Ruger MKI - assistance required.

[Mooseman]

As much as I would like to see before pictures, I will settle after photos when you get it looking like new.

 

[BradMacc82]

If it wasn't my brother, I'd have already posted them. Since he is my brother, and we all do dumb things from time to time, I'll take it easy on him and not post them up here.

I will say one thing though, it's taken a lot of work to get the metal smoothed out from the 'work' he did with a 320 sanding drum on the dremel, it wasn't his best choice.

 

[BradMacc82]

Gun fires, safely and accurately. Just let a few rounds off out back into my trap.

Got a little flustered because my darling brother wants it to look brand new again, so I may just have to bite the bullet and have it sent out to be cerakoted or something - I have no doubt I could get it to a like new condition with blueing, but it seems I may not have the luxury of spending a fair amount of time to get it there, brother is getting impatient, seems he doesn't fully realize the extent of work he created for me with this MK1.

I'm gaining a better appreciation and understanding for what an actual 'smith's work life has got to be like.

 

[BradMacc82]

Update -

I've pulled rank on my brother, I will continue the slow and tedious process of re-blueing it at home, I don't want to make a gunsmith or any other professional cry by having to uncluster his mistake.

I am at a point where it is starting to really take color, and I must say - if my brother is unhappy with the end result, I'm keeping it.

This is a MK1, A54 frame - the serial # is all but obliterated due to his exuberance with the dremel/sanding drum (), so I don't have a clear idea of production date. If I had to estimate, late '50's.

Pardon the cell phone pics, they don't do a lick of justice to how it actually appears. I consider this, about halfway done, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

View attachment 60780

View attachment 60781

 

[DaemonAssassin]

Looks like it is coming along nicely. My dad taught me how to shoot pistol with his Mk I many moons ago. I remember the first time I had to tear it apart and reassemble it, I swore never again what a PITA... I know to an extent what you were feeling with the reassembly and I hope in the future it isn't as stressful putting it back together.

I can't wait to see how this Mk I turns out for you after you are finished re-bluing it.

 

[wilcam47]

Looks like it is coming along nicely. My dad taught me how to shoot pistol with his Mk I many moons ago. I remember the first time I had to tear it apart and reassemble it, I swore never again what a PITA... I know to an extent what you were feeling with the reassembly and I hope in the future it isn't as stressful putting it back together.

I can't wait to see how this Mk I turns out for you after you are finished re-bluing it.

they are till you know the right way to do it...then its easy!! Looks good brad..

 

[BradMacc82]

That first time was an absolute mother, I've done it repeatedly now to build it into muscle memory - now it's no issue, that video wilcam put up there definitely helped me out - since I'm more of a visual learner.

The photo's don't do a lick of justice to it, between the bad lighting and my cell phone, it has a deep cobalt type of finish to it currently, so it's coming along.

I started with BARE, rough metal. I quit counting how many coats of Perma-Blue and 44/40 I've done, polishing every single layer to a high gloss. I've got more than a few hours sunk into this, so it'll be interesting to see it all done.

 

[BradMacc82]

UPDATE!!!

It is done.

Not quite the end result I was hoping for, but after 2 months - many hours of stripping the bluing (that I started to get on) back off and getting the barrel/receiver smooth as possible and then re-bluing, it is at a point where I feel (just) ok with returning it to my dear brother.

View attachment 63553

The frame, I left some areas with a weathered appearance - I thought it fitting since it is a '50's production MK I. The backstrap area in particular is one of those areas.

Barrel/receiver is where I spent the majority of my efforts, and I feel that shows, you'd be hard pressed to to find any evidence of past dremel work (thanks again brother...) - the pic doesn't do much justice.

If my brother isn't happy with it, then too damn bad for him...

 

[gmhowell]

Good job. If he doesn't like it, repo it.