Marlin 1881 Gate Loader
Buddy at work heard I liked cleaning up old guns and asked if I'd take a look at a rifle his dad had found hidden in the walls of a house he was renovating.
I tested out brass brush, 0000 steel wool, and ended up liking a fine wire wheel the most to get everything cleaned up once I got it taken all the way down.
Turns out (if my small amount of research is correct) that this is a Marlin Model 1881 in 22LR that was manufactured in 1882, and one of only five thousand 1881's that were produced with a side gate loader.
I can't imagine why they'd stop and why no one has made more 22lr lever guns with a side gate, what a cool feature!
My favorite way to freshen up the wood furniture on old guns is Outers gun oil or Ballistol applied with 0000 steel wool. I like the less glossy and more used looking finish provided with that technique.
My favorite part of the whole process was getting the folding ladder sight working smoothly, I'd love a similar style sight on my 336
Unfortunately, this particular rifle had been run hard and left wet for a long time. The rifling is basically non-existent, the finger lever is broken and some of the internals are missing. Parts aren't really available so this little guy is most likely going to be put on the wall
That said, I'm really happy with how it cleaned up and I had an absolute blast working on it. My buddy is giving it back to his dad for his upcoming birthday and I am just thrilled I was able to help even a little :3