What a shame

[saxman1]

What a shame.
I went with the family to my sister in laws house yesterday and started talking to her husband about ML's he said"I have one my dad gave me,want to see it"
Yes I said.He produces a TC 50 cal Hawken with round barrell,he said it is a prize possesion.
The neglect and damage to the gun almost made me sick.
I brought it home trying to save it.
I put a cleaning patch on a jag and pushed it in,it went half way and got stuck on the rust.I had to put vicegrips on the rod and beat it with a framing hammer to get it out,ruining my range rod.
I put expanding barrel blaster foam in over night,today I put what is left of my range rod in my cordless drill with a brass brush and flitz.
After 5 new brushes and putting 0000 steel wool on the last brushand 100.000 revolutions back and forth for hours and 2 pots full of boiling water,25 cleaning patches 5 alcohol patches a 5 dry patches it is finally clean.Dont really know what king of shape the bore is in but it was sickening to see the neglect.
I have the lock,trigger and all other pats soaking in cleaner for oiling later.
I hate to have to give it back to him but I have done what I can.
I will put together a little kit for him and show him how to care for it.
Does seeing stuff like that make you guys angry?
I know that this is a quality gun and to be treated that way was upsetting.I guess ignorance is bliss after all.
OK,I feel better now.

P.S.
I cant tell you all how touched I am at the outpouring of kindness and generosityfor someone you have never met.
I have never been on this end of it.

I start my 3rd round of chemo treatments tomorrow for another 16 weeksHOPE I can get to the woods on the 20th for the archery opener. Some of my buds said they would carry me if they had to.
Almost 6'8" is hard to carry.

I cant thank you enough.
OK I'm tearing up now

[corey012778]

give tc a call. see if they can help.

Just get better bro.

[cayugad]

I was given a rifle by a friend in similar condition. He had hunted with it, shot it three or four times during season (with Pyrodex RS), never cleaned it, and just leaned it in the corner in his basement for a couple months. He was down there doing something, saw it leaning there, and considered it junk. So he gave it to me. (after he told me a fantastic story of how one of his nephews must have done this to his rifle.. which I did not believe).

I spent days on that rifle. I removed the barrel and shot the barrel up with brake cleaner. Then I put the breech end in a can and plugged the nipple. I then filled the barrel with motor oil. After a couple days, I poured all that out and started cleaning the barrel.

I went through a couple brushes, and a bottle of bore solvent, and still got rotten looking patches. So, Ilapped the barrel with NAPA valve grinding compound. The strange thing is, it still throws a dark gray patch from time to time, but no rust. And with 70 grains of powder is a good roundball shooter.

Best of luck with your medical condition...

[sabotloader]

saxman1

Some of my buds said they would carry me if they had to.

To your real buds - it will not matter how tall or big you might be they will do the impossible to make it possible

As i said "been there done that and I have seen it done" The strength of uinted people is huge...

[UtahRob]

ORIGINAL: saxman1

What a shame.
I went with the family to my sister in laws house yesterday and started talking to her husband about ML's he said"I have one my dad gave me,want to see it"
Yes I said.He produces a TC 50 cal Hawken with round barrell,he said it is a prize possesion.
The neglect and damage to the gun almost made me sick.
I brought it home trying to save it.
I put a cleaning patch on a jag and pushed it in,it went half way and got stuck on the rust.I had to put vicegrips on the rod and beat it with a framing hammer to get it out,ruining my range rod.
I put expanding barrel blaster foam in over night,today I put what is left of my range rod in my cordless drill with a brass brush and flitz.
After 5 new brushes and putting 0000 steel wool on the last brushand 100.000 revolutions back and forth for hours and 2 pots full of boiling water,25 cleaning patches 5 alcohol patches a 5 dry patches it is finally clean.Dont really know what king of shape the bore is in but it was sickening to see the neglect.
I have the lock,trigger and all other pats soaking in cleaner for oiling later.
I hate to have to give it back to him but I have done what I can.
I will put together a little kit for him and show him how to care for it.
Does seeing stuff like that make you guys angry?
I know that this is a quality gun and to be treated that way was upsetting.I guess ignorance is bliss after all.
OK,I feel better now.

P.S.
I cant tell you all how touched I am at the outpouring of kindness and generosityÂ*for someone you have never met.
I have never been on this end of it.

I start my 3rd round of chemo treatments tomorrow for another 16 weeksHOPE I can get to the woods on the 20th for the archery opener. Some of my buds said they would carry me if they had to.
Almost 6'8" is hard to carry.

I cant thank you enough.
OK I'm tearing up now

6'8'' !!!!!!!!

Dang , i thought i was tall , i am only 6'5''.

[Semisane]

6' 8"? Don't hardly need a tree stand, do you. What I lack in height I make up for in girth.

[Underclocked]

So far as the rifle, Saxman1, absolutely makes me sick... but mechanics would probably feel the same about my pickup. It gave you something to occupy your mind with a purpose... and I know how helpful that can be.

Keep your spirits up as much as possible and get better.

[bronko22000]

Our prayers are with you buddy. Keep the faith.

[Indiana SmokePole]

Scott

Our thoughts and prayers Brother , no need to thank us as I am sure you would do th same. just get better

we loveya man

Ron