.333 Jeff - Resurrecting an old soldier

[John Telford]

Piet- I have used Plush red furniture oil (during lockdown when every shop except pick and pay was open) which you should also get in Zambia. I agree with the gents above- strip the stock with paint remover and use the back of a hacksaw blade to scrape anne old varnish off. Oil can be removed by heating the stock over a gas flame but don’t burn the wood! ( done that also!) you will also need to use stock filler to kill the pores in the wood. See Magnum February 1999 for details.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

You have made your choices re stain and oil finish. I know little about BC stains. Hopefully oil based. You can tell quickly reading the cleanup section of instructions on the bottle. If it says clean with water, I would be cautious. Oil base stain actually will bring up highlights in the wood if you wipe down with a rag soaked in mineral spirits or thinner after the stain has dried a bit. The stain stays in the grain and thinner wipes it mostly clean from more dense sections of the wood. Water base stain will raise the grain and requires buffing down with steel wool afterwards.

I suppose it's best to see if it will shoot first before getting too excited? That is a very intriguing cartridge and I'm interested to see how this turns out. I've said it before, no one worth breathing wants to be "normal." But we have to be realistic. I thought about building another rifle in another resurrected historic caliber but decided I'm at a stage in life where I should be disaccumulating stuff. So, please keep posting with progress so I can live vicariously as you move forward with this project. It's been fun.

 

[Piet-Vis]

Piet- I have used Plush red furniture oil (during lockdown when every shop except pick and pay was open) which you should also get in Zambia. I agree with the gents above- strip the stock with paint remover and use the back of a hacksaw blade to scrape anne old varnish off. Oil can be removed by heating the stock over a gas flame but don’t burn the wood! ( done that also!) you will also need to use stock filler to kill the pores in the wood. See Magnum February 1999 for details.

Thanks John, I remember the article, but could not find it. Do you perhaps have a Index for all of the Magnum issues?

 

[Piet-Vis]

An oil base stain is preferable. You don't want a water based stain.

Personally, I would leave this stock the way it is. Note the birdseye knot at the heel. It was a rather low grade piece of wood from the get go which is a bit of a curiosity for a custom made gun. I'm thinking it was probably ordered during the Depression with an eye to keeping costs low. Perhaps the client suddenly ran out of money before it was finished? Would not be surprising in a post Market Crash economic climate. The stock has a story to tell for sure. Perhaps that may be a selling point?

I thought about building a rifle in that very interesting historic caliber but finding components would be a challenge (understatement!). What safety is on your rifle? I don't see a side mount trigger block or Model 70 style. And there doesn't appear to be enough clearance under the scope for a Mauser flag safety. It's a military conversion, correct? Looks like expensive folding leafs express rear sight. Again, top shelf furnishings just doesn't fit with a cheap piece of wood containing multiple flaws. Very odd.

Edit: Apparently Charles Osborne Company was dissolved before the Depression in 1926. According to one source they specialized in "affordable" African and Indian hunting rifles. So there's your explanation. This gun was made for the market, not an individual. Made to look like a top end custom rifle but more or less mass produced for economy.

Correct, no safety.
I'll consider spending money on something once I get her shooting straight.
I was raised (yes, yes I know it's bad) not to trust a safety and simply walk about with the Mauser bolt handle lifted.
I've got more brains now, but old habits die hard.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Correct, no safety.
I'll consider spending money on something once I get her shooting straight.
I was raised (yes, yes I know it's bad) not to trust a safety and simply walk about with the Mauser bolt handle lifted.
I've got more brains now, but old habits die hard.

For most of my life I put up with a faulty Buhler style scope relief safety on my sporterized Springfield 03A3. Jiggle the bolt and safety disengaged. My old habit was constantly checking the safety while hunting to ensure it hadn't slipped off. That was sorta acceptable because I hunted alone. But when I started hunting Africa with PH and tracker that safety had to go. Installed a better scope relief safety at the same I put iron sights and quick detach rings on the rifle. Unfortunately, the new safety is also unsafe when the scope is removed. Then it's unprotected by scope, easily caught on clothing, and disengaged. So I'll probably spend the big bucks for 3-position Model 70 side safety. About twice the price of similar safety I installed on my military Mauser 404J. You can buy one of those for $200 that will fit your rifle. Or a "deluxe" Timney trigger with trigger block safety, but that would require modifying the stock. I would suggest considering upgrade to standard Timney trigger and 3-position Model 70 style safety. Those safeties sometimes require modifying the striker or trigger. Don't mess up either original equipment. Modify the sear on aftermarket Timney if needed. Save the old parts in case some day you decide to restore the rifle (as much as possible) to original. But that would require filling the scope base screw holes, polish, and have it reblued. Since it never will be original and because that caliber is best served with a scope (i.e. not a dangerous game rifle), I would probably upgrade to a different safety.

