[undeRGRound]

Here's the deal, it was in a house fire, sounds like it was not too bad, just melted the stock but didn't hurt the action or barrel.

So I'm asking 2 things, what to look for damage wise and what it might be worth if it's good to go.

Assuming it passes a blind Mole's visual inspection of course :rotfl:

The seller was going from memory on the model number, but this one had a 4 round magazine. He said maybe 5 rounds. Doubtful...

 

[Delbert]

You need to do a complete tear down. Replace ALL wire springs and any flat springs (if so equipped). Do visual on any polished/plated and coated metal to see how fire damaged it is.
Heat will also make some metals brittle from over heat, so I suggest a gunsmith should look over the gun to verify if usable in future. He should run a rod down bore to determine if barrel is still straight or needs replacement. Can't see sometimes with a visual and barrel profile if you might have barrel droop.

If gunsmith says the metal is G2G, then polish or replace and oil/grease every part on the interior back up, replace all the springs, give the metal a good coat of spray paint or some Duracoat, replace the stock and enjoy that gun for years.

 

[barnetmill]

I doubt if a gunsmith can certify the metallurgy of the action. What happens is the carbon of the steel gets 'burnt'. If the stock was singed is one thing, but if it was burnt off that gun, it should not be subjected center fire rounds like 30-06. Often the barrel will warp if the gun gets too hot.

A most common remington was the 788 that used a 3 or 4 round mag and was commonly in 308, 243, 44 mag, 30-30 iirc. There is a 783 that came in 30-06 with four round mag.

A standard house fire can reach temperatures of up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (815 Celcius). It will always be hottest at the ceiling, as heat rises. However, it can still easily be a few hundred degrees or more at the floor level.

House Fire Temperature: How Hot Does It Get?

firefighterinsider.com

 

[undeRGRound]

Excellent check points, gentlemen.

I was told the stock "melted" rather than burnt off, it was removed by the seller, he was looking to get another one. So, if he's being honest, he thought it was worth saving.

I'm gonna check barrel straightness, best way I can imagine is to remove the bolt and look thru it.

 

[RACHGIER]

Or get a 1/4" dowel, wrap 1" tape around it in 3 places, 2" apart, until its just under bore diameter and see if it passes through clean...

Not a 100% guarantee but slightly more precise than your aging eyeballs. 😆

 

[barnetmill]

Excellent check points, gentlemen.

I was told the stock "melted" rather than burnt off, it was removed by the seller, he was looking to get another one. So, if he's being honest, he thought it was worth saving.

I'm gonna check barrel straightness, best way I can imagine is to remove the bolt and look thru it.

If the steel is still good, a barrel can be straightened. I saw a gunsmith take a ruger 77 in 220 swift with a wrapped barrel that had been in pickup truck fire and straightened it by pounding it against a huge tree stump. It was an iron sighted gun and he claimed the customer was happy with it. I always wondered if he doing a joke on me. There are special presses also for barrel straightening. Probably not many gunsmiths have them.
I have seen the action of a 98 mauser wrap/bend. It seems that some if not all of those guns were said to have had a shell in the chamber of weapons from one house fire that occurred in the aftermath of divorce proceedings.

 

[moona11]

Me personally will not work on a fire gun. I dont want the chance of a problem which has the possibility of it being catastrophic. Nope not this kid.

 

[Tu_S]

Me personally will not work on a fire gun. I dont want the chance of a problem which has the possibility of it being catastrophic. Nope not this kid.

I would agree with this.

Perhaps I'm over thinking things, but from what I remember from Dr. Samuel's material sciences class, which I did pass a little over 30 years ago, heat will do some strange things to metal and it doesn't take much. I'm guessing the breach face, chamber, and barrel would be fine since they're treated to handle the cartridge going off and would be safe, but there are a lot of other parts that are at least face hardened so you would run the risk of something like an out of battery discharge caused by a single or cascade of failures from one or more of these pieces.

Being a student of WW2, if a tank got hit and burned the metal was considered useless and scrapped, for one that was knocked out, didn't burn, but too damaged to repair, they would get cut up for additional armor plate.

 

[barnetmill]

I would agree with this.

