1873 Winchester Rebuild - The Bonfire

[Mossyrock]

Well, the game is afoot! First order of business was to remove the custom pine stock and fore end and donate them to the house heating project. I am happy to report that they came off with no issues and burned nicely. Even thought they were pine, I am happy to report that they were VERY nicely inlet, and wood to metal fit was actually pretty good. Stock shaping? Not so much....   

One thing I did encounter was that whoever disassembled and reassembled this rifle for the glorious reblue it now carries had no idea how the magazine tube retaining ring on a Winchester actually works. The ring (or "bearing") fits in a rotary dovetail. Unlike a standard dovetail like a front or rear sight, this dovetail requires you to rotate the tube a quarter turn either direction to remove it, as opposed to simply drifting it out of the dovetail with a punch. Someone should have told the last guy that, because he removed it, and reinstalled it, with a punch and a big hammer.    I am pretty sure the dovetail on the barrel can be salvaged with some judicious peening, but I think the mag ring is shot. The list of required replacement parts grows.....

[Coal Creek Griff]

Mossyrock:

Have you made any progress on this project?  I keep wondering how it's going.

CC Griff

[Mossyrock]

Well, the barrel is draw-filed and the wood stands in wait.  Other than that, things haven't changed much.  That most precious commodity..."time", evades me.  Translation?  I need to get off my dead backside and get to work.  I am in the middle of building a shop, and cabinets and countertop are next on that list.  Once I get a decent place to work, the '73 is at the top of the list.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Thanks.  I figured that there had been some delays.  I'm just anxious to hear since I can't afford that kind of project myself.  I have to settle for hearing about yours. 

Since we're practically neighbors, when you're all done I can get a look at it.

CC Griff

[Alphawolf45]

 Where is the before pictures and what is the backstory ?  It aint everday you see a pinewood stock. Was it a recent repair or could it have been done generations ago?

[Mossyrock]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,35591.0.html

Here's the back-story and some pics.  I would bet the "repair" was done sometime in the '30s.  No proof, just a hunch.