance, it'll come crawling out at you! You can't fill pits on an action, it is heat treated. Welding on heat treated metal anneals it (makes it soft). This poor action is probobly beyond saving (by the looks of the pics).

 

[mr ed]

There is ALWAYS rust in the bottom of those pits and, given even half a chance, it'll come crawling out at you! You can't fill pits on an action, it is heat treated. Welding on heat treated metal anneals it (makes it soft). This poor action is probobly beyond saving (by the looks of the pics).

Weld away it won't hurt a thing as long as you stay away from the locking lugs and you can put heatsink paste on those.
I've done so much custom stuff over the years you wouldn't believe.
Most actions are heattreated on the lugs only. Don't believe me?
Take a military 98 receiver and put it on a rockwell hardness tester.
It will come out as a -10 to a +10. A rem 700 or win 70 will come out
+20 to +30. most actions are soft as butter except the lugs.

Hope you rebuild that rifle. I've got one in 7mm mauser that shoots wonderful.
built mine out of a mil-surp action.

 

[Old Fart]

Could you go back and stack those pictures instead side by side?

On a side note as bad as that thing is, it's in far better shape that my dad's Arisaka I inherited.
It had been left out in a barn or something.
Had a mud dobber in the barrel.
Completely covered in anywhere from lite to heavy rust.
It may take me years to finally get it cleaned up.

 

[shortgrass]

Weld away it won't hurt a thing as long as you stay away from the locking lugs and you can put heatsink paste on those.
I've done so much custom stuff over the years you wouldn't believe.
Most actions are heattreated on the lugs only. Don't believe me?
Take a military 98 receiver and put it on a rockwell hardness tester.
It will come out as a -10 to a +10. A rem 700 or win 70 will come out
+20 to +30. most actions are soft as butter except the lugs.

Hope you rebuild that rifle. I've got one in 7mm mauser that shoots wonderful.
built mine out of a mil-surp action.

Have at it. "Zone" hardening wasn't available when those military Mausers were being made. I'm was only a metalurgist for McGill Mfg. for 11 1/2 yrs, attended a two year gunsmithing program at MCC Troy N.C. (and graduated) and have 17 years of full time gunsmithing experiance under my belt. (I've put alot things under a tester, including actions). I've done a so much custom stuff over the years you wouldn't believe me either! Plus , I'm professionally trained, I don't tinker!

 

[KurtM]

Yes it can be restored. It will requier a lot of sanding and polishing to get down below the pitted surface, but that one doesn't look that bad.. Unfortunatly I don't know of anyone around here that does restoration and blueing. I know of a guy up in Arc. City Kansas named Rick Ballew that does this stuff some times and a place called T.J.'s Gunsmithing in Aurora Coloraddo that does outstanding restoration work, it wouldn't be cheap but it would be worth it. KurtM