Perhaps I'm over thinking things, but from what I remember from Dr. Samuel's material sciences class, which I did pass a little over 30 years ago, heat will do some strange things to metal and it doesn't take much. I'm guessing the breach face, chamber, and barrel would be fine since they're treated to handle the cartridge going off and would be safe, but there are a lot of other parts that are at least face hardened so you would run the risk of something like an out of battery discharge caused by a single or cascade of failures from one or more of these pieces.

Being a student of WW2, if a tank got hit and burned the metal was considered useless and scrapped, for one that was knocked out, didn't burn, but too damaged to repair, they would get cut up for additional armor plate.

There was and maybe still is some armor plate with depleted uranium sandwiched between steel and one does not want to breach that in anyway.

 

[ajole]

A Remington 783/787/7-whatever pump gun that "might be" ok after a fire isn't worth the time and expense of working on, IMHO.
Unless it has sentimental value, I'd not even bother making it into a wall hanger.

 

[barnetmill]

A Remington 783/787/7-whatever pump gun that "might be" ok after a fire isn't worth the time and expense of working on, IMHO.
Unless it has sentimental value, I'd not even bother making it into a wall hanger.

783 was a bolt action

 

[moona11]

I would agree with this.

Perhaps I'm over thinking things, but from what I remember from Dr. Samuel's material sciences class, which I did pass a little over 30 years ago, heat will do some strange things to metal and it doesn't take much. I'm guessing the breach face, chamber, and barrel would be fine since they're treated to handle the cartridge going off and would be safe, but there are a lot of other parts that are at least face hardened so you would run the risk of something like an out of battery discharge caused by a single or cascade of failures from one or more of these pieces.

Being a student of WW2, if a tank got hit and burned the metal was considered useless and scrapped, for one that was knocked out, didn't burn, but too damaged to repair, they would get cut up for additional armor plate.

As I learn more and more in my new field. Metals are sensitive to temp changes. We have very strict standards for metals in making aircraft parts. Steel has more leeway but fires are just to much for it to be considered safe for use. Id just toss it.

 

[ajole]

783 was a bolt action
View attachment 75628

Yes. But is that what he has? I think it is, but it would be nice if he said so.

And I’m still not sure it’s worth it.

 

[undeRGRound]

I found the likely 30-06 mag fed Remi was the 783, thanks for verifying @barnetmill

I found a $299.99 NEW 783, used would be 150-200 so a parts donor gun is maybe $50 of it passes inspection.

Is this about right?

 

[undeRGRound]

Yes. But is that what he has? I think it is, but it would be nice if he said so.

And I’m still not sure it’s worth it.

He just said it's a Remington, 30-06 melted stock. 787 maybe.

I see what you and Moonzy said, I was thinking MAYBE if it didn't look overheated or scorched at all, and passed for barrel straightness... then I might bite.

It would have to be perfect (less stock) which is highly doubtful. I'd like to still see it but it's 99% pass at this point.

 

[Tu_S]

There was and maybe still is some armor plate with depleted uranium sandwiched between steel and one does not want to breach that in anyway.

They're actually up to (I believe) the 4th or 5th generation of DU armor for the Abrams, where it is now a standard for the ones in US service and they have dropped the HA suffix that used to be used to distinguish them.

 

[RACHGIER]

I want to say nylon 6/6, a common thermoplastic used in stocks and handguards has a crystalline melting point around 450°F... maybe??? BUT it also has a flash point of around 425°F???

That means if that stock MELTED, it was already off gassing enough to ignite, and likely would have if exposed to direct flame.

I wouldn't touch that rifle either.

 

[greg_r]

Late to the party here, but I would not touch it. Fire does things to metal and you are risking a catastrophic failure.

 

[undeRGRound]

Ok thanks guys, it's a moot point anyway, supposedly dood left yesterday. I should tell him that even without seeing it, Most of the experts here gave a Hard Pass. So he should not try and resurrect it, either...

 

[CamoDeafie]

Hey @adam01364 wasn't it one of your Hi Point carbines that was in a fire, that you won off Gunbroker or something and sent to Hi Point for warranty work? Was that one basically the most extreme case of warranty work ever? Too bad Remington doesn't honor anything like that I agree, hard pass.