Savage/Stevens model 325C

[TINCANBANDIT]

Hey guys

I am in the process of rebluing a model 325 C and was wondering if anyone here had ever taken the trigger mechanism apart and re-riveted it together?

Gun Parts Corp has the rivets, not sure how tough that will be, what about replacing them with a shoulder bolt and nut?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks!

[TINCANBANDIT]

anyone?

[219guy]

I have a 340c in 222. It had a trigger job done at some point of its life, you can see that one side of the pins look different. It looks like the smith lightly ground off the peen and tapped them out. He replaced them and used a pick punch to flair the end. There not moving and the trigger works perfect

[TINCANBANDIT]

well I got the pins out and back in, they slipped right out with some persuasion

I completely restored the rifle, I'll post pics soon

[Fireball]

Would like to see it. I can appreciate a fellow tinkerer.

[TINCANBANDIT]

I decided to document the refinishing of the 325C here.

I already reload and keep 30-30 Win ammo as I have a Winchester model 94 in that caliber, so adding another rifle with the same chambering was an easy decision.

We'll start with the pictures of what the gun looked like when I bought it....btw I paid $100...



https://i.imgur.com/Jo7TStJl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WlQZ67Rl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pJBGjvml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rNWCXfnl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PGPq9mSl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WMKmSy8l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q7QHTnGl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

Because I didn't have much in the gun and it needed a new stock, I took the plunge and bought a beautiful stock that was made for a model 340. The stock will fit, I may need to make room for my bolt handle (which is different than the model 340).

The cost was $123 with shipping

https://i.imgur.com/APW27KGl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tCYaFAml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ERntgPZl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wwzoaRCl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

I probably should have test fired the gun first to make sure it was functionally OK, but the bore looks really good and the action is tight.....

I gathered up some of my reloads and tried to chamber them, some would not chamber (maybe not sized all the way??) Anyway I took some of the ones that did chamber with the gun out to the range.

I test fired 6 rounds, everything worked as expected, good primer strikes, good feed & ejection and no strange scratches or marks on the spent brass

https://i.imgur.com/lb5ZQaal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5aMOvpfl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

Blog post with more detail

https://tincanbandit.blogspot.com/2018/09/project-deer-stalker-part-1.html

[TINCANBANDIT]

Before sanding wood or metal we needed to make sure the new stock fits the gun


Here are the two stocks side by side, because the new one is for a model 340, it is couple of inches longer than the original and has a straighter grip profile.

https://i.imgur.com/jxZfi1il.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Cell7jal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dAlDqibl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

https://i.imgur.com/I7w7wZ2l.jpg

The picture above lead me to think I might need to open up the relief cut for the bolt handle

I checked to see if the bolt would close when set in the new walnut stock

https://i.imgur.com/r2nHNwIl.jpg

Then I compared the location of the bolt handle when closed in the old stock

https://i.imgur.com/dQEQroEl.jpg


and once more when not in either stock. It appears their is enough room for full bolt handle travel, the safety worked and everything fit as it should.


https://i.imgur.com/PWuSkuel.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

Before finishing the wood we will need to drill some holes for the sling swivels, the rear trigger guard screw and install the escutcheon for the front take down screw.
Here it is removed from the old stock. It is bare metal, I think I will nitre blue it before installing it.

https://i.imgur.com/vTwtcSSl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

I went through my supply of butt plate screws and found some slotted ones to replace the Phillips head that came with the stock. This wasn't necessary, but I wanted it to look more "period correct".

https://i.imgur.com/fmbSHv0l.jpg

The Phillips is on the bottom, I'll clean them up and nitre blue them

https://i.imgur.com/PPnb1Txl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

Time to get on with the restoration....we'll start with the bolt

https://i.imgur.com/98X2TR4l.jpg

The small c-clip holds the bolt handle portion to the firing pin head. I'll clean all the parts, sand smooth and polish the bolt handle and cocking piece.

https://i.imgur.com/QjJrmnLl.jpg

Here is what the handle looked like before I started, not sure why it was so beat up or how it got that way

https://i.imgur.com/iSlPq9ql.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

I used a file to get the clean up the big dings

https://i.imgur.com/BvydTzll.jpg

Then sand paper to smooth everything out

https://i.imgur.com/bQpbd7al.jpg

Then polished on the buffer

https://i.imgur.com/ZNdYhfCl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lwjCQ0Fl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tIRtaNYl.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

The barrelled action was not ready yet, but I was bluing some other guns, so I blued some of the small parts, here is the trigger guard and bolt cover polished up


https://i.imgur.com/QuQTIXVl.jpg

and reblued, the parts in the picture include the trigger guard/mag guide, bolt cover, safety lever, barrel band and mag guilde

https://i.imgur.com/peBuEgQl.jpg

in case you are wondering, I blue my parts using the hot salts/caustic salts method. If you don't know what I am talking about, it involves using Sodium Hydroxide and a Nitrate (Sodium Nitrate in this case) heated to 275-290 degrees. This is the same process used by nearly all gun makers since the WWII and before.

[TINCANBANDIT]

The front sight has been polished and readied for bluing, I cannot hot blue it as it has a brass bead, which I have been told will be damaged by the salts (even though I have successfully blued parts with brass inserts before, I don't want to push my luck)
I will have to cold blue or rust blue it

https://i.imgur.com/dlFG7V4l.jpg

also note that the front edge of the sight is not highly polished (about 400 grit in this case). you don't want anything in your sight line polished and possibly reflecting light.

I finished polishing the rest of the bolt and reassembled it

https://i.imgur.com/3AiENE1l.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

blog post catching up with this thread

https://tincanbandit.blogspot.com/2018/09/project-deer-stalker-part-2.html

[TINCANBANDIT]

I cannot blue the gun in tank (hot salts) with the trigger mechanism attached, the salts will get into the space between the parts and leech out later. So it must be removed.



The trigger mechanism is riveted together and the screws holding it to the receiver it are inaccessible. I needed to find out if there was a way to reassemble this if I drilled out the rivets.

https://i.imgur.com/TBVme0ll.jpg

I went to Gun Parts Corp and found that they sell new rivets. so I am taking the dive and drilling out the old rivets.

https://i.imgur.com/JUGEDV2l.jpg

[TINCANBANDIT]

They had two pins listed for the sear, I think they are the same part, but for $2.45 I wasn't going to risk it. When they arrived I measured them, they are exactly .125" (1/8"). I could, if the new rivets don't work, buy some 1/8" diameter bolts (#5-40) and reinstall it that way.

https://i.imgur.com/C2GwtsYl.jpg

I'll need to remove the safety lever screw and then see about getting the rivets out

https://i.imgur.com/Jx6xN79l.jpg