I just helped my dad move and in the process was given an old family artifact - my great grandfather's 45/70.
My great grandfather was the original owner and homesteaded out in the Nazco valley in the Caribou district of British Columbia. My grandmother was the first white person born in the area. My great grandmother took a paddle wheeler up the Fraser River to take a job in Quesnel at the age of 14. She got married shortly thereafter and had 13 children. I expect the model 1886 got a lot of use up there. Eventually the family moved down to Richmond, BC and farmed.
Anyway, I suspect the rifle will stay on my wall due to it's extensive family history, but I was wondering what I should do. Is there any restoration/preservation that I should undertake (I have no experience whatsoever with collectibles and heretofore have considered rifles to be tools for hunting). It's missing the cap at the end of the magazine, the rear sight is broken off, it's got some significant dings in the butt stock and you can see the metal is not pristine by any stretch of the imagination.
I'm sure your great granddad would be honored if you replaced the parts, cleaned her up and took her out to kill a moose or elk or whatever. And if you put a few more dings in the stock doing it, I'm sure he would be even more proud - and so might your great grandchildren.
That's a rifle that was made to be used and is still meant to be used. I have similar rifles that came to me and they still kill turkeys and squirrels. As they were meant to originally.
To make it a shooter I'd have to probably replace the barrel - it's likely shot out and besides, 1894 is before they brought out the high nickel steel barrels to enable them to shoot smokeless or "nitro" rounds as they were called back in the day. I'd certainly be happy to hunt with it if possible - despite the weight. Looks like it needs some work on the action as well - the hammer sets fine, but the pin seems to flop back and forth sort of loose.
As a collector of antique firearms, I can tell you a few thing NOT to do. This gun has so much character that so few guns have nowadays. I have seen so many guns ruined by someone trying to make a shiny gun out of a well used and loved firearms. First of all do no harm. Clean the barrel well and shoot lead bullets. I think you will be surprised that it will be totally adequate for large game animals it was intended for. Two hundred yards is about as far as humanely possible for the old loads in this round. Stop the rust by using 0000 steel or bronze wool on all metal surfaces. Replace missing parts. Refrain from taking the gun apart to clean it as screw damage will occur. There are a number of good oil products that will help a dried out stock that is NOT a finish. A old adage is, "do nothing that can't be undone. The world is full of guns with no character or history. Few guns can have such a colorful history as your. Admire ever dent and ding, as these are this guns "service stripes". I am as proud as a new papa when discussing every dent and ding my old rifle has acquired in its colorful career. Well that is what us collectors look for and admire. Of course this is my opinion.
Mike: Congratulations on inheriting your family heirloom. I am not a Winchester expert, but your gun looks like an 1886 Sporting Rifle with octagon barrel. I would scrub the bore our carefully and if shootable, replace the rear sight, the cap at the end of the magazine - does this cap hold in the mag spring or is this the cap at the front of the forearm? Buckinghams may have parts, also Wisners in Chehalis, WA. I recently picked up a similar gun that has the long rear sight that flips up and octagon barrel. Mel Chung
Congratulations on the family treasure! I picked up a 1890 vintage '86 in 40-82. the bore is a tad rough but she shoots very well. I do only shoot black powder thru mine however. I'm using cast lead bullets with a copper gas check on the base, a recommendation by Buffalo Arms up in Idaho. They shoot very well, accuracy is only limited by the loose nut behind the stock who is pulling the trigger. I lugged mine around last deer season in hopes of making meat with it, and she will be on my cow elk hunt this fall.
Enjoy your treasure and if she checks out ok by a good smith, enjoy shooting her a time or two. Send me a PM if you want any info or advice on the BP loads I am using.
Razz
PS: Beautiful country up there too. I was at Howe Sound earlier this year, was to go to the mill at Quesnel but it got put off. I was quite disappointed.
There's 2 dates they carve on your tombstone. Everyone knows what they mean. What's more important is time that is known as the little dash inbetween.
probably - clean the dirt off the stock first. I used brakleen on a paper towel - rubbing gently - no abrasives on the stock. The receiver ands lever should be casehardened blueish/gray and clean it very lightly with four ought (0000) steel wool and wd 40 - you might find traces of the original case hardening - expecially in protected places of parts of the receiver and lever. DON'T EVEN THINK OF USING NAVAL JELLY OR RUST REMOVER as it will remove what little blueing is left on the gun as blueing is a form of rust. Work slowly and ask questions frequently - any time. Mel Mel Chung
I have a question for melchung. I have never used brakleen. Does this remove the remaining finish? I totally agree with your metal treatment. I have used this many times. As for linseed oil, I an not experienced with this product. I remember a company that called their product linspeed. This was nothing more than a gloss finish. I have refreshed many an old stock with various stock oils like OL English that does nothing to original finish but does help preserve.
stu: brakleen is a brake cleaner also sold by NAPA and others under different brand names. It cuts oil and grease. read and follow the instructions on the can. I DONT SOAK THE STOCK!, just spray a white paper towel and go over the stock to remove hand oil, grease etc. let dry out and then apply a coat or two of boiled linseed oil (blo) (not raw linseed oil-which will never dry). blo will help heal and hide scratches and scrapes. Linspeed is a gloss finish and probably won't be appropriate in this case. Mel
While I am sure there are smokeless loads that would be completely safe in that rifle, loading with black powder and lead bullets is what she was made to do. And, were she mine, she would.
Barrels are rarely shot out. They might be rusted to the point of no return, but they are not shot out in old guns like these. That said, if need be, relining would keep her functional and though a collector might cringe, as a family rifle, I would rather they keep their family functionally over everything else. Family use, not family ownership is what adds to the value of the rifles in my family. There are stories yet to be collected.
Wiping down the stock with turpentine would clean it well and not remove the finish. I usually wipe again with something like Watco teak oil. But only the smallest amount on a rag.
In any event, she could be elk hunting again. She certainly could.
