I've had this on-going project I am working on ...

I picked up a Marlin 30-30 that had been neglected. I felt sorry for it and needed a summer project.

I pulled it apart and was happy to see the rust was basically exterior only. I soaked it in penetrating oil and then went to work with bronze wool ... and then 220 grit emery paper ..

There were places where I could not get all the pits out. I draw-filed some of the worst .. buffed it as much as I could but my skill only goes so far.

I decided to cut the barrel to 16 1/4 inches and I shortened the magazine tube also.

After working on it I finally came to the conclusion that I would give it a 'distressed' finish. That's PC for "crappy and old looking." If I like the gun and want a nice finish then one of these days it will show up in Flagstaff at Gary's for a refinish.

This model Marlin is the cheap one that Marlinton made for Walmart etc. The metal is not finished as nicely and the stock is basically plywood .. and ugly.

I got a walnut stock and a new forend from my friend Mic McPherson. I sanded off the checkering, thinned the forend and the stock. I took the grip cap off the stock and reshaped the pistol grip more like the old Marlin stocks.

I rubbed in 4 coats of tung oil, then buffed it with bronze wool and ended with 2 coats of beeswax.

I am going to mount a scope on it in the next day or two and then see how it shoots.

The rifle was basically unfired. The owner was fighting heart problems and never really got to use it. So while it may look like an old gun, it's actually fairly new.