Restore or keep as is?

[criddle]

So this .22 has been around forever. It sat in the corner of my great uncle's house as long as I can remember but it was his brother's - another great uncle. I was always told not to mess with it, you don't want it, it will go off with no warning.

Well I ended up inheriting it a couple years ago and today I decided to check it out to see if it was worth messing with. After disassembling it and giving the bolt and trigger group a gas bath and good cleaning I decided maybe all the gunk and solidified grease was the cause of the issues.

Well after the cleaning and reassembling it correctly- it hadn't been previously- it turns out the ol gal works just fine!

So the question is... leave it as is, or strip down and refinish?


Not the best picture, but the bluing is just about all gone, as well as the finish on the wood. The dried out masking tape is stuck on pretty good!

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[bowtecmike]

I vote restore, might surprise you how well it looks cleaned up.


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[kruppa24]

Restore

[ThisLadyHunts]

I will pass on to you the same tenet I commonly hear related to antique furniture and other decorative arts when it comes to the issue to refinish or not to refinish.

If you plan to resell an item of substantial age, do not refinish. No matter how worn, degraded, or otherwise unattractive, the original finish is important in establishing provenance and authentication.

However, if you want to own an antique that is attractive, useable, or compliments a collection in your home, and is something you plan to keep, then refinish it. Displaying or using a piece that has become unattractive or unsightly as a result of it’s age is not much of a joy to own.

Not sure if this helps or not. Perhaps others more knowledge will chime in.

[CentralTXHunter]

I just restored/preserved an old single shot 16 gauge I found in my nana’s garage after she passed. There’s a thread on here. (I don’t know how to imbed them) My justification was several reasons. Had the gun been in great, original condition, it was still only worth $200. It has been neglected for likely 40 years +. I wanted to clean it, but maintain the patina on the metal parts. I also wanted to strip the old weathered finish, but retain all the nicks and bumps from the gun’s 70-80 year life. Ultimately I wanted it to be serviceable so I can shoot it, respect the history it had, but make it “prettier” to hand down one day. Had it been a $3,000 shotgun, would have probably been a different story. I’m not much for safe queens though and like all my firearms well oiled, clean, and shot regularly.

I’m about to start on a Winchester Model 67 single shot .22 that was found next to the 16 gauge and do the same thing.


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[critter69]

Don’t think those are worth a lot, no collector value, I could be wrong though. If not I would for sure restore it. If it’s a collectible item, never refinish them.

[softpoint]

Looks like a Remington 582 to me, so its a good rifle, but not really an antique, I'd clean it up and shoot the heck out of it.

[RR 314]

It has some utility and sentimental value;however does not (and will not) have significant monetary value no matter what you do. Clean it up and put some time in it if you want, but I can’t see putting significant money in it.

[Pstraw]

Looks good to me. What you want?

[criddle]

I think I'm going to try my hand at refinishing it. All the pieces are there and the only pieces damaged are the buttplate and the safety lever.

If this one goes well I believe I will try working on his old single shot 12 gauge next. He literally slept with that one in his bed!

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[NKL]

seems like a great restoration project. good luck and keep us posted!

[bobc]

Another vote for restore. Regardless of the monetary value afterwards, they are fun and rewarding projects.


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[crxshooter]

I'm in the same boat. On my 6th birthday in 1953, my papaw gave me his "06 Winchester 22. It looked really old then. He would only shoot shorts in it as he said the longs would go too far and might hit one of the cows. It has set in my safe for at least 30 years. I got it out yesterday and am divided between having it restored or keeping it as is.

[texan4ut]

Restore it.

[Tomkat70]

Restore it