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Weathered 1866 Winchester
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February 14, 2023 - 9:56 pm
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I have an old 1866 Winchester, 36… serial number (1869) it was found in the Dragoon Mountains by a cowboy, passed to a Tucson lady, then to a small winchester collector in Tucson. It has been in that private collection of older Winchesters for over 60 years. It has a totally rusted barrel and the stock is quite weathered. It looks like someone taped the stock to the metal many years ago to help them stay together. It needs some help. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thank you.

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February 14, 2023 - 10:04 pm
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Hello Patrick,

The odds are very high that it would cost you considerably more $$$$ to properly restore the gun than it would ever be worth.  Without actually seeing the gun (or clear detailed pictures of it), I suspect that it would be best to leave it as is and use it for a “wall hanger” decoration.

Bert

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February 14, 2023 - 10:35 pm
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Bert H. said I suspect that it would be best to leave it as is and use it for a “wall hanger” decoration.
Bert

  

Antique shops in Santa Fe, Taos, & other hang-outs of Kalifornia millionaires, would pay very respectable dough for such an “authentic relic of the Old West.”  Esp. if the tape was replaced with rawhide.

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February 15, 2023 - 1:20 am
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Your story brings back memories.  I hunted a bit in the Dragoons and drove by them a  lot when stationed in Ft. Huachuca over two tours and eight years.  Lovely place and used to think we would retire back there.  My son was born on post.  Reasonably good quail hunting, and back in the days of some famous gun writers, the Dragoons were stomping grounds for good Coues’ deer.  I never found much of them though.  Tim

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February 15, 2023 - 2:01 am
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tim tomlinson said   I hunted a bit in the Dragoons and drove by them a  lot when stationed in Ft. Huachuca over two tours and eight years.  Lovely place and used to think we would retire back there.
  

Once in a great while, things work out for the best.  (Though I’m still waiting.)  Still a lovely place, but Tucson now has one of the highest crime rates in the country for a city its size; dope, of course, & a “compassionate” city gov’t.

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February 15, 2023 - 3:14 pm
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Without pictures, it’s hard to say what your ’66 looks like.  If it truly was found in the mountains, with all it’s hard worn and weathered appearance, it’s probably worth more, if you leave it alone.  I wouldn’t attempt to do any cleaning on wood or metal of any kind, until you show us some pictures.  Some of us can probably help you decide what to do at that point.  Any attempt to clean it, will most likely destroy it’s history.

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