Have you been able to locate any ammo for it? There must be an interesting story behind this rifle and its extended residence at a local African police station. The fact that it didn't get legs and walk out the back door years ago must say something about the integrity of that unit.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Here's the quick detach setup on my Mauser. The one-piece base is from COOP USA and rings are Warne QD. Less than $150 total as I recall. The Model 70 safety is Parkwest (Dakota Arms) and $200 in the white. Slightly more for blued or color case hardened.

That old 3x Weaver scope was temporary. New 1-4.5x has been shipped.

 

[Piet-Vis]

For most of my life I put up with a faulty Buhler style scope relief safety on my sporterized Springfield 03A3. Jiggle the bolt and safety disengaged. My old habit was constantly checking the safety while hunting to ensure it hadn't slipped off. That was sorta acceptable because I hunted alone. But when I started hunting Africa with PH and tracker that safety had to go. Installed a better scope relief safety at the same I put iron sights and quick detach rings on the rifle. Unfortunately, the new safety is also unsafe when the scope is removed. Then it's unprotected by scope, easily caught on clothing, and disengaged. So I'll probably spend the big bucks for 3-position Model 70 side safety. About twice the price of similar safety I installed on my military Mauser 404J. You can buy one of those for $200 that will fit your rifle. Or a "deluxe" Timney trigger with trigger block safety, but that would require modifying the stock. I would suggest considering upgrade to standard Timney trigger and 3-position Model 70 style safety. Those safeties sometimes require modifying the striker or trigger. Don't mess up either original equipment. Modify the sear on aftermarket Timney if needed. Save the old parts in case some day you decide to restore the rifle (as much as possible) to original. But that would require filling the scope base screw holes, polish, and have it reblued. Since it never will be original and because that caliber is best served with a scope (i.e. not a dangerous game rifle), I would probably upgrade to a different safety.

Have you been able to locate any ammo for it? There must be an interesting story behind this rifle and its extended residence at a local African police station. The fact that I didn't get legs and walk out the back door years ago must say something about the integrity of that unit.

I fitted a adjustable trigger by Thor engineering over the weekend. They also manufacture a Winchester type safety that I might do after I get her shooting.

The only reason why the gun was not stolen was because Ammo is not available here. I'll have to import. It is another project I'm working on.

 

[John Telford]

N

Thanks John, I remember the article, but could not find it. Do you perhaps have a Index for all of the Magnum issues

No Piet I don’t! By chance I had the copy next to my bed as it had an interesting article about the 500 Jeffery. There was also an article in Magnum by Koos Barnard where he uses egg white as a filler. He also used lemon juice for some purpose.
All this talk got me in the mood to do a stock so I stripped down a Mannlicher that was due a revamp and have gotten as far as removing the old varnish. One of my old reference books recommends using silica powder mixed with marine spar varnish and thinned down as a first layer.
Can anyone tell me what Marrine spar varnish is?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

N

No Piet I don’t! By chance I had the copy next to my bed as it had an interesting article about the 500 Jeffery. There was also an article in Magnum by Koos Barnard where he uses egg white as a filler. He also used lemon juice for some purpose.
All this talk got me in the mood to do a stock so I stripped down a Mannlicher that was due a revamp and have gotten as far as removing the old varnish. One of my old reference books recommends using silica powder mixed with marine spar varnish and thinned down as a first layer.
Can anyone tell me what Marrine spar varnish is?

Spar varnish is softer for exterior use. Because it's softer, it moves better with wood that is expanding and contracting due to elements. Therefore it's more waterproof and durable for outside use. However, like any varnish it yellows. Not an issue if one is just using it as a filler. Because spar varnish is soft it would be easy to take down to wood with steel wool. Oil finish won't adhere to it but if it's only used to fill pores, that probably wouldn't be an issue. Lemon juice will also yellow the wood. Mom used lemon oil on our living room's beautiful birch paneling. My dad almost cried.

 

[rdog]

@Piet-Vis
Forgot ot attach this.
Bob
View attachment 583953

I use that brand of Red oil it enhances the grain & stains the timber slightly, you can use a number of coats
to get the effect required. then finish it with a product from the same manufacture called Chinese wood oil a drying oil with much better drying propites than boiled linseed , its made in Australia. it also does a good job on Beach & birch stocks.

