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Displaced Texan

Old shotgun project now complete

By Displaced Texan, in Gunsmithing

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted

I have an old pump shotgun, a Marlin Glenfield 778 that’s seen it better days. It was my duck hunting gun back in the day. 
It’s missing a few parts, and needs a refinish. 
I was thinking about cutting the barrel to 18.5”, and refinishing the wood. Maybe re-blue it. Maybe just rattle can it. 

If it were in good shape, it would be worth $100-150 tops. It will cost me about that in parts to get it back together, plus whatever elbow grease it takes me to clean it up. 

What do y’all think? Should I bring new life into that beat up old shotgun, or just hang it on the wall? It’s fate rests in YOUR hands! 

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JC_68Westy    1,024

JC_68Westy
Posted

I cut an old (1949) Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight down to 19". It had a dent in the barrel at about 21". It was very easy to straighten the cut using a piece of 90 degree angle iron and a file. I then used a muzzle facing cutter/pilot from Brownells. I love the beat up old shotgun. 

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GRIZ    3,369

GRIZ
Posted
1 minute ago, JC_68Westy said:

I cut an old (1949) Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight down to 19". It had a dent in the barrel at about 21". It was very easy to straighten the cut using a piece of 90 degree angle iron and a file. I then used a muzzle facing cutter/pilot from Brownells. I love the beat up old shotgun. 

You are talented!!! Most wouldn't attempt that!!!

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JC_68Westy    1,024

JC_68Westy
Posted
Just now, GRIZ said:

You are talented!!! Most wouldn't attempt that!!!

It was very easy, the barrel metal is soft on the Ithaca. The dent in the barrel bothered me and the old M37's had fitted barrels. You cant just buy another barrel for them (according to everything I have read). The only thing I never did was put a bead on it. I may bring it to the local gunsmith to drill and tap for a bead.

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Parker    213

Parker
Posted
15 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

I have an old pump shotgun, a Marlin Glenfield 778 that’s seen it better days. It was my duck hunting gun back in the day. 
It’s missing a few parts, and needs a refinish. 
I was thinking about cutting the barrel to 18.5”, and refinishing the wood. Maybe re-blue it. Maybe just rattle can it. 

If it were in good shape, it would be worth $100-150 tops. It will cost me about that in parts to get it back together, plus whatever elbow grease it takes me to clean it up. 

What do y’all think? Should I bring new life into that beat up old shotgun, or just hang it on the wall? It’s fate rests in YOUR hands! 

Economy grade of the Marlin 120. (And has a similar look to a Winchester Model 12, which was not by accident.) Would be a fun project and you've got nothing to lose. Guns like this are worth working on. You should definitely do this and post BEFORE & AFTER pics.  

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Parker    213

Parker
Posted
5 hours ago, JC_68Westy said:

It was very easy, the barrel metal is soft on the Ithaca. The dent in the barrel bothered me and the old M37's had fitted barrels. You cant just buy another barrel for them (according to everything I have read). The only thing I never did was put a bead on it. I may bring it to the local gunsmith to drill and tap for a bead.

Correct, you can't swap barrels on the older Ithaca's. Each Roto-Forged barrel prior to S/N 855,000 was individually fit to the receiver. 

You have options to get your receiver to fit the newer replaceable barrels but there's an expense. Ithaca can do this and I think Diamond Gunsmithing in NY may still do it. 

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted

Survey says…build it!! 
 

We move in a week, so I’ll order parts on the other end and keep y’all posted. 

I don’t think I’m going to make this into anything pretty, but a functional, 18.5” truck gun. 

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted

Im bound and determined to bring this old shotgun back to life. 
I received the parts I needed from www.gunpartscorp.com, and went to work. 
About 15 mins of fiddling around got it all together, and it seems to work properly. 
 

I replaced the forend, as the original one was cracked. I could have probably repaired it, but the original replacement part was only $25. Why not. 
 

Tomorrow, I’m going to take it all apart again and clean the snot out of everything, and steel wool the surface rust off. I’ll also sand the stock down and fill the dents, dings, and chips. I’m not going to do a fancy finish on it, maybe a little stain and an oil finish. Keep it simple. 
That will make a nice little Sunday morning project while I watch the bucks chase the does in my backyard. 
 

I haven’t researched a smith to cut down the barrel to 20” yet. That’s a problem for another day. 

8FA1A926-CE9A-49F1-A872-33BF5401C41C.jpeg

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted

Sat on the patio this morning and rubbed down the receiver with oil and steel wool, and removed the surface rust. 
All while watching a big 8 point buck sniff around some does. 
 

It’s clean enough for my purposes, I won’t bother with rattle canning it, I’ll leave it as is. 
 

I’ll get to work on the stock later. 

7A50EE8F-8502-493B-9655-028D4A32BB37.jpeg

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted

Dropped off the barrel to a local gunsmith to be cut down to 20”.

I plan on getting busy on the wood this weekend. I’m just going to sand it all down to bare wood, and put a simple oil finish on it. K.I.S.S., as it’s just gonna be a beater trunk gun. 

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Displaced Texan    11,752

Displaced Texan
Posted
26 minutes ago, gleninjersey said:

When is the first NJGUNFORUMS Texas hunt?  Next fall?  

 

We can get a hog hunt together any time. No seasons, no bag limits. Take all you want, don’t bring ‘em back. 
 

Deer, probably next fall. 

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