Cooey 64B restoration project, update page 3

elkhuntr

elkhuntr

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
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Location
Kamloops, BC
Hi Folks. What is better than bringing back an old icon of canadiana than taking on a new restoration project. This rifle was purchased on the CGN EE not long ago and as the back story goes it spent a long time in a humid environment down on the West coast for many years. Our previous CGNer took a run at it an did not want to complete a restoration, so I took the chance. So lets see how this journey goes.

Here she is.
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I took out this little Cooey for a test run today. Many failures to load. But shot respectfully well for a 50+ year old firearm.

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More to come.....stay tuned.
 
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Just a question for you. Does your 64 have a little bent wirey type ejector spring in the recover between the bolt and barrel?
I have a 64 that is fully functional except for this one piece that has been nearly impossible to find. I can't even find a part number on Google. Not to mention even finding the part when I google image a cooey 64 exploded view chart. It seems this piece has alluded me for some time and no matter who I talk to (even dealers) they have no Idea wether I mean the the ejector or the extractor. I purchased what was described as the piece I need but received the extractor. That was my last possible option and have since been loosing faith in ever getting this gun back working right do to this tiny significant part.

Sorry to hijack the thread. Just wondering if I'm the only one on a treasure hunt.
 
Terrible gun, but amazing job you did on that stock and barrel. I have restored about half a dozen gun so far and it very satisfying when your done isnt it. I recently tried bead blasting an old .22 ranger and was very impressed with the final finish after blueing, would do again.
 
^^^ Why, oh why, do people sand against the grain!!! Basic woodworking rule, probably the most basic one there is. I have two guns that have signs of cross-grain sanding, nothing that bad though.
 
The ejector spring is a yet older version of the cooey 64. When Winchester took over cooey, I believe they started using the flat metal ejector. I'll bet you can replace that old spring with a flat tab if there is a slot milled in the barrel. May be worth exploring thebutcher.

kamlookey...looks like the wee little girl would like that colour, nice job :)

I have spent 20min so far on the stock.....it is a wonderful piece of walnut. Those good ol boys back in the day hid it in some kind of dark paint....go figure. She will clean up very well indeed and has some very nice grain.

My next order of business will be to sort out the failure to feed. I have taken apart fully the aged mags and will remove the last 50 of crud.. And I am also finding there is some resistance when running the action back...Some polishing is in the bolts and recievers future. Will post pics over time and count the man hours as well for interests sake.

Thanks for the feedback so far.
 
relic38 said:
^^^ Why, oh why, do people sand against the grain!!! Basic woodworking rule, probably the most basic one there is. I have two guns that have signs of cross-grain sanding, nothing that bad though.
Click to expand...

Little interested in Elkhuntr's project as he bought the gun off me. Sanding cross grain, start with 100 grt and oil, quickly go to 400 grt and oil. sanding wet with the oil and the oil fills in the voids in the wood. eventually after a few coats and sanding....dry for 24 hrs...repeat...5-8 coats and you have a glass finish and whatever figure in the wood will pop. Looks like Lookys example...the guy did the 100 grt...dry... and quit.
 
Brings back memories.... The 64B is the first rifle I ever had. My neighbor was my best buddy, and we both bought one. I got mine for 30.00 from another guy in town here. Damn that thing was accurate! We used to sling them over our backs, hop on our bikes and pedal out to the town dump. There we would set up "shooting gallery's". We'd find two 5 gallon pails, and put them 6' apart, and put a plank on them. Then find bottles, old canned goods, ect.. and shoot away! We would shoot hundreds of rounds in an afternoon. think about it now.... Two 13 yr olds with .22's slung on their backs, cycling through town. Now a days a SWAT team would get called in! We learned alot about shooting, and did it safely. I remember one time, we were shooting away, all of a sudden the local RCMP pulled in.... He asked us what we were up to, then asked what direction we were shooting, what we were shooting at, and after 10 mi nor so, told us to be careful and have fun. I shot that thing so much, the mags would wear out! Those were the days. Maybe i'll keep my eyes open for one.... ;-)
 
To the OP, tooth brush and G-96.
The set screw on the barrel isn't 100% positive, meaning the barrel can rotate a few degrees
CW or CCW which could or may allow a wee bit oh friction on the bolt to barrel movement.
Just takes a itty bitty resistance to make or brake how the gal feeds and spits the ammo.
Get her all cleaned up and lubed nicely and see how the action performs.
I don't think geographically we're too far apart.
If'n you git yer arse all frustrated, send me a pm.
 
Nice project! I've had the pleasure if restoring a couple of old Mod.64's into the 64B by adding the magazine upgrade kit. They both had the beautiful walnut stocks on them and the upgrade is really quite easy if you're basically tool handy. A dremel and hand filing was all that was required to make the magazine stock plate altered to fit the new mags and then it was some polishing and cold blue and presto! I wish I had kept at least one of them, but I have too many as it is. It was just nice to bring the old girls back to life and get a few extra bucks when I sold them.
 
elkhuntr said:
The ejector spring is a yet older version of the cooey 64. When Winchester took over cooey, I believe they started using the flat metal ejector. I'll bet you can replace that old spring with a flat tab if there is a slot milled in the barrel. May be worth exploring thebutcher.

