[Rapier]

I have been pulled here and there by business, clearing land at the farm, meetings with builders, etc. I just ran a patch through the 6.5x55 to make sure the bore was not pitted and then an oil rag over the exterior when I returned with the gun.

Yesterday, it was a rain day, so I took the rifle out of the safe to give it a good cleaning. I looked down the bore and in a bright light could see something that looked like little bits of lint, I ran a couple of wet patches and the lint stayed, I thought to myself, now that is odd. So I got out the Sweet Shooter and a bronze brush. After about a dozen scrubbing strokes up and down, I ran a dry patch, what came out was a light oil brown patch.... geez, dried oil. Now the bore is slick as a whistle and patches are white. So I looked at the bolt face, not one brass mark anywhere, nada, blue black as the day it was made and even inside the muzzle is still blue.

Now we have a problem, the gun is not just 98% it is unfired. With about three little handling marks on the stock, on each side, otherwise it would be a 100% gun. So.... now I have a decision, shoot it or not. Blast it, after all this time looking and then finding a nice used gun, I discover it is not used after all. I hate to fire an unfired collector gun, so I will have to think on this.
Ed