RandyC wrote:If the loading gate is really tight, I think that's a dead giveaway that your gun simply hasn't been used that much in spite of it's age.
If that's the case, taking the gun apart will serve no purpose. And it will be evidence of the best problem you can have -- your gun, despite it's age, is like new.
Unfortunately (for me) I have yet to encounter this "best problem you can have" on any of the used guns that I have acquired
. While I have found that a complete disassembly and a thorough cleaning has fixed many an issue, I agree with RandyC's comment that, in this case, doing so will likely serve no useful purpose (and may result in more issues if not done properly).
If there is no indication that the gun has be "tinkered with" i.e. buggered screws, misaligned components, tool marks etc., I too, would not disassemble it. An unfired gun over 50 years old may still have the factory applied anti-rust lube coating the components. If so, it would likely be very "gummy" by now and would/could make for the 'hard to cycle" condition.
This of course brings us back to some of the original suggestions of getting a good (and gun safe) solvent into the mechanism and repeatedly working the action to loosen things up.
If it does look like Bubba has been messin' with things, I'll stand by my suggestion to completely disassemble
.
Sleeper