Ruger Deerfield 99\44 .44 Mag
- Thread starter ronecol
- Start date
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
they brought back the 77/44 which was never a great seller so why not bring the auto back?
Cost of production would be my guess.
Thanks TangoKilo - needed that info; I stripped the gun down to give it a good cleaning and discovered what I suspected - that 'scratch' under the gas tube was really a 4" crack. I am going to try to repair the stock but I called the owner and he ordered a new stock from Boyds.
The inside of this thing looked like it hadn't been cleaned since 1970. I hit it with Wipeout, let it sit, and now it's nice and clean. The internals are similar to a 10/22.
They are not hard to strip down and reassemble, that one looks like it could use it if it was that dirty. You can call Ruger and they will send you an owners manual for it free of charge. The crack is very fixable.
^ you can download a manual right off Ruger's website. I stripped the action right down, including removing the gas port and cleaned it all up and reassembled it. I'm not sure how to remove the steel piece that is in front of the tang and the action clips into - but I haven't removed the rear butt plate yet and I am thinking there is a screw in there to undo to remove that steel piece. EDIT - I removed the butt plate and yup, way up inside the stock is a flathead screw to remove that last piece of metal.
I am going to fix the crack, been reading and watching youtube vids but everyone has their own opinion as to what is the best way to do it. First, I am going to strip the oil and stain, then steam out the dents and sand, then I will tackle the crack with a good white glue and clamp it for a day or two. Then I am thinking hot linseed oil and sanding the layers in. I'm not in a hurry to get it finished.
I am going to fix the crack, been reading and watching youtube vids but everyone has their own opinion as to what is the best way to do it. First, I am going to strip the oil and stain, then steam out the dents and sand, then I will tackle the crack with a good white glue and clamp it for a day or two. Then I am thinking hot linseed oil and sanding the layers in. I'm not in a hurry to get it finished.
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Aside from cost of production these guns weren't that popular in the US and really only gained the collector following up here in Canada. Ruger, just like most gun companies is entirely focused on what sells in the US, the Canadian market has and always will be an after thought.
Zedbra: not sure of your exact procedure, but after you strip the old finish off. That is the time to fix the crack. Forget the white glue as it may fail sooner than later. Epoxy would be my first choice, with a close second being a good water proof glue. I have had very good results with "LePages" PL Premium Ultra. I have used it to attach ebony forend tips and grip caps.
I try and keep things simple by getting things local at Canadian Tire and this adhesive can be had there. You need something thin that will run into the crack and this stuff is on the thin side out of the bottle. Tricky business as you will have to pry the sides of the stock apart some to open the crack to get the adhesive in but at the same time you don't want to lengthen the crack. If you can get your hands on some syringes and heavy gauge needles (do you know any nurses) there handy for forcing the glue in the crack under pressure, you need the heaviest gauge needle you can lay your hands on to get the glue through it.
If you have been watching Utube then your right a lot of ideas and methods and they all claim to be the best. You will have to do what you think is best for your application and your skill set.
If you think there is many methods in fixing a crack, that's nothing compared to stock finishes and methods. There has been very thick books written on the subject containing more stock finish receipes than there exists for chocolate chip cookies. Personally I use "Tung Oil" as it has much higher resistance to water than Linseed Oil. You can use pure Tung oil or Polymerized Tung which is tung oil that has been heated and dryers added. I have also had very good results over the years with Lin-speed oil. Obviously linseed oil based. A commercial product that has been around for decades but no longer available in Canada off the shelf. If you want to try it I can get it for you.
What ever method and finish you choose it takes time and patience to get a good finish.
I try and keep things simple by getting things local at Canadian Tire and this adhesive can be had there. You need something thin that will run into the crack and this stuff is on the thin side out of the bottle. Tricky business as you will have to pry the sides of the stock apart some to open the crack to get the adhesive in but at the same time you don't want to lengthen the crack. If you can get your hands on some syringes and heavy gauge needles (do you know any nurses) there handy for forcing the glue in the crack under pressure, you need the heaviest gauge needle you can lay your hands on to get the glue through it.
