# Marlin 989G .22lr project



## ted_BSR (Jun 9, 2014)

I am about 95% done on my first gun refurbishing project. It is not perfect, but I am pleased with the result, and I learned a lot on the way. Here is the story:

My dad bought this gun when he was 13 years old in 1963. It was the first gun he ever bought. I remember shooting it when I was 13 years old at my Aunt's dairy farm (1984). I went there to work for a summer (family tradition), and I brought it along to shoot woodchucks. It is a semi-auto, but I recall having to work the action manually to get it eject an empty and chamber a fresh round. Might have been the ammo, but I will find out soon if it functions properly again. Pop gave it to me a couple months ago and told me it was just sitting in his safe. I should do something with it if I could. I sure did try!

A few before pictures:


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## ted_BSR (Jun 9, 2014)

I disassembled the gun, and cleaned it up the best I could. Not too bad but very dirty.

There was this wire "installed" where it helped hold things together when taking it down, but I learned how to live without it and removed it. (I didn't want extra junk floating around inside the action).

The recoil buffer was cracked, and I replaced it.

Then I stripped the finish off the stock with CitrusStrip. It worked great in just a couple hours.

Then I sanded off the old paint from the aluminum receiver. I DID NOT attempt to remove the barrel.


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## ted_BSR (Jun 9, 2014)

Then I used a Birchwood Casey re-blue kit that I inherited from my deceased Uncle. I have no idea how old that kit was, but the price tag said $3.99, so I reckon it was not very recent. The kit worked great de-rusting and re-blueing the barrel. Very easy to use.

I also reblued the bolt pull, and painted the receiver a flat olive drab green.

I started working the stock with boil linseed oil (BLO), and to my delight, the grain of the stock really began to become pronounced. These pictures are after 3 hand rubbed coats of BLO.


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## ted_BSR (Jun 9, 2014)

I am close to being done! Here are some photos with 10 coats of BLO on the stock. I think I have about 20 more to go, to get it where I want it to be. There are a couple dings in the olive drab paint that I will touch up, but overall, I am really pleased with the results. The action works, and it goes click when you pull the trigger, so I think I got her back together correctly. I hope those little hands in the previous post will get to shoot her Granddaddy's gun some day. This will be her first shooter.


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## georgia357 (Jun 10, 2014)

Looking good, I have an old nylon 66 that I'm going to redo.  I will be satisfied if it looks half as good as your Marlin.


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## godogs57 (Jun 10, 2014)

georgia357 said:


> Looking good, I have an old nylon 66 that I'm going to redo.  I will be satisfied if it looks half as good as your Marlin.



Be very careful if you decide to disassemble the nylon 66! They are known as just about impossible to get back together!


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## hayseed_theology (Jun 10, 2014)

ted_BSR said:


> I am about 95% done on my first gun refurbishing project. It is not perfect, but I am pleased with the result, and I learned a lot on the way.







ted_BSR said:


> I also reblued the bolt pull, and painted the receiver a flat olive drab green.



If you used rattle can on the receiver, be careful what type of cleaner you use on it.  I can say from experience that Breakfree CLP will take flat black Rustoleum off a Kel-Tec slide in a hurry.


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## ted_BSR (Jun 10, 2014)

hayseed_theology said:


> If you used rattle can on the receiver, be careful what type of cleaner you use on it.  I can say from experience that Breakfree CLP will take flat black Rustoleum off a Kel-Tec slide in a hurry.



I figured as much. Do you have a better suggestion? It would not be a big deal to redo the receiver.


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## hayseed_theology (Jun 10, 2014)

ted_BSR said:


> I figured as much. Do you have a better suggestion? It would not be a big deal to redo the receiver.



I'm afraid I don't know of a real easy solution.  Might check out Aluma-Hyde. 

From what I understand, spray paint holds up best if you use a primer, paint, and then matte clear coat.  If I had to guess on a cleaner that doesn't eat paint, maybe Synthetic Safe Gun Scrubber.

Maybe somebody else can offer a better solution.


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## one hogman (Jun 10, 2014)

Neat story and Pictures, I hope it shoots good for those kids, older guns are some of the best


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## jglenn (Jun 11, 2014)

yep, go get some Aluma Hyde II from Brownells. it's an epoxy based paint that's quite tough after drying for a week...most solvents will not touch it. Bownells has a nice video on proper application


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## ted_BSR (Jul 3, 2014)

Finally got her to hunt camp. Put a mixed bag of 60 rounds through it. It liked everything I fed it (Federal HV, Winchester Wild Cats, CCI Hollow points), except for the extra clip. It jammed every shot. It didn;t take me long to figure out it was the clip. She really was smooth with the good clip in her. My daughter's first shooter will be the first gun her Grandaddy ever bought. He was 13 at the time.


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## Scrapy (Jul 20, 2014)

Yes the clip makes all the difference. I can't believe how long it took me to figure that out LOL. The only thing I don't like about the Marlin is the clip poking me in the back on a sling when coon hunting.  I have a $400 scope on that $80 rifle but I can knock  either eye out with a Rest. Good job.


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