Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors EricM and I are thinking about having this one refinished...

Just the stock, that is... . Figured I'd post the "before" pictures. Eric will have to post the "after" pictures. He's damn good with a camera, so this should be a great thread guys....

Let us know what you think. I guess you can call this a continuation of the Alaskan thread I started a few months ago. The stock on this rifle is the original stock. However, It's been professionally pillar and glass bedded. I'd love to claim it as my own, buy I only glassed and freefloated the barrel channel. The recoil pad is an old ventilated Pachmayr. It doesn't look bad and still absorbs recoil quite nicely. EricM and I are thinking a nice Galazan re-pro would be nice on this one, along with maybe touching up the checkering. I'll let Eric fill you guys in on more details later, so this will be a thread I start and Eric will finish it up. Thanks for the support guys. As always, I appreciate the input and I'm sure Eric does as well.

One thing I think we agree on, is this stock is not original and a good refinish would protect the wood better, plus make it look better. However, To me, this is better than original since it is stronger and will likely never crack out like the originals have been known to do. We think it's a great candidate for a refinish, what say you guys (fellow Winchester loonies)...

My biggest concern with this stock is the finish has flaked off in a few places. Not big patches, but it's left the wood vulnerable to the conditions of the field. When I took the rifle elk hunting last year, it rained on me and I noticed the finish was down to bare wood in these flaked off areas. I let it dry out real well, lightly sanded smooth and touched up the areas with some tru-oil so the wood wasn't exposed anymore. Here's what I'm talking about:

This pic was taken before I lightly rubbed the tru-oil into it:

Here's more pictures of the stock and rifle:







[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/011_zps7a6696e6.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/013_zps4f582877.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/014_zps7df04a17.jpg[/img]

It's a pretty good shooter too:
[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/013_zps38af5f9f.jpg[/img]

Since it's already been modified (bedding) then refinishing wouldn't hurt it's value as an original stock. I'd go for a nice refinish and point up the checkering. A solid pad would look better also IMO.

Oh yeah, no white line spacers.

Thanks tmitch. EricM and I were thinking the same thing....

If we could get it looking as good as the 375 H&H stock I sold, that would be damn ideal:



This is kind of what I'm picturing in my mind anyway....

Yep, just like that BSA. I had a Featherweight stock stripped, refinished and pointed up by a guy in CO years ago. (The original owner had sprayed a thick coat of epoxy over it to the point the checkering was smooth) Did a hellofa job. I thought he called himself the Stock Dr but there's someone in OR that goes by that name now. Anyway, go for it and make her look purdy!

Do it. Nothing to lose there.

The stock Dr. lives 30 miles from me.

Might be the same guy, thought it was CO but it's been many years and my memory fails me sometimes. He did some really nice work, never felt checkering as sharp as how that one came out. Good luck, waiting to see the "After" pics.

Thanks for starting this thread, BSA. It's always fun to see the before and after shots on a project like this. I'll try to get some good quality shots after the work is done.

The stock could use a little love but it's not too bad. Since it has already been bedded and has a non-original recoil pad it's the perfect candidate for a refinish job. Like Mitch says, we're looking at a nice refinish, point up the checkering and go with a repro solid pad.

Or I could throw it in a McSwirly...? lol.

Eric

I'm pretty neutral on the refinish, no strong opinion, but I would definitely change the pad.

Even now, even before refinish, and even already glass bedded, it is not a stock you would want to use hard. Refinish will add to that feeling.

Which is all to say that while you are planning for this stock, you might as well start thinking about the "other" stock for this rifle.

I'd go for it. But who am I to say don't do it after just refinishing the wood on my Alaskan! And FWIW, I'm with tmitch and do away with the whiteline spacer. Can't wait to see the results.

Proceed and use Chem-Pak Pro Custom oil. Knock it to satin with rottenstone. Trust me on this.

http://item.brownells.com/brands/ch...unstock-finish-pro-custom-oil-finish.htm

bsa, Is the Galazan repro you have mentioned a couple of times the solid red pad marked "Winchester" with 'made in USA" over it and "Trademark" and "patent June 6 1922" under it? I just received a really sweet '06 fwt. from PSH that has this pad and I'd like to find another one to replace a somewhat cracked vent pad on another gun. This one has the red rubber plugs for the screw holes and just looks "right" on this rifle.

My understanding is that Galazan bought the tooling from Hill & Dale Guns of Savona, NY (long out of business). They were the original purveyors of the repro pads, I have used several over the years. They have the identical markings to the original pads. I had the opportunity to buy that tooling many years ago, $10K was a lot of money back then were I to have known what a money making opportunity it was I would have found a way to come up with the funds. Back then the repro pads were selling for $10.00, seconds(cosmetically flawed, most of the time they cleaned up when fitted) were $7.00.

Seeing as how this stock appears to have only light to moderate wear, you might want to consider this. You might want to do what woodworkers call a "solvent refinish", I have used a product called Qualarenu which is manufactured by Behlen's. Most woodworking supply stores carry it. I used to do touch up work for several gun dealers, many years ago a dealer approaced me with a Newton rifle which had one side of the stock badly alligatored from setting too close to a woodstove or campfire after having been hunted in the rain or snow. Not wanting to destroy the value of a rare rifle by refinishing, I used Qualarenu to dissolve the alligatored finish and restore the damaged finish. The advantage to a solvent refinish is that you are simply dissolving the original finish and spreading it over the scuffs and scratches. The stain is not removed and the wood remains the same color, the finish is original just redistributed so the gloss is the same. Most of the woodworking supply stores have experts who will gladly explain how to use Qualarenu better than I have in this short post.

The Galazan pads are not as true to color as the originals, more 'orangey' than red. Repros also have a comma between the month and year on the patent date, original pads have a period....

The old Winchester finish never was anything to brag on. Used moderately hard in wet and it came off easily and the wood would turn white until it dried. A good oil/urethane combo with a little red tint will duplicate the original almost perfectly along with giving protection and relatively easy touch up when needed.

This one hasn't been done yet and essentially bare wood is showing itself.



This one has. Which way is better for the long term care and preservation of what is no longer made?

I'd just touch up the bad spots.