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'31 Winchester model 60, .22

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  • knormal

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    Jan 30, 2017
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    New Braunfels, TX
    Hey everyone I just picked up a $35 Winchester Model 60 from an estate sale. It is absolutely a project as the stock is broken and taped together. I had been looking for a project and this looks like a fun one. Overall the rifle is dirty but it looks to be complete and I figure for $35 I have little to lose in getting this going as a functional gun again.

    I will add more photos but I'm still trying to clean it a little bit right now using some clp, cloth and elbow grease to get the dirt off. Found a faint 31 stamped under barrel, and it still has the original bluing..., but only under the stock... in a few areas.
    I need to remove tape and nails to see how badly the stock was bubba'd.
    Lynx Defense
     

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    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
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    FYI Numrich has tons of parts for old projects like this. They even have a few stocks.

    I was able to order a couple items to get my 1924 R.E.M. model 12 rolling.
     

    Younggun

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    hill co.
    I’ve used them several times for a couple of old Stevens .410s and a couple of old rimfires.

    Definitely a good source.


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    majormadmax

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    Aug 27, 2009
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    Waiting on more pics, but have you considered its current condition might be worth retaining? Sometimes the best thing you can do to an old gun is nothing.

    I have an old 1952 Stevens 87b .22LR rifle (a.k.a. a "clickety-clack" due to their distinctive operating sound, or Gill Guns because of the vented breach area, that can be shot either semi-auto or "bolt action" by locking the bolt) that I picked up for $90 for the same reason (a project gun), but after cleaning it up I decided that was all I need to do other than shoot it. It has the initials 'JWB' carved into the stock, so somewhere during its 55 year life it meant enough to someone to personalize it. Even though it was dirt cheap, I wouldn't part with it for the world.

     

    jrbfishn

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    Is it adult or youth size?
    Some of the older youth models are worth some ridiculous amounts.

    Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
     

    knormal

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    Jan 30, 2017
    79
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    New Braunfels, TX
    Thanks for the info folks. I took a closer look, and the sear doesn't always hold the cocking knob back - so it's definitely got some wear there. I'm trying to determine if it's the sear or the firing pin that's worn, or both.

    I was able pull the tape off the stock, and removed 10 (TEN!) nails that were holding it together. Wiped the stock down a bit but that's it. The break is a long one and appears to go with the grain, but has up to 1/8" voids where small pieces broke off over the years at the fine edges of the wood.

    I saw a video once where a fellow used dyed epoxy to repair a broken stock. I have powdered wood dust and epoxy from a boat building project. Is this worth a try, or sacriligeous, or should I just hammer the old nails back in? LOL, I don't know how to determine where the "no-go" line is for some old old guns.
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    knormal

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    Jan 30, 2017
    79
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    New Braunfels, TX
    Success! I have the gun repaired and finished! (rifle only cost $35 and there's something about keeping the original stock with it that I like.)

    I filled the holes from the 10 nails with shaved down pieces of bamboo skewer and trimmed them flush, or had them set below the surface of the wood where visible. I did use a dyed epoxy to rejoin the pieces. First I covered both sides of the break with straight up 30 minute epoxy so if any soaked into the wood, I wouldn't have a starved glue joint. Then while this was still wet, I mixed up a batch thickened with "wood flour" from a boat building project. Wood flour, is just very fine sawdust. I added some drops of wood stain, and bits of soot from a burnt cork to darken the epoxy to the color of the stock. I clamped it all together and used an old bicycle inner tube I keep for non-square clamping jobs.

    Once the epoxy set the next day, I removed all the tape I had protecting the stock, and took my time with a strop sharpened chisel to remove any squeeze out. There were spots where I needed to fill in with another batch of dyed and thickened epoxy, so I took care of those. Did some final touch up with the mahogany stain where some of the original finish was removed. I was able to keep 98% of the finish so I was happy in that regard.

    I found out the stock screw's keeper nut was being pulled into the stock too far - just wear and age I supposed. Because the stock screw could be over tightened, it was pressing on the sear spring making it hard to work the bolt. I rebedded that screw and now it works much better.

    The last bit was fixing the sear - the face angle was less than 90 degrees where it engaged the firing pin and the gun could fire prematurely simply from vibration - very dangerous. I used a dremel to LIGHTLY adjust the face angle to square it up with the firing pin face. I smoothed the face up with a fine stone. Now when I pull the cocking knob/firing pin back I can jiggle it around and it stays engaged.

    Overall I'm pretty happy - as the gun is now usable and safer, didn't cost me any extra other than the purchase price as I had everything to work on this. Definitely not a museum quality refurb, but it puts new life back in it.

    Range report to follow.

    photos....

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