Happy Sunday y'all! So my local shop cals me a week ago, he's got a 1970 Mk I, Grade II 30-06. Rifle is 95% plus. Has Leopold B & R installed, and old Bushnell scope which is destined for the trash can. I will replace with Leopold VX1 or Burris Drop tine, to be decided. The original magazine is in the rifle (glad its there but I have plenty of spares as well). It has one speck of rest, not through the steel, on the forward part of the received where the barrel threads in on the left side of the slab. It's smaller than a rifle primer in diameter, and I know I can cold blue it out. Scroll engraving is still sharp. The action cycles well, feeds and ejects with authority. The rifling is deep and sharp with no muzzle wear and the wood is perfect. He let me get my hands on it for $700. Naturally I jumped at it. Similar guns on line in that shape are all north of $1,000. This will make #2 in the collection, the other is a 1968 Grade 1. I should have her home this week coming. I just need to make time to get there. I will replace the action spring and buffer just cause they are 40 plus years old. That's been ordered from gunparts.com already. I have been hearing that in these old late 60's early 70's Mk I's Browning chromed the piston but not the gas cylinder and that can become a fail point in some guns. Most guy's from, what I hear wrap oiled fine (000) steel wool or emory cloths around around a wood dowel and use that to pull any grit and early rough spots out of the cylinder. Some guys use Flitz compound on patches and polish with that, then flush it out with a good solvent like #9. That all makes sense and I will do that the next time I have my Mk I's apart. My question is after I do that, what can I use to condition the steel inside the cylinder? Is a light oil or a teflon infused gun oil okay (Hopes T3 Elite)? My guess is that it has to withstand high temperatures without gumming up. Would a gun grease work inside there. Again, I'm looking to help preserve and condition the metal. Thoughts and wisdom always appreciated.
