Bufered gun needs help.

[zimmerstutzen]

This morning at a yard sale I purchased a Traditions Deer Hunter rifle for $30.  A few screws & a sight missing.  It had been a kit gun and the stock looked like it was finished and varnished without any attempt at sanding.  However, the real surprise when I was checking it over was that the barrel had been glued into the stock.   It is definitely not epoxy.  I think it is just rubber cement, but the stuff is even oozed and hardened around the barrel tennon.   

I guess the instruction manual was lost when the guy put it together. 

I have most parts to fix it, just that I'm not sure how to handle the glue issue.  Extra fine razor blade maybe?   

[texasranger]

maybe a new stock is in order, or maybe try and heat the glue a little.

[Hanshi]

Regardless, at $30 you have a win-win situation.

[Dogshirt]

Rubber cement would not "Harden", merely set up. I'm guessing it to be one of the "Elmer's"
family of glues, perhaps yellow carpenter's glue or Titebond. While one or two of these glues
are waterproof, most of them will let go if soaked in water. Also, white vinegar and warm water
will break down some of them. A product called Goof Off will also disolve them, but this MUST
be done outside as the fumes are not good for you!
Gluing metal does not usuall work too well, as there in no "tooth" for the glue to bond too, so
hopefully your major problem will be the tennon. Good luck!

[zimmerstutzen]

This stuff, is mostly clear, just slightly gray.  I grabbed a piece of it with a needle nose pliers and it stretched like a stiff rubber band and eventually the piece I grabbed broke loose.    Unlike a rubber band, the stretched out piece didn't just snap back, although it did slowly contract.

Now that I think of it, it does seem a bit like that clear tub caulking.  the barrel won't budge.

I may put it in a box with my wife's hair dryer blowing in it for a bit to see what happens to the glue.   If it gets softer, I know heat will do it. 

[mongrel]

Wow. I thought I'd seen and/or heard everything. Thanks (I think) for something totally new.

Without knowing what adhesive was used, there's no telling the best way of breaking the barrel loose from the stock. Trying heat on the piece you removed is an excellent idea.

[Dogshirt]

Wow. I thought I'd seen and/or heard everything. Thanks (I think) for something totally new.

Without knowing what adhesive was used, there's no telling the best way of breaking the barrel loose from the stock. Trying heat on the piece you removed is an excellent idea.

[Watauga]

So they were trying to bed the barrel with GLUE and got a little carried away?

[Baldy]

I'd try heating up the barrel  --- but only after I made sure it was not loaded.  If it is something like silicone caulk, water won't do too much to it.

[beowulf]

never know what you`ll find at yardsales and flea markets ! I agree with the guys , a little heat might do the trick ! once you have the barrel out then you can clean out the barrel channel !  good luck , and let us know how it works out !

[crazell]

Nice find !! 

[Dogshirt]

I did a brief search on removing silicone caulk and found a link to this.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2151182

I am not promoting it, don't know if it will work, but it says it will, and may soften other caulking
as well.

[zimmerstutzen]

I goy water up as hot as I could near boiling) and poured it down the barrel. 


It took a few minutes, but the glue became somewhat pliable again and I could pull the barrel out of the channel.  It still took some strong arms to get it.

[beowulf]

that`s a start ! and now the fun begins !

[texasranger]

good job how about some more pictures of the barrel and stock