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December 11, 2012
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Without negatively impacting the value of an older Winchester?
First off, I am not talking about an historically significant firearm. A nice Winchester in original shape and good condition or better is the subject matter.
In the world of English shotguns, I can replace screws, fix ejectors, bend the stock and refinish it, all without negatively impacting the value. The shotgun’s receiver needs to be left alone and allowed to develop a patina. It can be ok to re-black the barrels if done properly.
What’s ok with say an 1892-again-not a true collectable or significant firearm?
Can I replace all the buggered screws and/or springs or ejector? If so, is new production ok or do I need to find old parts, if that is even possible.
Can I apply a coat(s) of oil to a dried out stock? Where does keeping the stock maintained fall within the “all original” condition versus being viewed as “refinished” and ‘non-original” condition.
Where are the boundary lines??
Thank you
August 27, 2014
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I’d just wipe it down
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
March 31, 2009
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If you can’t fix the parts find old or new ones that match the condition of the gun. Sometimes with old patina new visible parts don’t look good. If the gun was originally oiled then applying some boiled linseed oil is OK. You don’t want to overdue it and make it look new and shiny. Don’t replace parts that are not broken.
November 1, 2013
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Problem with replacing screws would be finding ones that matched surrounding metal. New-made screws can be “aged” by rubbing down blue, but it takes some practice. Old screws in good cond wouldn’t be easy to find. Use of some furniture oil like Scott’s Liquid Gold, or linseed thinned with turpentine, isn’t considered “refinishing.”
November 1, 2013
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Sometimes with old patina new visible parts don’t look good. Chuck said
No, that’s merely exchanging one problem for another, unless you have the skill to “antique” the new part.
June 4, 2017
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rwt,
On the subject of screws, original screws were hardened and on the older guns were not blued. Replacing these screws with new blued, soft, after market junk to get a clean slot will have a negative effect on value of your gun. If replaced with an original in good condition that matches the gun you increase the value. I look very closely at screws when purchasing old Winchester or Colts, when I see buggered screws I wonder what Bubba did. You can clean-up original screws if you know how to do it right.
Years past screw kits were sold, gun dealers would buy kits and change all the screws on old Winchester’s. I wish I had all the takeoffs they changed. When I see an old 73 with the original chatter marks, I know what I’ve got. T/R
November 19, 2006
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It sure works best to buy something that is completely right. A favorable price can be very appealing but the extra trouble making it right often doesn’t work out like one hopes. There are completely right guns out there. The old, “you get what you pay for.”
December 11, 2012
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Thanks everyone.
Makes sense!
March 8, 2023
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Hi Guys,
This question comes up a lot.
As for screws you can “fix” them and the slot. There are some youtube videos that show he process Mark Novak (Anvil on youtube) shows the process well. If you remove the screw from the gun you can either put it in a vise or make a fixture to stand the screw head proud of the surface. Then with a smooth face ballpiene hammer lightly tap the screw face all around the surface. The process is in effect drifting metal into the slot and around the face. If done right you can recut the screw slot if you have either the right sized file or a screw slot file. I have done this with lots of screws and for the most part looks better than replaced screw. There are a few ways to antique the surface to match the surrounding metal. Sometimes after a screw has been fixture it still looks old and you don’t need to age it. Brown patina is harder to match in my experience. If you are interested in fixing bubba screws practice on a couple of buggered screws to see how it works.
Rob
June 4, 2017
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Robert Drummond Jr said
Hi Guys,This question comes up a lot.
As for screws you can “fix” them and the slot. There are some youtube videos that show he process Mark Novak (Anvil on youtube) shows the process well. If you remove the screw from the gun you can either put it in a vise or make a fixture to stand the screw head proud of the surface. Then with a smooth face ballpiene hammer lightly tap the screw face all around the surface. The process is in effect drifting metal into the slot and around the face. If done right you can recut the screw slot if you have either the right sized file or a screw slot file. I have done this with lots of screws and for the most part looks better than replaced screw. There are a few ways to antique the surface to match the surrounding metal. Sometimes after a screw has been fixture it still looks old and you don’t need to age it. Brown patina is harder to match in my experience. If you are interested in fixing bubba screws practice on a couple of buggered screws to see how it works.
Rob
Rob,
Well said. You can’t save every screw, but every screw you save is original and can look right. If you use a drill to spin the screw during final contouring be careful not to leave spiral marks on the head. The screws when new did not have spiral marks. On the old guns they had shallow chatter marks that quickly wore smooth.
When I look at a gun the screws tell me a lot.
T/R
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