Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Cleaned Up My Alaskan!

Got this a month ago and since the holidays been working on it to clean it up.

I gently removed the old finish on the wood, what was left of it anyway.

It started out looking like this.




I removed the finish with a cabinet scraper and Formby's refinisher. The checkering was not too bad and I used a stiff nylon brush to clean it out.

While I had it apart I pillar bedded it and glass bedded the action. I have shots of this but they didn't come out too good, I need to learn to use the macro settings. BSA's tutorial was great, the tip about having Q-tips on hand and paste wax was a lifesaver. Thanks BSA! Along with that, pre6422hornet sent me some pictures and advice on the pillar bedding. It sure helped the anxiety and all came out great.Thanks!

Once done with the messy part I applied 2 coats of Teak Oil, let it harden for a few days and now have 4 coats of Tung Oil over all of this. I've used this method on a few flintlocks I've built and been real please with the results and the performance. not to mention it can be touched up if need be.

Here is the stock after stripping and before any finish was applied.


I mounted a Leupold VXII 2.5-8 in Talley Lightweight mounts. Here it is finished and ready for the range.



[img]http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd32/bufflerrazz/Model%2070/P1010262_zps9yq6fbkf.jpg[/img]

Next up is a trip to the range to wring out some loads and she how it performs. Again, thanks to pre6422hornet and BSA!

Wow, great job bringing a classy rifle back to life, now to shoot and enjoy...thanks for the post.

Awesome Razz. Looks great. You got one heck of a good deal on that one and made it that much nicer with that refinish job. The Alaskan is one of those rifles that I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for. I like the whole package, even the talley lightweights. Lookin good brother....

Oooooo. I like the way it turned out.

Nice, I did my first of the five Alaskans I have had a few years ago, it has the nicest wood of any P-64-70 and one of the smoothest actions.

It was unfired when I bought it and after use for almost 40 years, the web ahead of the trigger mortise cracked, as so many do. So, I had to bed it and then decided to do the stock.

I used many, many coats of Dem-Bart oil and wax over several months and it came out very nicely. But, I wanted to cut weight and so put a Micky on it.

Most of these I have seen here show hard use, BUT, they STILL are among THE BEST rifle/cartridge rigs for BC uses, IMHO.

That turned out real nice!

Nice job Razz.

donsm70

Nice! Love to see transitions. Has anyone ever tried Howards Feed N Wax? My personal favorite.

Nice job. You brought some life back into that stock!!

Eric

BINGO Razz ! That is a good looking rig!Good job! Mr Green, Im a big Howards Feed & Wax fan! All my wood winchesters get it! very best WinPoor

Oh man Razz, that is a new rifle now!

Great JOb! I just received some new cabinet scrapers Saturday. So much better than sandpaper IMO.

That rifle looks great.

Thanks all! Sounds like I need to pick up some Howard's Feed & Wax.

I have to say, it looks better and it's more sealed up now. Win win situation. These Alaskan's were used and hunted just like the 375's. I've never ran across a 375 that didn't look like it had been drug thru the brush a bit. These 338's are the same way. Guys that bought them, bought them to really use. The Alaskan bush and general elk hunting is not real easy on rifles.

Not ALL of those 375's... hehehe Here is mine. 1950.

Beautiful rifle, but I see a scratch on the barrel and the bluing on the bolt handle is pretty thin looking from this angle. It's obviously been used. My 375 is damn near as nice and it's been used..:





I make certain it gets used...


I hate to change the OP's subject, but since we are talking nice 375's, someone needs to buy destertmuledeer's 375. That thing looks damn near new...!!!

So has mine, although mine only wears a Lyman 48, but she still turns in 1.5 groups at 100.

And no the bolt handle blue isn't thinning, just the light and such. But that is okay. I didn't post pics to have people pick it apart. But if that makes you feel better than so be it.

One day bsa ol Larry root be posting pictures up of your rifles claiming they are his... Good looking rifle mine in classic stainless shoots 270gr speers pretty darn good... I'm lacking a 338 win mag might save up my tax free cash and buy me one these pre-64 in a 338 win mag.

Nice job Razz - looks great.

Beautiful work on your 338 Razz. Seriously looks perfect.

Awfully nice job on the cleanup.

I have a LH 70 in .338 that I bought used but haven't even seen yet while I've been in Japan. Mine is stainless, though. I will save your post in case I need it as a reference. Thanks.