Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Refinishing a Pre 64 Target M70

Previous Post got me thinking about a long term Project I'm thinking about : Years ago I bought a Pre 64 M70 Target in 243 . It has been in pieces for years ....don't know where all the parts are right now . Anyway , the Burl Figured Marksman Stock was refinished in very high Gloss ...ugh ! I think I would like to Refinish it in an egg shell luster type finish in the Reddish-Brown color typical of old Winchesters . Would like some comments on what Type & Brand Finish to use ? Also the bore looks great , but the outer Barrel finish is horrible . Looks like it may have had blood ( or something else ) on it & someone used a hand abrasive to try and polish off the crud on most of the Barrel. It looks like a black finish ( not the old Winchester blue/black ) and I'm wondering if the 243s were Stainless , and who could refinish it close to new Condition ? The Lettering is excellent on the Barrel from what I remember , and I want it to stay that way . Think I will re-do the Stock and just shoot it before I decide on what to do with the Barrel . All suggestions appreciated .

I have refinished several Winchester M/52 Target Stocks, I stained the wood with Pilkington pre '64 stain from Brownell's. It is a red/brown, Pilkington also makes a golden brown stain which some may prefer based upon the color of the stock before refinishing. I used semi-gloss spray lacquer in a rattle can from my local home center to finish. Lacquer is very forgiving to use, I apply several light coats and then rub down with grey or white Scotch Brite before applying the last one or two coats. Set aside to dry and harden for 48 to 72 hours and then apply a good paste wax buffing afterward with a microfiber cloth. Gives a very presentable looking job, quick and easy to do.

Boy1: Some 243 barrels were stainless on some pre-64 Model 70's.
Some of these Target Rifles shoot/shot VERY well indeed.
I would bore scope the barrel and the leades to the rifling and verify the wear and tear (and care!) that the barrel has received.
I have a 1961 vintage 243 Varmint that had shot at least 4,000 rounds before I bought it from a friend and this Rifle still shoots .650" groups for me.
Maybe a custom "coating" of some type on the outside of the barrel would be quick and cheap - and look better?
I have never tried to refinish a stainless Model 70 barrel.
IIRC the finish on these stainless barrels was a type of parkerizing or plating?
Maybe you should get the Rifle back together and shoot it the way it is before making a decision on the Rifles future?
Best of luck with your project.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I believe that you will find all 243 Target barrels to be Stainless Steel. Depending on age of gun, they were blued by two different methods, and the second method produces a near conventional look which often leads to people mistaking the barrel as Chrome/Moly.
The earliest style and by far the most predominant method was a proprietary process developed by Winchester earlier for the 220 Swift. It involved first iron plating the barrel, then blueing by the normal method. The Stainless steel would not take a "blued" finish due to the high Chrome content. The second method used much later, I believe after 1959, was a process developed by the DuLite Corportation which was a typical one-step process. The earliest method produced the "mottled" or Parkerized appearing finish on the barrel, while the later method produced a much more conventional looking blued finish, albeit not quite as dark as the typical blue on a Chrome/Moly barrel.
I know of no one that does the first style blueing on the Stainless steel barrels, however there are many shops that will do the later style blue on the Stainless barrels.
Steve