Bill,
The barrels and mag tubes should be sanded lengthwise. The receiver sides should be sanded up and down, not in the direction of the bolt. Same thing with the top and bottom of the receiver. Across, not lengthwise.
-jim
removing scratches and pits from a reciever
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marlinman93
- Distinguished Expert
- Posts: 2856
- Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 1:22 pm
- Location: Portland, Oregon
Re: removing scratches and pits from a reciever
Yep, what Jim said. 
Marlin lever actions 1870's-WWI, Ballards, and single shot rifles!
Re: removing scratches and pits from a reciever
I have started to sand blast pitted areas with 70 grit garnet sand and then go over it with glass beads before I re case harden now days. The re- casing makes your polish job flat in texture anyway so I have found that unless pits are really deep they all but disappear into the new casing colors. Also they will be corrosion free clear to the bottom as the sand will cut to clean steel.
I have always sanded and polished receivers until recently but one runs into forging striations at times that are as bad as pits to remove. They are really small slag inclusions and many old receivers have them showing threw so if you work the action down enough to get rid of pits you can very often get into forging striations underneath the surface that don't look so great either.
It depends on how deep and where pits are but some of them you cannot finish to the bottom and must leave them or weld them up.
If you weld, it is hard to match alloy and this will alter bluing and casing color results. I have done a far amount of bolt handle welding with MIG and use ES-70 wire or rod if TiG to match low carbon steel. So far I haven't found a better alloy for bluing match. Some thoughts from a new guy. Mike De Land
I have always sanded and polished receivers until recently but one runs into forging striations at times that are as bad as pits to remove. They are really small slag inclusions and many old receivers have them showing threw so if you work the action down enough to get rid of pits you can very often get into forging striations underneath the surface that don't look so great either.
It depends on how deep and where pits are but some of them you cannot finish to the bottom and must leave them or weld them up.
If you weld, it is hard to match alloy and this will alter bluing and casing color results. I have done a far amount of bolt handle welding with MIG and use ES-70 wire or rod if TiG to match low carbon steel. So far I haven't found a better alloy for bluing match. Some thoughts from a new guy. Mike De Land