Upon arrival, reality set in. Typically, guns from this outfit are well used, and this was no exception. The price paid reflected the guns condition. The stock had been cut down and it sported a Mauser rubber recoil pad (well fitted). The wood stocks seemed like they had serious potential, but they were sorta stripped and oiled poorly. The engraving was dirty and full of grime or varnish. the barrels were not pitted, but the bluing was down to about 50% from carry/use. Trigger guard cracked, action tight, but all three barrels didn't cock every time you opened it...
Most of this was within my abilities to fix, so I took a deep breath, ignored my friends laughing and head-shaking, and set to work. In hindsight, I should have read over "the ugly ducking" for inspiration.
First step: disassembly and inspection. All seemed fine inside, nothing broken and pretty dirty. I have access to a really good ultrasonic at the range at work, so it went for a long bath. Parts came out sparkling clean! Happy Happy Happy. Time to look at the stocks.
