Ok..my wife's Aunt gave me the above described shotgun and said she wanted me to give it to my oldest son when he was old enough. This was originally my Wife's Grandfather's shotgun but her Aunt and Uncle never had children so she gave it to us.

It had a lot of surface rust but I've finally gotten it all with elbow grease and 0000 Steel.The bluing is now in great shape....I'd say 95% up from about 60%. I've disassembled and gotten all the internals as well. The barrel was already in great shape.

Anyway....my question is concerning the stock. There are the normal bumps and bruises of course for a gun of this age but what concerns me is the plastic butt plate is turning white and it looks like there is some water damage on one side of the butt stock.

I plan on getting this in better shape and then giving it to one of the Grandsons who happens to be a LEO here and a really good young man. I think he will appreciate receiving his Grandfathers shotgun.

So...I don't want to "restore" this shotgun. I really just want to stabilize any deterioration before giving it to him. Any suggestions for the butt plate and stock?

Thanks

Robert

Not sure, but I think you should remove the buttplate and clean it thoroughly, then, if it is still discolored it can be painted with a good spray paint suited for plastic.. As far as the stock, since it sounds like it's a bit beat up anyway, use some fine sandpaper, go over the stock and remove evidence of water damage before coating with something like tung oil or similar..

Thanks Lee

I really didnt want to refinish it but i dont think i have a coice.

Robert

Redneck usually gives good advice and I'd trust him about the slight refinishing and tung oil suggestions .....

But twas me if I had the time, I'd try to to locate a "new" (and factory-stock) butt plate to replace the miscolored or damaged one. If you're trying to keep that antique .410 original, doubt the cost for a genuine replacement butt plate would be that much.

My first shotgun was a .410 M370. I HATE single-shot .410's!

But Model 37's in good shape are indeed heirlooms or collectors' pieces. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks...I was able to get the white off the plastic. It was like a mineral or calcium stain of some sort. I left the butt plate in oil overnight and it seems to be gone. Other than this small section of the butt its in reall nice shape.

It was supposedly ordered from Sears Roebuck in 37-38 for Christmas but this information was from his wife who at the time was in the early stage of Alzheimers and has since passed away.

Here are a few pics....









Robert

That was my very first gun of any sort, bought at Christmas when I was eight years old. It was stolen in a home burglary while the family was on vacation. My grandpa used a 12 gauge Model 37 for much of his hunting. Gramps always told me I'd get his old gun when he quit hunting but one day after a rabbit hunt he laid it down in the leaves while trying to get a brace of hard headed beagles in the truck and drove off, forgetting his shotgun laying there by the roadside pull in parking spot. He didn't miss it until he got home and unloaded his gear and by the time he got back to the place he laid it down it was gone. Seems my family can't hang on to M37's...

MOGC,

That's a shame. My very first shotgun was loaned by my Dad to one of his employees for a Rabbit hunt.....never to be seen again. I remember unwrapping that shotgun....started a sickness I have to this day.

Bruz

I love those; my first gun was a 37 .410 that I paid all of $23.50 + 2% sales tax for in 1952. Still have it; mine has a 28" barrel. Is yours 28" or 26"? I've seen both. I take mine rabbit/quail hunting once every season just for auld lang syne.

From the shape of the hammer and opening lever, I would say yours is a very early one. Does it have Winchester stamped in the bottom of the reciever? Most early ones do; some have red paint in the letters, some never did, some did but it has worn off.

These are interesting guns from a design standpoint: Winchester made them on automobile manufacturing machinery that it adapted to making gun recievers, forend irons, and other parts. They used the same technique and machines to made the Model 24 double barrel and you can see the relationship if you put the two guns together. They also made so prototype hammerless single that look like a cross between the 37 and the 24, or a 24 "cut in half." Don't know what the proposed model number was, but they never made any for sale.

Can you tell I LIKE 37s?

Mesa,

Nothing on the bottom of the receiver

This one has on the barrel

------Winchester--------Model---37-----Steelbilt--------
Trademark
---Made in USA---- .410-------CHOKE-------3 IN CHAMBER


It also has a roll stamp on the barrel and receiver that looks to be a "P" above a "W"

A picture as they say....Sorry about the cell pics...my wife has the Nikon in Orlando.









Robert

Before I posted I tried briefly, online, to find an original buttplate for his shotgun.. At the time, I had no luck - hence the advice above.. I'm glad to find out that it could be cleaned up instead.

I still have my M37 in .410 - first firearm I ever got as a kid at the tender age of ten.. Price at the time was $39.95.. Since it had been well used, and a little beat up, I used that firearm as one of my first refinishing chores when I started this biz.. Reblued, wood refinished etc..

If anyone happens to have one of these in 28 ga., better put it in a safe.. Those babies are bringin' HUGE bux...

I'd try black shoe dye on the buttplate. It might work.

Lee,

There is quite a bit of wood outside the edge of the butt plate. I haven't placed the calipers on it but probably between 1/8" - 1/4". Would it hurt the value to refinish the wood on this?

Btw: this thing locks up like a vault....very little field use is my guess.

Robert

Looks to be the same vintage and same markings as mine, which was shipped from the factory in mid-1951 and sat in the local hardware store until Oct 1952 when I bought it just in time for quail season.

THAT much???? Something's wrong there.. You sure it's the original one?

Yeah, they had a decent system of barrel lockup.. Mine got TONS of use when I was young.. Still closes as tight as a Dutchman's wallet..

Pristine value on these (410) runs about $400.. Obviously a tad more if you have box, tags etc.. But even refinished, if done well, won't detract much from the value.. Maybe $50.. These aren't like a pre-'64 M70, where values drop by half if refinished, so if you want to restore/preserve it I'd say gopherit..

Bruzer;

Nice work on the 37. I have one next to me same markings and everything. I bit of age showing on this one though but it is nice seeing what it could look like with some TLC. Missing screw in the under barrel and the trigger guard is awol.