The Re-Birth of a Mossberg .22 Carbine

By GlenWunderlich

The projects seem to have piled up and I needed to free up some garage space for an Allis Chalmers model IB in need of some tweaking.  A Mossberg model 152 carbine in .22 rimfire was in parts on the bench and definitely in the way.  It was time to make it happen.

Mossberg model 152 left view

With a final 400-grit sanding of the exquisite black walnut stock, it was ready for finish.  This little plinker would be fitted with a satin polyurethane skin.  A rattle can with Helmsman polyurethane was surprisingly like a low pressure quality spray rig.  The fan was even and fine.  Layer after layer was applied within the prescribed time frame of 90 minutes; the generous open time allowed for quick buildup in a short amount of time.

Mossberg model 152 - Folding Stock

The barrel and receiver were stripped of original finish and any deeper dings were sanded smooth with 400-grit wet emery cloth.  The final sanding was with 600-grit paper, providing a foundation for  a deeper and sleeker blue metal finish. The action and bore were thoroughly cleaned before Outers cold blue was applied per instructions to the barrel and receiver; all original screws were carefully twisted back into in place.   Even the plastic buttstock was refurbished with a light sanding/polishing and new finish coat of paint specifically formulated for plastics.

Mossberg's Action and Magazine

The original rear peep sight was missing when purchased, so I took the easy route with a Bushnell .22 scope set to be parallax free at approximately 60 yards.  It was advertised to be parallax free at 50 yards, but it’s not.  When I sight it in with the new look, I’ll move the target to various yardages until I find there is no parallax.  If it’s within small-game reason, the parallax-free point would be optimal for sighting in.  

Here’s a look at some literature and photos of an original Mossberg model 152:  http://www.box54.com/kevin-152.jpg  The model depicted in the link has the plasic fold-down forend.  The walnut version is reportedly the earlier vintage.

With the folding front stock, this model is not only unique, but functional with the vertical grip.  I also learned that it makes a good monopod.

Looking forward to getting it sighted in with some standard velocity target ammo.