that black "paint" on a Mk2

[Old digger]

Hi, so now I have a Meteor Mk2 taken down in pieces, but that black paint is looking bad. 
Lots of scratches and some rust showing.
What to do - just keep it the way it is ?  It will shoot just as well.
Does anyone know if this paint can be removed ,  without using the worst acid products ?
Any tip or hint will be considered.   Maybe sanding it down and putting on more paint.
Actually I like blueing, but a Mk2 is supposed to be black - right ?

[JulesE34]

I was under the impression that Mk1's and 2's were blued, and the later meteors were painted.

Of course, it's entirely possible that yours has been repainted at some point in it's life.

I'd re-blue it.

Jules

[andy r10]

hi i can do a chemical black for you which is long lasting andy

[james]

i think it a paint on enamel, not sure if it is air drying or if you need a kiln

[JulesE34]

hi i can do a chemical black for you which is long lasting andy

Where are you based Andy? I have a renovation project coming that I would like blued this time around, rather than painted.

[Old digger]

I am somewhat leaning towards removing the paint.
Anyone know what it takes to remove this chemically ?

[james]

nitromors ?

[meetier]

I'm inclined to believe what JulesE34 said, that the Mk2 (and Mk1) were not actually painted but blued.

Anyway, I restored and repainted my Mk4 6 or 8 months ago. I rubbed the old paint off with sanding paper and/or emery cloth, then finished off with very fine wet and dry 1200 grit, keeping it "wet" for a nice smooth finish. Undercoated it first then a coat of two-pot resin followed by a few top coats of clear. Came up like glass. I maybe put on one coat of clear too many though as the BSA logo and other print is a bit hard to read now, but I wanted that lusterous look so it was worth the sacrifice...

It's easy to do. I didn't use paint stripper or chemicals to take off the old paint because I didn't want to give any chance of it working its way up into the barrel and screwing up the insides and rifling, so it was done with paper. It took only half an hour to get it ready for painting at most. I only had to get into a few nooks and crannies with a cutter blade to remove those little tiny bits of paint but hey, easy peasy... I didn't do the cylinder/main tube as it was ok,, just the barrel looked a bit yucky...

Paint. It's your choice of which paint to use. I believe the original BSA stuff was enamel of some sort or brand, but I used two pot resin because this stuff dries like concrete and covered in clear, it looks great. Not the most flattering photo but I had to take and process this one in a hurry.

[Old digger]

That barrel looks good, Meetier,  really nice work......
At least the last touch has to be done with that very fine emery cloth.
Looked up a little on Nitromors, James  -  might work. People use it on wood as well , so "maybe"  a  barrel (made  of steel)  can take it. We will see.
Thanks  all 

[meetier]

Good luck Old Digger,,

Let us see the finished product will you???

[Old digger]

Sure thing, Meetier.  Let? see if I can match that fancy gun of yours    ; )   

[meetier]

Hahahaha,,

You should have seen the thing when I first bought it. It was in one sorry state around the scope grooves. The previous owner dremmelled the grooves out to get the rings in, not realizing the rings were not on the scope straight, but very slightly twisted from each other,, the FOOL. A backyard gunsmiths' instant fix... I bought it via an online auction where it was described as in good condition. There were not that many Meteors floating around at the time, so I pays my money and wanders off scratching my head. When I got home, some 100+ miles away, and took off the scope, I nearly fell over backwards, seeing the damage. I have put a one piece mount on and it covers the damaged area and it hasn't moved so there's enough bite there to keep in place.

As luck would have it, BSA Meteors Mk3, 4 and 5's came out of the woodwork after that and went for a song... Just my luck, yet it's all done up and looks good now. At least I can get a certain sense of satisfaction in that...

[Old digger]

Seems like your front sight has been mounted with two screws - is that right ?
I am not quite sure about the difference between Mk 2 and Mk3, but mine has both sights mounted in dove tails. And both being made of steel.
And since the stock is plain,  I put these things together and guessed on a Mk2. 

[james]

i think you'll find one of the holes isn't threaded as its is for a line up pin

[Old digger]

That old black paint came off really easy with some emery cloth.   I was expecting an hour of hard work  -  but no, far from.
Maybe that old paint has somehow decayed during the last 50 years ?     

[JulesE34]

I had the same thing with my one. Paint came off with no issues at all.

[spartan]

Hello, I am new to this group and have a few observations and questions re  my meteor.  My rifle has ser No TAO2836 so I take to be a MK2 .   It is finished in black paint (tatty) not blued.  I bought it second hand in about 1965 and have used it on and off ever since.  I presume it would benefit from some new parts.  What would members suggest and where would I obtain them?

[meetier]

I can't help you with the location of spares nearest you, because I am most likely about 12,000 miles away from the UK, but a 'TA' serial seems to suggest T = .22  &  A = Mk2, so yes a Mk2, .22 cal Meteor...