 

[Piet-Vis]

Ok, after a lot of web browsing, I ordered a jar of Timberluxe as per Rookhawks suggestion from the US. I also ordered some rottenstone powder.
The delivered cost for these two items will be more than what my domestic worker (who earns more than min wage) earns in a month. Living in a failed state is not always that much fun!

 

[Nhoro]

I used food colouring after removing the polyurethsne varnish and then boiled linseed oil, sanded in with wet and dry paper.you can see the results somewhere on the forum - I did a little write up. I parked it next to a VC double the other day and mine was impressive. The main thing is attention to detail and letting the oil dry between applications.i also did an ancient Brno .22 the same way. Darkened and evened out the colour and then BLO

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

@Piet-Vis
Forgot ot attach this.
Bob
View attachment 583953

I didn’t know he was still in business ( high end custom furniture ) he seemed to loose the plot a bit after his daughter was in that horrible car accident about 20-25 years ago ( brain damage) I did some work for him back then. That red oil is basically alkanet root in oil with stabilisers and his furniture oil is Tung oil. As to restoring the gun, anything done to it will turn it back into a shooter will be better than how it was, if it was mine I would strip the stock back to bare wood, re stain it to an old English red/ brown and coat it with lynspeed or tru-oil and rotten stone and then dull it with OOOO steel wool or a white scotchbrite pad which should give a depth without the gloss
gumpy

 

[AZDAVE]

Having read all the posts, I use basically the same methods as @rookhawk on my own rifles and shotguns. A traditional english style oil finish is just the right way to approach a old classic rifle like the one you found. IMO that is the way to go.

There are a bunch of other methods that will produce a functional protective kinda shiny appearance. You just need to decide what you want on your rifle.

 

[Piet-Vis]

Good Day All

I took the lady to the range with some disappointing results. She groups approximately 5" at 25 meters with both 250-grain and 300-grain ammunition. I want to narrow down possible causes by starting to look at the rifle. Once I have eliminated rifle related issues, I will look at ammo related issues. One step at a time.

This forum has tremendous experience, please share what I shoud check or attempt. My first idea would be to consider bedding the action. However, there is a screw that attaches the fore-end stock to the barrel, so the barrel cannot be free floated. I can see that the fore-end touches the barrel at several places, apart from the screw. If bedding is the answer.
My second though is to have a look at the rifling. There are a myriad of borescope available on the web. Would you recomend I buy one, and what should I look out for?
What else should I consider, apart from making sure that the telescope is mounted correctly?

 

[rdog]

No amount of bedding will fix 5 inch groups at 25 meters first thing i would do is have a good look at the barrel if its ok, look at the ammo , the leupold scope looks new , are the mounts ok ? Good luck.

 

[Piet-Vis]

No amount of bedding will fix 5 inch groups at 25 meters first thing i would do is have a good look at the barrel if its ok, look at the ammo , the leupold scope looks new , are the mounts ok ? Good luck.

New Scope, new mounts, new bases..
I suspect I need a large bucket of luck here.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Look at the muzzle crown. Might be buggered. It's a quick job for a gunsmith to recess the crown.

Free floating barrels was not generally done in the old days. You could try free floating this one but it might be difficult if a nut has been attached to barrel for that fore end screw. Hopefully it was just threaded into the barrel. Not sure what that's there for. Too far back from fore end tip to be a pressure point and seems a bit forward from receiver to be recoil lug.

Where did you find ammo for 333 Jeffery? Is it old stuff?

 

[Piet-Vis]

I think I'll order a borescope and get a better look. From the naked eye it seems if the rifling are OK on the chamber side, but on the muzzle end it seems be be worn smooth? Could this be?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I think I'll order a borescope and get a better look. From the naked eye it seems if the rifling are OK on the chamber side, but on the muzzle end it seems be be worn smooth? Could this be?

If the rifle was stored with butt grounded, it's possible moisture found its way down the muzzle. Or at some point muzzle may have been accidentally shoved in the mud and not properly cleaned afterwards. May need to cut off a bit of the end of the barrel and recrown it. Or if only the crown is messed up, recessing it might be the answer. The latter really should not significantly affect collector value. Cutting down the barrel would require moving the front sight. Fortunately, the barrel is quite long so you have latitude for removing some length without it appearing terribly altered.