Restored Mossberg 152K

Nice upgrade on an old classic...
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If you can get used to the trigger, these old Mossbergs shoot very well. The bore in this one was very pristine, but it took a lot of work to get the stock looking this good. I'm still looking for the right sling swivel for the buttstock. The butt plate was broken, so I decided to install a new pad.

The scope is a new BSA Sweet 22 3-9X40mm. It's really not to bad for $95.00. It's OK for a .22 plinker. I like the side-focus and the top turret is somewhat calibrated for various weight bullets. It is a little gimmicky, and I would have preferred a finer matte finish. The yardage calibration on the side focus is way off, but you can work around that. The optics are not great at the higher magnification above 6X.
 
Jim, the 152 looks great. Question- What do you use to remove the old finish? I have an old Rem ADL stock thats kicking my tail.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogJim, the 152 looks great. Question- What do you use to remove the old finish? I have an old Rem ADL stock thats kicking my tail.

If the stock is beat up much, you may as well use 120 grit sandpaper. The various acetone based paint strippers will work fine if you don't have to remove a lot dings. This one had very little of the original finish that was turning to dust, so it had to get back to bare wood. Be careful not to get too aggressive on the corner edges or you will change the original contours, and it will look like an amateur did the work. Use a sanding block to avoid putting waves in the otherwise flat surfaces. Using wood filers on open-grained wood like walnut will greatly reduce the number of coats of finish required to fill the grain.
 
Jim, the wood is good, just don't care for the gloss. Been using paint stripper but the finish is really thick. I'm going pretty slow, just working small areas at a time. I'm wanting a low gloss oil type finish when I'm done. The barreled action is stainless and I think the oil finish will look really nice. Its going to be a hunting rifle. Thanks!
 
I like that refinish job.
I am excited because my father informed me he was passing his fathers mossberg 151k to me. It has been shot by my grandfather, father, my brother and I. It works great and very accurate. Can't decide if I want to refinish or leave as is. It hasn't been shot in almost 20 years. Your refinish job has got me thinking. Thanks for the post.
 
Originally Posted By: trooperjdI like that refinish job.
I am excited because my father informed me he was passing his fathers mossberg 151k to me. It has been shot by my grandfather, father, my brother and I. It works great and very accurate. Can't decide if I want to refinish or leave as is. It hasn't been shot in almost 20 years. Your refinish job has got me thinking. Thanks for the post.

I can't tell you how many times that question has come up. I think I would ask your father what he thinks of the idea to refinish it. If it's so shabby that there is little chance that it will be used, I would go for it. Sentimental value and pride of ownership go along way in enjoying firearms. Since your not dealing with a highly collectible gun, you can make it the way you want it. Just be sure you don't do a poor job on the refinishing. On a total restoration, I believe, the end results should be as good or better than the original.
 
I'm going to leave as is for now. It has no rust or pitting. The wood has no cracks, cuts or gouges. It just has a nice smooth worn finish. No chipping or flaking just worn. And it is accurate as any rimfire I have. Just as accurate as my remy nylon 66!
 
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