Calling Bubba Joe

[Gussy]

Any "good" ideas on how to open a rusted tight Stevens Tip Up??

Rifle was recently given to me. It hung on a barn for years.... outside. Surprisingly, the action still works and the wood is intact.

I've had it soaking in Kroil for a week.

OK Bubba... I've got the popcorn and beer.... Let's hear it. : shock:

[art ruggiero]

try soaking in edds red a good homemade solvent art

[buffalocannon]

I don't know how bad off it is but I have had luck over the years getting stuff to move with Liquid Wrench that I never thought would be free again. Patience and rubber mallet. They now make a spray. I found an antique fencing tool buried in the dirt once that looked like a glob of rust. Took me a while but it now works. Once you get it to operate, go after it with wire brush. You will probably reveal pitting but such patina never bothered me. Those old Stevens Tip Up rifles and handguns are neat firearms. I always liked them. What calibre?

[Gussy]

.22 Cal, pretty Rusty but missing the catch, but everything else looks okay.

[craneman]

If it were mine I'd go to your local Tru Value and buy a gallon of Evaporust and soak it in that. It does a great job of eating rust if you can immerse the object in it and let it soak.

Todd

[Woody]

Diesel fuel and ATF. Soaking more than a few minutes is wasted. Gently heat to warm to the touch. What I mean here is hot enough not to inspect too long but cool enough that you can at least pick it up. Plastic or wood mallet will impart more shock than a rubber mallet. Not hard raps, but multiple ones should get it moving. ATF is the best penetrating solution available. Wood or plastic mallet will not damage the metal. This also works with rusted screws. Insert a properly fitting screwdriver and rap it with a hammer. It's the shock more than the force that loosens the stuck parts.

Woody

[Gamerancher]

In my experience, rust is the strongest glue you can get.

[Gussy]

Thanks for the replies. This thing has a very long area where it's rusted. I've been thinking about a little heat. Also thinking about trying to get some dry ice. Warm the action and ice the barrel.

[beltfed]

I would opt for 50-50 Acetone and ATF
beltfed/arnie

[Gussy]

Previous owner had hit with a wire wheel in a couple spots.

IMG_20200422_112842764_resize_0.jpg

[beltfed]

Gussy,
If you decide to "parts it out" , I would be very interested in the trigger guard.
I have a .22 heavy barrel Tipup, in "uniform brown" finish. All was there except trigger guard.
It was used by my cousins to play cowboy and Indians and I expect it was left outside often.
I lined it and even shot it in a long range .22 gong match after adding a tang sight and globe front.
did pretty well, considering first and only time out with it.
I have now added a pair of Unertl bases. To see just how well( or how bad) it might shoot.
Also lined the other "brown rifle" , a Low wall .22. Need to see how that shoots, too.

Thanks
beltfed/arnie

[Gussy]

If I get it open, I'm thinking of putting a liner in it. Since the previous owner pretty much ruined the barn wall finish I might continue with the wire wheel to even the metal look then brown it.

I will need to make a new lock piece. Seems parts are non-existent. Missing the front blade. Sight is there, just blade is gone.

[DaveC]

Even if you could find a used, unworn lock wedge, it would very likely only be good as a pattern for the one that you will need to make on your own anyway. Getting a tight lockup with no barrel wobble takes a lot of spotting, testing, Swiss filing, re-spotting and retesting. Any wobble in that area will keep getting worse, if you shoot the thing a lot.

I had to make one for a worn Stevens Off-Hand pistol that I rebuilt. The old wedge was serial numbered to the gun. After a few days of dressing down the oversized blank I made to fit the barrel locking groove, I could see the reason for the serial number. Probably the finicky hand work was also the reason the rifles were relatively expensive back then.

Rodney Storie makes casting sets for Stevens Tip-Up rifles. You might ask him if he has spare blanks available for the wedge and button.

[Gussy]

[quote=DaveC post

Rodney Storie makes casting sets for Stevens Tip-Up rifles. You might ask him if he has spare blanks available for the wedge and button.
[/quote]

Thank you for the information! When I get it open and do an inspection, I'll decide where I will go on this project.

Gus

[Gussy]

Well, took a little heat. Still have to free the pivot screw from the barrel. Extractor link is broken.

There was still a headless case in the chamber.

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