What should I do with this Santa Barbara Deluxe .30-06?

[TheCoachZed]

I had some junk in the basement a buddy wanted, and he had this beat-up old .30-06 Santa Barbara Deluxe, so we traded.

He claims it shot reasonably straight when he sighted it in, and he hunted with it a few years. It seems to function fine, at least without any ammo. Standard non-detachable mag, side safety. I cleaned the bore and I think it's in reasonable shape, although there's a weird shadow on the rifling at one point. Probably because I don't have a proper borelight around right now, really.

The main issues are: First, there's surface rust on the gun. Easy enough to clean up, really, but it wouldn't be a showpiece. Second, it's a junk scope, obviously. Third, the recoil pad is shot. Fourth, and this is a big issue, the forestock is incredibly weak. It's more moveable than even a cheap Savage, you can visibly bend the wood with your bare hands.

Should I figure out how to address that, and clean this gun up and shoot it? I actually kinda like its balance. Or should I just sell the thing off to someone wanting a cheap truck gun?

http://imgur.com/a/QocGnj0

 

[Hitzy]

It will probably shoot better with a pressure point in the forend, most of these old school mausers usually came set up that way with the inletting, if the forend can move around, someone probably thought it would be wise to free float the barrel, usually makes things worse.

 

[TheCoachZed]

It will probably shoot better with a pressure point in the forend, most of these old school mausers usually came set up that way with the inletting, if the forend can move around, someone probably thought it would be wise to free float the barrel, usually makes things worse.

That's what I assumed.

 

[Hitzy]

Up to you...it's pretty beat up, tough sell probably even at $350, but if you are handy at all it can be cleaned up with a bit of work, grind to fit buttpad, refinish the stock, could be a nice rifle with a little work. Triggers are easy to adjust which is a bonus.

 

[cody c]

Side safety, notched bolt, lever in trigger loop to drop the mag plate, looks like it’s got a lot of the desired work done to a sporter.

I’d check the bore and get it cleaned up and keep it. Maybe try a pressure point, it doesn’t make sense to me but others say it works

 

[TheCoachZed]

Side safety, notched bolt, lever in trigger loop to drop the mag plate, looks like it’s got a lot of the desired work done to a sporter.

I’d check the bore and get it cleaned up and keep it. Maybe try a pressure point, it doesn’t make sense to me but others say it works

Well there certainly is all that. Recoil pad is easy enough, stock clean-up is easy enough (if it wasn't so floppy), I actually have a new scope I could put on it.

Who knows. Could also dump hours of work into it and a few bucks in material and find out it's still undesireable

But I was thinking it could be a nice little gun to have in the salt marshes around here, something I don't have a lot of money into and if it gets a bit beat up on a hard hunt, well so be it. I'd rather have a .270 for that, but hey, this rifle is right here, right now ...

 

[Fox]

Clean up the bore and make sure it is safe, then shoot it to know what you have before moving forward.

I have a Parker Hale, I floated the barrel because the pressure up on the barrel was so much that when you took the action screws out the action jumped out of the stock, that is not right.

I am not really worried about it shooting well, I reload so I get to play and figure out what will and will not work with the rifle.

 

[Hitzy]

Clean up the bore and make sure it is safe, then shoot it to know what you have before moving forward.

I have a Parker Hale, I floated the barrel because the pressure up on the barrel was so much that when you took the action screws out the action jumped out of the stock, that is not right.

I am not really worried about it shooting well, I reload so I get to play and figure out what will and will not work with the rifle.

4-6lbs of upward pressure is the sweet spot for repeatable accuracy with skinny barrels. It's been done for over a century, it's proven, it works. Every bolt action military rifle from WW1 to WW2 used that system around the globe. K31's use it and they are some of the most accurate military rifles out there.

 

[Neilm]

It's hard to get consistent frond pressure with a flimsy stock. I would bed the action and make sure that it is free floated.

 

[tiriaq]

It is stocked up classic Mauser style. There is the steel crossbolt through the forend that the bottom of the receiver and recoil lug bear against, and there will be the steel tube that runs between the tang and trigger guard. That's the next best thing to pillar bedding, right from the get-go.
Get it out and test fire it. If the accuracy is promising, clean it up cosmetically.
Good recoil pads aren't cheap, and one must be properly fitted, otherwise the replacement looks terrible.
I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it, total vale if completely refinished wouldn't justify the expense, but it could be a perfectly good hunting rifle.

 

[cody c]

Well there certainly is all that. Recoil pad is easy enough, stock clean-up is easy enough (if it wasn't so floppy), I actually have a new scope I could put on it.

Who knows. Could also dump hours of work into it and a few bucks in material and find out it's still undesireable

But I was thinking it could be a nice little gun to have in the salt marshes around here, something I don't have a lot of money into and if it gets a bit beat up on a hard hunt, well so be it. I'd rather have a .270 for that, but hey, this rifle is right here, right now ...

Well, I think epoxy bedding it might be the first step to seeing if it will shoot decent, it sounds like the forestock is a bit bagged but is the action sitting firmly connected?. Tape the barrel so its got a fair bit of free float and then later you can through some fiberglass in the forestock to stiffen it and add a pressure point if it still doesn't shoot. If the forestock is floppy, I think adding a pressure point isn't the best as it will be an inconsistent force applied (depending how far forward you grip etc).

If you can get it shooting well, clean up the stock and spend a few bucks on a butt pad. I agree on the 270 vs. 30-06, but who knows maybe you clean it up nicely and find a trade for a similar rifle in 270 later.

Does look like a great project if you can get it shooting well.