Crosman M1 questions

[Privateer]

Re-doing one for a friend. It's mostly intact but missing a few parts.
The spring that locks the barrel is wasted but I can replace that.
Does anyone know the size of the ball bearing that goes with the spring? It's long gone.

We're gonna re-blue the barrel and repaint the other parts. Is the paint shiney or more of a matt/flat paint?

[Privateer]

OK. Let's go at this another way.
Was the barrel Blued and the other parts parkerized?

[OTmachine]

As to the detent ball and spring, I believe that there is a post here talking about the V-350, (same basic air gun?).  And it seems that the later ones used a 5/32” ball.  I will look for the post, as I saw it a few days ago when I was reading up on the V-350 that I have to go through.  And it seems that all of the data is not available, as the one I had when I was younger, had a ball and post front sight which I do not see listed anywhere.
This is what I had found: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=133537.0

[Privateer]

Thanks Keith.
That gets written in the Service Manual I printed out.
 
This M1 had every spring messed up in it! So it's gonna be a search for all of them.
I figure I can measure what's left of the felt and cut a new strip to replace it.

Would still like to know about the finish used on parts but We're getting closer!
 

[Privateer]

Found a nice solution to the felt replacement while shopping at Dollar General today.
I bought a pack of felt pads that go on furniture legs. They are the perfect thickness.
I'll check my punches to see if I have the right sizes and if not? I'll whip some out with the lathe!
I figure I could use old sockets to make them and use the 1 ton arbor press for a clean cut.

[Privateer]

Well gonna test a better way to cut the felt.
Wife has a Circut machine! Gonna figure out the dimensions and make a pattern to cut on that!
The pads have adhesive on one side so can stick then on something to hold while cutting.

[OTmachine]

Have you tried a scroll saw with a fine toothed blade?

[Privateer]

Have you tried a scroll saw with a fine toothed blade?

No. That felt is not that critical as it's just an oil wiper. My Wife has already programmed her circut to cut them from the felt pads I bought.
It's put them in, hit a button, and a felt band is done! If you need any? Let me know.

[OTmachine]

Thanks for the offer.  My wife, also, has a cri-cut machine which she has been wanting me to setup for her.  Just haven’t got a round to it. (Only had it for a couple of years now.)

[Privateer]

Put the front sight into a jar of lacquer thinner to see if that loosens the paint.
(Pretty sure it is paint at this point)
After testing if that works or not I do have my Paasche Air Eraser parts will get worked over with.
Once blasted they'll get a good cleaning and repainted. Not sure if it's a Matte or Gloss finish yet.
 

I should have taken pictures of this M1 before I started!
It was a rusty, jammed, junk looking gun! Barrel was cleaned up in the lathe with WD-40 and 400 grit sandpaper.
I'll use 600 grit to polish it before I re-blue it. Just gonna use Cold Blue.
I'm not charging my Friend anything for my time with this AG. It's mostly something to do in retirement that I enjoy.

Thanks to our Fantastic Members here at GTA, I have 2 M1's on the way.
Still have a 3rd to see that I just might buy.

[Privateer]

Had to apply heat to get some parts seperated. All the old oil from years past had hardened into a glue!

[Privateer]

I found soaking the metal parts in Orange Stripper takes off the old and dried out oil off metal parts really well.
The Plastic stock? Can't use that as it melts/softens the plastic. So I pray it with Dawn Power Spray and wrap it in a plastic bag to soak.
Works pretty good! There were a few abrasions on the stock that I Flame polished out after a good soak and scrubbing of the stock.
Surprising how much dirt and grime is on the old plastic stocks.

I have the front sight cleaned and ready for the Air Eraser. I'll be using a brown Aluminium Oxide abrasive as a test.
I may go to Baking soda depending on how the test finish looks after blasting.
I have a dedicated Air Brush compressor that can go to about 58 PSI. If I need more PSI? I'll hook up the other compressor which can go to 120+ PSI. I do have moisture filters for both.

[Privateer]

Blasting did a fantastic job on the front sight. Cleaned it with Lacquer Thinner then gave it a light coat of black paint.
Given I was being paid for the work? I'd probably done a zinc parkerization on it.
My Friend will probably throw it in a closet anyways. But it will look good enough for people that saw it before I got it.
You have to know my friend. He thinks the old Chinese B4-1 side lever is a Great Gun.
 

[OTmachine]

Jeff, Thanks for sharing your project.  I hadn’t thought of an air brush as an “Air Eraser” before.  Looked it up and found this one :
https://www.dixieart.com/AirEraser.html
Is this something like the one you use?  Looks like it would be Very handy to have.

[Privateer]

That's the one I have. It's handy for doing small parts/areas.

[Privateer]

If you plan on buying an Air Eraser? Paasche has the ER-1S Air Eraser Kit.
It has a bottom container that is larger and holds more compound.
I'll probably buy one at some point.

https://www.paascheairbrush.com/ER-1S

To clean the M1 sight? I had to reload compound 5 or 6 times with the Top feed version I have.

[Privateer]

Got the last few parts painted today with Gloss black. Those will sit for 24 hours before I do a fine coat of matte clear.
Doing it that way the parts look closer to the actual finish the M1's had. I absolutely hate just a straight matte black myself.
The Stock is looking good after several days soaking in a plastic bag once sprayed with Dawn Power spray.
Cleaned it with hot water and then did a final Flame polish. I do Flame Polishing to hide any scratches on plastics.
You can still see them but they color and look more like a scratch in a wooden stock.
The rear sight area had been bent at some point in the past and I managed to get that straightened out also before the paint work.
Final step on the paint work is to lightly polish them with a paper towel soaked with furnitue polish. Gives them that last bit of pop!
Not to dull and not to Glossy.

Really pleased with how this is coming along! Blueing work is next.

[eeler1]

Hey Jeff, do you have a camera?   What they say; no pics, didn't happen.

[Privateer]

I should have started with pictures of this M1 as I got it!
I'm gonna get pictures of all the broken parts together. It sure was a mess and had been taken apart once before.
The paint is done using yours as a basis. Best paint I've seen on one in a LONG time!
Even though it will be a shooter? My Friend is just gonna hang it on a wall. I honestly think He's not all there in the head.
 

Best part of this whole thing is that I end up with a nice M1 myself! I have 2 Guns to work with so I'll have a working M1 and a few parts left over.

Now a lot of credit has to go to you Jon. That M1 is great! And the extra parts? I can't say enough how thankful I am!
That original magazine? I'm just floored! Thus the reason I told you I'm gonna send you another check!
I like doing fair deals with people and that magazine alone is like a bar of Gold to me!

[Privateer]

Here's an image of the refinished sight next to a stock sight.
I don't remove factory blemishes. I also don't oil the paint. So the slight difference is good for me as I expect the owner will probably oil wipe in the future.


I have been asked about Flame polishing plastic parts.
Say there's a scratch in a plastic stock as in this case. Those show as a white looking scratch most times.
I use a propane torch and lightly run it over the area real quick. The plastic kind of melts and the scratch blends away.
I'd suggest practicing to get good at this! To much heat to long? You've screwed the pooch!