Now, as for "which" parts... Mandatory parts to replace might be in the order of - mainspring and any seals or washers at the front end of the piston, and, the barrel seal. Since I haven't got a good viewable parts breakdown of the Mk1 & 2, I can't identify the actual parts but a decent airgun shop or airgun fix it man will know exactly what has to be replaced. Over here, all that would set you back about $60 - $80 (approx 20 - 30 pounds)... Springs are basically the same right through the Meteor range up to the Mk5 so they should be easy enough to get ahold of. As for washers/seals, I don't know exactly which the Mk 1 & 2 use. I imagine they must be around. If they are the same or similar to the Mk3 on, they should also be easy to obtain... They are here in New Zealand most of the time...

[RANCiDTOM]

Hello, I am new to this group and have a few observations and questions re  my meteor.  My rifle has ser No TAO2836 so I take to be a MK2 .   It is finished in black paint (tatty) not blued.  I bought it second hand in about 1965 and have used it on and off ever since.  I presume it would benefit from some new parts.  What would members suggest and where would I obtain them?

Here's a fairly good place to start.
http://www.gunspares.co.uk/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=24699&cat=Mk2#
As Meetier mentioned above, breech seal, piston washers and a new spring (the standard BSA one) would be a good thing for your rifle, maybe a spring guide too if there are any visible wear marks on the present one.
RT

[spartan]

Thanks to RANCiDTOM & meetier.
I have ordered the recommended bits. I have three other queries that perhaps members may have views on.
a) Is the 'oxaccelerator' spring suitable & if so what are the advantages?
b) What is the best/approved method of restoring the stock/woodwork?
c) I see references made to power measurements, how are these made - can they be made 'at home'?

[meetier]

On the ox**** I can't advise you although I'm sure somebody can.
Restoring stocks is probably the hardest, longest drawn out thing to have to do to get a gun back to good condition. It depends on just how far you want to go and what sort of finish you are after and of course, what condition it is in before you start. Start by paint/varnish stripping or sanding down all the varnish and I mean sanding it ALL right off. Don't be over zealous and leave big unwanted sanding marks by rubbing too hard with too heavy-a-grit paper. Start off with as finer grit as possible without having to sand all day. Any woodworker will tell you what grit to use. Just rub off the coating and as you get it off go to a lighter finer grit then finish with a real fine grit possibly around 600 or even up to 1200 which is super fine. If you use stripper, you'll still have to finish off with that same paper so get used to it.

No doubt you'll find some bumps and dents in the woodwork and you'll have to get the varnish out of them either with stripper or even if you have to really dig in with the paper. You have to end up with a completely nude stock - completely...!!! After you get the nudey, if you have any dents, try sweating them out with a wet rag and an iron. Dampen a rag, place it over the dent and place a hot iron on it just for a few seconds, to dampen and steam the timber in the area and swell it. Depending on how bad the dent is, this is a great way of getting rid of small to medium dents. Sand them away 'til it's nice and even. Let the woodwork dry for at least a day if you had to use water in stripping or in your sanding. Don't paint a damp stock as this is a recipe for disaster. Your finish may turn to crap real quickly. End of Part 1...

[meetier]

Part 2. What sort of finish do you want? There are several, from oiling to oil based varishes,, acrylics, lacquers,, two pot mix.. Oh, the list goes on... You decide...!!!
I personally like lacquers but it's not everyones cup of tea. If you are prepared to put the hard yards in, it comes up like glass. Some people like to use oils, but they aren't my cup of tea, although I loved to use Birchwood Casey Tru-oil in the past. It's not really a "true" oil, more like an oily varnish and it can also dry and finish like lacquer. I liked to rub it on/in by bare hand, really massaging it in. Doing it by hand this way is a long drawn out and messy way but again, if you're prepared to put in the time, you'll get the results. Once finished you can rub with a fine cutter for such finishes or simply leave as is. It depends on just how you like it.

Sometimes I even buy spray bombs of lacquer and use them. We have a few different brands and it pays you to know them or at least experiment as some are no good for timber. If you have spray equipment, you can also get lacquers or two pot stuff to use. Start buy getting a good sealer or you could end up spraying forever to fill some grain. Once again you have to take your time and sand back a bit to make sure you end up with a nice smooth surface to end coat onto. Spray on that coat and allow the correct time between coats. I've taken anywhere from one to 3 days or more to just paint a stock, then comes drying and finishing. When you feel you have enough coats on, leave to dry for anything up to a week, in a dry 'warm' place. Make sure it is rock hard after this period and then if you need or want to, you can use a cutter to bring up that end glass finish.

I'm sorry I can't go into it in too much depth as there are so many finishes to use and so many methods to apply it. Everyone has their own methods and own secrets. I'm sure others will tell you of theirs.

[RANCiDTOM]

I'd not advise fitting an Ox spring to any rifle, especially not to a Meteor as the increased recoil and strain on a light gun such as this will almost certainly shorten the life of the gun and make it unpleasant or even impossible to use accurately.
RT