2nd Mk I BAR

[eagle rider]

Happy Sunday y'all! So my local shop cals me a week ago, he's got a 1970 Mk I, Grade II 30-06. Rifle is 95% plus. Has Leopold B & R installed, and old Bushnell scope which is destined for the trash can. I will replace with Leopold VX1 or Burris Drop tine, to be decided. The original magazine is in the rifle (glad its there but I have plenty of spares as well). It has one speck of rest, not through the steel, on the forward part of the receiver where the barrel threads in on the left side of the slab. It's smaller than a rifle primer in diameter, and I know I can cold blue it out. Scroll engraving on the action is still sharp. The action cycles well, feeds, extracts and ejects with authority (snap caps only). The rifling is deep and sharp with no muzzle wear and the wood is perfect. He let me get my hands on it for $700. Naturally I jumped at it. Similar guns on line in that shape are all north of $1,000. This will make #2 in the collection, the other is a 1968 Grade 1. I should have her home this week coming. I just need to make time to get there. 

I will replace the action spring and buffer just cause they are 40 plus years old. That's been ordered from gunparts.com already. I have been hearing that in these old late 60's early 70's Mk I's Browning chromed the piston but not the gas cylinder and that can become a fail point in some guns. Most guy's from, what I hear wrap oiled fine (000) steel wool or emory cloths around around a wood dowel and use that to pull any grit and early rough spots out of the cylinder. Some guys use Flitz compound on patches and polish with that, then flush it out with a good solvent like #9. That all makes sense and I will do that the next time I have my Mk I's apart.  

My question is after I do that, what can I use to condition the steel inside the cylinder? Is a light oil or a teflon infused gun oil okay (Hopes T3 Elite)? My guess is that it has to withstand high temperatures without gumming up. Would a gun grease work inside there. Again, I'm looking to help preserve and condition the metal. Thoughts and wisdom always appreciated.

Edited August 28, 2016 by eagle rider

[airedale]

Hey Eagle Rider, 

Congratulations on your find, those BARs are surely top of the line autoloaders and the price is right. If the old Bushnell scope is an old Scope Chief model I owned one myself many years ago and can tell you they were a fine scope in their day, it had nice clear optics and adjustments. You might want to put it in a drawer and save it for a beater you may come across down the road instead of tossing it

As for cleaning the insides of a very dirty firearm you do not want to completely disassemble I use an old tip I got from a gunsmith many years ago. He would soak the complete gun in a plastic tub that fit the gun with enough white kerosene or Coleman fuel to cover it minus the wooden stock of course. Slosh the gun around every now and then and take a soft bristle brush of some kind to remove any gummed up oil or sludge in every place you can get at. Just about all the gunk that is in and on a gun that has been fired a lot will come loose and that kerosene will end up being filthy. When you get all the crap off you can see just stand the firearm up in a position so that all the fluid drain away and wipe clean and dry with a soft cloth. For lubrication go with a lite fine gun oil, the Kerosene itself also actually has a lubricating quality to it so it helps protect places you can not get at.

I have used that method many many times over the years mostly for my handguns with very good results. As for the used dirty fuel just run it through a paper filter back into it's container and you can use it over again.

 

Al

Edited August 28, 2016 by airedale

[eagle rider]

7 minutes ago, airedale said:

Hey Eagle Rider, 

Congratulations on your find, those BARs are surely top of the line autoloaders and the price is right. If the old Bushnell scope is an old Scope Chief model I owned one myself many years ago and can tell you they were a fine scope in their day, it had nice clear optics and adjustments. You might want to put it in a drawer and save it for a beater you may come across down the road instead of tossing it

As for cleaning the insides of a very dirty firearm you do not want to completely disassemble I use an old tip I got from a gunsmith many years ago. He would soak the complete gun in a plastic tub that fit the gun with enough white kerosene or Coleman fuel to cover it minus the wooden stock of course. Slosh the gun around every now and then and take a soft bristle brush of some kind to remove any gummed up oil or sludge in every place you can get at. Just about all the gunk that is in and on a gun that has been fired a lot will come loose and that kerosene will end up being filthy. When you get all the crap off you can see just stand the firearm up in a position so that all the fluid drain away and wipe clean and dry with a soft cloth. For lubrication go with a lite fine gun oil, the Kerosene itself also actually has a lubricating quality to it so it helps protect places you can not get at.

I have used that method many many times over the years mostly for my handguns with very good results. As for the used dirty fuel just run it through a paper filter back into it's container and you can use it over again.

 

Al

My main concern is the gas system.  I can likely strip it enough to do what you said.... will kerosine damage the blueing?  

[airedale]

White kerosene or Coleman fuel is much milder than any commercial gun solvent. The best test for any harm to a finish, I probably gave my old model 41 S&W target gun  30 or 40 good soak-cleaning jobs and the blueing was not harmed in any way.

If you use kerosene make sure it is the white clear stuff, some places are putting a red dye in it, that I would not use.

 

Al

Edited August 28, 2016 by airedale

[eagle rider]

Update..... I have the rifle now.  The gas system was pretty well fouled.  I had to use a punch to get the piston from the cylinder.  It was throughly gunned up.  Turned a Chinese soup continuer filled with #9 black.  Got the gun functioning well.  I took it to the range.  It was a single shot for the first 10 rounds until she loosened up a bit.  She cycles nicely.  Shoots an 1.25" at 100 yds (3 shot groups).  Not as good as my Grade 1 BAR, but plenty good for a semi-auto deer rifle.  I'll put some pics of it up tomorrow.  I just cleaned it and put it back in the safe.  

[ATbuckhunter]

Sounds like a great rifle! Post a pic when you can

[eagle rider]

Here are a few pics.  Both rifles in the first pics are Mk I (Belgian guns).  The difference is that the one with the oiled stock and plain receiver is a Grade I, the one with the lacquered furniture and engraved receiver is a Grade II.  There is nothing like them.  The basic concept for their as system is very close to John Browning's 1918 design.  Simple, yet efficient.  I will say they are among the loudest rifles I have ever heard report out.  

[airedale]

NICE!!!  Two Beauties

 

Al

Edited September 3, 2016 by airedale

[stoneam2006]

Awesome looking rifles....I love wood furniture but don't own any as I can't bring myself to crawl thru the thicket and scratch it up...not to mention it weighs

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[eagle rider]

They are not as heavy as you'd think.  They go about 8.5 pounds with glass mounted.  As far as the thickets go,.... walk around them....

[hunterdan44]

Love the guns I own one in 300 win mag , I love it. Have taken bears n deer with it shoots great. Good luck!


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[eagle rider]

Thanks. The Grade I shoots 1" groups all day long at 100 yds. The grade 2 is a little more opened 1.25 to 1.5". Still amazing for a semi. I have had 7400's that are 2-2.5" guns at best. The BAR's are just way more accurate. It's a bonafide love affair.


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