....
Click to expand...

All 64s were made under Winchester's reign.

Wire type ejector was replaced by flat plate later in production (possibly not until Lakefield). The ejectors are not directly swapable. To convert wire to flat plate requires work on the barrel. I've done it. Had to drill a hole large enough for the plate style's tip, and deepen the channel until it would sit flush.
I cut an ejector from a saw I bought at the dollar store (lol n'er cut any wood with that saw, but have cut many parts from it)

Failure to feed usually a simple fix.:
i) Ammo. Make certain you're using a round nosed ammo. You may have to try a few.
ii) Clean that rifle. 64s are absolutely no fun if dirty. Clean it thoroughly, and run it dry.(no lube)
iii) Still not feeding? Replace the magazine. Made of potmetal, these are the only magazines I've worn out. (and I've worn a few) They are also the worst item to buy used...a bad magazine (lips worn) doesn't have to look bad. Lips wear from underneath.
 
Two hours into the project. Update #1

Great comments on issues encountered with these rifles...keep em coming.

The 64B is a winchester made rifle and has the flat ejector. Great ideas on a fix for the older wire models...go slow....remove a little at a time....you cant put it back.

Accomplishments:
Polish firing pin and ejector plate.
Polish trigger
Polish Bolt assembly
Sand trigger guard.
Receiver polish internal...had some burrs there which were galling the bolt assembly
debur the barrel chamber chamfer...there was a bur from the ejector plate slamming into the thin metal on the barrel chamber...probably from over zealous assembly or firing????

Preliminary sand on barrel and receiver, looking very nice as the pitting appears to be surface only.
Remove old paint from the stock....oooooh I have plans for this.

Tidbits learned from other CGNers:
Align barrel upon assembly with the bolt cut out....ensure no resistance or contact.
Failure to feed usually a simple fix.:
i) Ammo. Make certain you're using a round nosed ammo. You may have to try a few.
ii) Clean that rifle. 64s are absolutely no fun if dirty. Clean it thoroughly, and run it dry.(no lube)
iii) Still not feeding? Replace the magazine. Made of potmetal, these are the only magazines I've worn out. (and I've worn a few) They are also the worst item to buy used...a bad magazine (lips worn) doesn't have to look bad. Lips wear from underneath.



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Looking great! They're fun little rifles. One thing though, is to use a newer synthetic lube with semi .22s. G96, BreakFree, etc. will stay liquid for the most part and really prevent carbon from caking onto the metal.
 
Update 2, project finished

Well another 5 hours into the project (7 hours total) I have completed the rifle restoration. I will post pics of each component related item.

The Metal Restoration:
First off, the cold blue on the metal components went very well.
All action burrs were sanded smooth. The action cycles very smoothly now and we will see how the function goes on the range test to follow. Most likely the cause of the failure to feed because the bolt was not cycling back enough and in a reliable fashion.
I polished the ejector, bolt assembly, and firing pin to eliminate any binding and provide for a smooth cycling action.

The Trigger:
To say the trigger was a bear is being very generous. It was full of creep, gravel, and generally yucky to todays standard. I have modified the trigger to break more cleanly now, but she is still a bear in comparison to a new savage 64.
The mod essentially included a filed washer installed under the trigger assembly at the rear assembly bolt/screw. This is potentially a dangerous mod so be careful when considering it. So far it shows no firing when smacked, fast action cycling or the like. It removes much of the creep so it feels a lot more positive. However is still must break over 6lb pull.

The Stock:
I have finished the stock with minwax tung oil finish. 8 very fine coats.
The barrel channel was widened, and the stock bedded in the barrel/receiver junction area for a more repeatable assembly, the barrel is now free floated.
The barrel was touching firmly prior to the restoration for about 4" in front of the action prior to restoration.
Sanded the Stock/Butt plate to match.
Left a couple of the dings so to not take off too much wood as these areas would have looked funny if you went to far.

The Magazines:
The rifle came with two original mags. I have dismantled the mags and cleaned them up, dremmeled the feed ramp, and inspected the feed lips. Yes they show wear but have not gone past half the metal available.
New mags will be the long term solution, but this was done to see if there is any improvement in feeding from these old pot metal relics.

Pics to follow.....the above outlines are just to entice you on the final product. Overall, I am very happy with the final result and look forward to getting it out on the range for a test run.
 
The new Savage model 64 mags work fine in my 64B. They are virtually identical.

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I stripped the finish off my stock with "Polystrippa" and sanded it with 220 then 400 grit sandpaper. Then I applied a coat of Minwax gunstock stain followd with a few coats of satin finish polyurethane.

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It work great and brings back fond memories, my first rifle was a Cooey 64.
 
Update #3. Completed restoration and range report

Did a range test today and had a fine outing today. Here is my project all completed.

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I have abandoned the trigger mod and will look into a spring kit. But can still manage to shoot pretty well with this ol girl. Bedding the barrel/receiver junction did its job and provided for more consistency.

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The failure to feed remains a problem. I will be purchasing a couple replacement mags and will provide an update later. Great to see others work... Look forward to seeing more.
Elky
 
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