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I am trying to protect or maybe incase the fiinish on a 300 win mag I recently purchased (sn566844). I am a hunter and would like to use the rifle but the finish is somewhat delicate. Any suggestions? It appears to be the original finish, but who knows. I will say it is prone to scuffing like other M70’s I own and that I’m sure are the original finish. It is a little too perfect which makes me think it may not be original. I expect 1963 varnish deteriorates over time.
All of the Pre-64 Model 70s from 1936 to 1963 had the same stock finish–sprayed lacquer. Winchester did not use varnish despite many people’s beliefs. Over the years, the appearance of the stock finish varied quite a bit. The early Pre-war M70s had carnuba wax in with the lacquer resulting in a more glossy appearance. During some time periods many of the stocks looked “dry” and had thinner coats of finish. In the mid 1950s many stocks appeared to have more or thicker coats.
As you mentioned, the M70 stocks scratch and ding easily. Very, very few (even true new-in-the-box rifles) have perfect finish. Other than treating them with care there is not much you can do. I (and others) hunted with rifles for which I had spare stocks that might have showed more use than the originals, or were re-finished, or had added recoil pads or were glass bedded. The originals could be put back on when the hunt was over. The blued metal finish on M70s is pretty durable (not so for anodized aluminum bottom metal on Featherweights) and hold up better over time than the stock finish.
I have always used a satin paste wax on M70 stocks. It doesn’t add to durability but does give protection in wet weather.
By all means, DO NOT refinish the stock on your 300 Win Mag if it is factory original. That would seriously decrease the value of your rifle. In fact, if the stock (and metal?) is as good as you say, consider preserving it as is and hunt with another rifle. Every year there are fewer and fewer original, high-condition M70s and hard core collectors hate to see them abused.
Thank you for the your reply. I had come to the two stock conclusion. I was just hopping there was another way. I have another 300 wm (556396) I purchased in 2014 that has been very difficult to work up a sub MOA load for; thus the recent purchase. This new rifle (556844) shoots everything consistanly well, like a M70 should. After 500 shots I finally found a load for 556396 so I’ll either swith stocks for hunting or more likely just put 556844 in the safe. My plan was to sell 556396 but I guess once the finacial pain goes away you can’t loose having another M70 in the safe. Thank again.
On the subject of original finishes, I recently bought a 1953 M70 in .308. Some (insert dirty word here) wrapped electrical tape around the butt stock. It took me 3 days to get the tape and residue off. The tape must have been on there for a long time because it took some of the original finish off in areas. Is there anything I can apply to the stock to work the finish and fill in the flaws left by the tape? I’d really hate to have the stock refinished if at all possible.
A sad situation for sure! Hopefully the fact of the tape doesn’t portend a greater problem with a slapdash fix. The scenario does sound a bit uncomfortably familiar in a wide category of my own… Been there, done that! Yet beyond sympathy, I can’t answer your question. The best I can offer is a further suggestion.
Reluctant to send anyone away from this premo Winchester Forum. Yet no answer proposed, the suggestion you take the question to the below Website at Gunboards. You’ll need to have an account and that easy to establish. I also do suggest that you initiate your own new Thread there. Also consider checking back here for any possible responses yet to come.
Where Winchester is concerned, please do consider making this Forum a regular stop and I for one would appreciate your returning with… the rest of the story!
Congrats on a fine rifle genre surely worth the fix. Good luck and…
Just my take
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?66-Workbench-Forum
November 5, 2014
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A challenge to be sure…
As Vic stated above, the problem is the nature of the finish. Winchester M70 stocks got a sprayed on alcohol-based stain to produce a uniform color (which is ‘in’ the wood but quite shallow), then a ‘filler’ (something like rottenstone mixed with that awful ‘red’ pigment hand rubbed into the wood across the grain), and were finished with a sprayed on nitrocellulose lacquer (which is ‘on’ the wood, not ‘in’ it like an oil finish). When the tape adhesive bonded to the lacquer finish, removing it pulled finish off the surface (but possibly disturbed the layers underneath).
Problem… Because of the underlying stain/filler, just trying to replace the top layer may lead to an obvious color mismatch if the layers beneath were also lost in places. Like iskra says, “uncomfortably familiar”… The surface texture/gloss may be OK after you rub it out, but the color will be ‘blotchy’…
As iskra said, look at the sites out there (there is some good advice on how to get close to the factory finish) but you might find that the best option at the end of the day is to “start over”, rather than try to match layers than were lost differently in different places. If the checkering is OK (not needing to be recut), it’s not so bad. I have my own favorites for stain (most are too ‘red’ for my taste), filler (I’m OK with the ‘French Red’ from Art’s Gun Shop sold by Brownells), and the lacquer (about three layers is good if you use filler) can be sprayed on (ideally) or applied by hand… It’s not that hard to get close enough to have a pleasing replica finish. Plenty good enough for a classic gun you are going to use, as long as you’re not trying to pass it off as original.
Best of luck… Update us on what you decide to do and how it comes out!!!
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
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