If you have been watching Utube then your right a lot of ideas and methods and they all claim to be the best. You will have to do what you think is best for your application and your skill set.
If you think there is many methods in fixing a crack, that's nothing compared to stock finishes and methods. There has been very thick books written on the subject containing more stock finish receipes than there exists for chocolate chip cookies. Personally I use "Tung Oil" as it has much higher resistance to water than Linseed Oil. You can use pure Tung oil or Polymerized Tung which is tung oil that has been heated and dryers added. I have also had very good results over the years with Lin-speed oil. Obviously linseed oil based. A commercial product that has been around for decades but no longer available in Canada off the shelf. If you want to try it I can get it for you.
What ever method and finish you choose it takes time and patience to get a good finish.
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^ I was already second guessing the white glue and bought some epoxy yesterday. After stripping the finish off, does bleaching assist in lifting oil or is acetone better? I have a while yet to decide what finish to use, but will more than likely pick the one that is most durable; as this gun is going to more than likely see little use for now but is ultimatey designed for a great gun/pack carbine and therefore waterproof etc
After stripping the finish off, does bleaching assist in lifting oil or is acetone better? I have a while yet to decide what finish to use, but will more than likely pick the one that is most durable; as this gun is going to more than likely see little use for now but is ultimatey designed for a great gun/pack carbine and therefore waterproof etcI think that some things turned out to be very good after the fact. Escalating production costs and perhaps people who felt the things expensive lead to poor sales during production. Then they went out of production due to lack of demand, or cheapened to fit a price point. Many then realize the quality ones are scarce and better than most things currently made to ever-diminishing standards.
The 9422, JM marlins, Winchester 61s, pre-64 model 70s, older 10/22s, etc all wind up this way to some extent.
The 9422, JM marlins, Winchester 61s, pre-64 model 70s, older 10/22s, etc all wind up this way to some extent.
^ I was already second guessing the white glue and bought some epoxy yesterday.
I soak in a tub of acetone, followed by a soak in ethyl alcohol.
I have only done two piece stocks, so just use a large roasting pan covered with aluminium foil. Depending on how oily the wood is, I soak it for up to a week in acetone, and then a week in alcohol. The foil is to keep evaporation down.
Before I went to all that trouble of making tanks and soaking it in acetone I would determine if the wood of the crack indeed has an oil saturation issue, or any of the stock for that matter, as from the picture of the crack area it looks okay. I would suggest stripping the finish off the old stock first, it should lift off reasonably well with any paint stripper like Poly Stripper. Use steel wool to remove the stripper and old finish. After you got that done give it a light sanding with 220 paper this will show you if you have any oily areas. If the sand paper is not clogging up with wood dust and oil in any areas I wouldn't bother with the acetone bath as your wasting your time and acetone. Most stocks have the inletting sprayed with some finish to help slow down moisture issues, I wouldn't get to involved in trying to remove that finish as your just going to have to replace it.
If you decide on the needle procedure and can't locate needles, Lee Valley
has/had a chair repair kit that comes with a syringe and a few different needles.
Also came with glue.
Not sure if the glue is up to the task at hand.
Forget the cost.
Just another thought fer yah........
has/had a chair repair kit that comes with a syringe and a few different needles.
Also came with glue.
Not sure if the glue is up to the task at hand.
Forget the cost.
Just another thought fer yah........
Syringes, needles for injecting glue into cracks in wood - I was able to buy them from the pharmacy counter in a local Shoppers Drug Mart.
A tank for soaking a stock - try Home Depot or the like, or a paint shop for the trays for soaking wall paper. You might find one long enough. (I was doing Lee Enfield stocks in linseed oil so it was easy to find one long enough for those two-piece stocks.)
A tank for soaking a stock - try Home Depot or the like, or a paint shop for the trays for soaking wall paper. You might find one long enough. (I was doing Lee Enfield stocks in linseed oil so it was easy to find one long enough for those two-piece stocks.)
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
My father in law has two of the tube fed versions. Nice guns
