incorrigible
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- stubble jumper
As Dads vision is not what it used to be my father gave me his old deer rifle, a Winchester 100 (.308 Semi). It was always stored in the broom closet at the farm where it could be accessed when there was issues with predators in the herd and as such had taken a bit of a shagging since he bought it new in 1961.
Now Dad was a tinkerer but not much on the maintenance end of things. A quick swipe with a cloth covered in 10W30 or WD40 every other deer season was the maintenance for close to 50 yrs. It was showing the scars of being banged around in the broom closet with 4 other rifles, a vacuum and every other piece of farm junk that would fit in there.
When he gave it too me he cautioned that it didn't work that well and need to shoot at least 180 grain or it wouldn't cycle efficiently. So last winter I made it a project. It took a while to learn how to break it down but CGN'ers helped.
The barrel was in suprisingly good shape, no pitting or rust inside or out.
I replaced a firing pin that apparently was involved in a recall a number of years back.
The monte carlo walnut stock was stripped of what was left of the varnish, hand sanded smooth around the checkering and finished with a wonderful danish oil that made the wood grain pop.
The gas piston needed some loving. It had virtually seized solid. Once I was able to get enough solvent down to bust up the carbon and corrosion it was clear that there was some pitting but once clean it cycled perfectly.
At the range it ate everything I through at it with great groupings at 200m.
So when I told the old man how it was running he wanted it back(only half joking). But where this tale leads is when I asked him why had he never cleaned the gas piston as it would have run much better he responded "What gas piston?".
For 50 yrs he had used this rifle regularily and had never maintained the gas piston assembly. He got his deers every year and it never failed when it was needed for farm work.
I think I'll keep it around, seems like a good enough rifle to me. They just don't make'em like that anymore... especially not for free!
a pic after the work was complete.
Now Dad was a tinkerer but not much on the maintenance end of things. A quick swipe with a cloth covered in 10W30 or WD40 every other deer season was the maintenance for close to 50 yrs. It was showing the scars of being banged around in the broom closet with 4 other rifles, a vacuum and every other piece of farm junk that would fit in there.
When he gave it too me he cautioned that it didn't work that well and need to shoot at least 180 grain or it wouldn't cycle efficiently. So last winter I made it a project. It took a while to learn how to break it down but CGN'ers helped.
The barrel was in suprisingly good shape, no pitting or rust inside or out.
I replaced a firing pin that apparently was involved in a recall a number of years back.
The monte carlo walnut stock was stripped of what was left of the varnish, hand sanded smooth around the checkering and finished with a wonderful danish oil that made the wood grain pop.
The gas piston needed some loving. It had virtually seized solid. Once I was able to get enough solvent down to bust up the carbon and corrosion it was clear that there was some pitting but once clean it cycled perfectly.
At the range it ate everything I through at it with great groupings at 200m.
So when I told the old man how it was running he wanted it back(only half joking). But where this tale leads is when I asked him why had he never cleaned the gas piston as it would have run much better he responded "What gas piston?".
For 50 yrs he had used this rifle regularily and had never maintained the gas piston assembly. He got his deers every year and it never failed when it was needed for farm work.
I think I'll keep it around, seems like a good enough rifle to me. They just don't make'em like that anymore... especially not for free!
a pic after the work was complete.
). With the long, open shots the accuracy of a bolt action was preferable. In bush it was better to have a few quick follow up shots over shorter distances which lent itself more to a semi auto. 
