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 generosity 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