Will it Really Matter?!?!

dak47

dak47

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So I have a hand me down 94 38-55 with only 4 digits in the serial #. I will never sell and my kids do not / will not appreciate properly.... 26" barrel proper rifle, is it that bad if I refinish and get some nice wood on it?

I've had it for 30yrs with one box of the old Dominion ammo thru it when I first inherited it (pissed that I burned that old yellow box ammo) So what the heck eh? Make it into something I'll actually use?! The brown patina has taken over the metal, with minimal pitting so I don't like taking it out as is.......

Dirk
 
dak47 said:
So I have a hand me down 94 38-55 with only 4 digits in the serial #. I will never sell and my kids do not / will not appreciate properly.... 26" barrel proper rifle, is it that bad if I refinish and get some nice wood on it?

I've had it for 30yrs with one box of the old Dominion ammo thru it when I first inherited it (pissed that I burned that old yellow box ammo) So what the heck eh? Make it into something I'll actually use?! The brown patina has taken over the metal, with minimal pitting so I don't like taking it out as is.......

Dirk
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Your property and your choice. If not concerned about resale have at it. Purists be damned.i think of it as giving it a new life. I read a thread recently about a guy rebarreling his grandfathers rifle from the 30's. Whatever gets it used and loved again I say do it.
 
you're gun you're call, as a collector i wouldnt kills all resale value (people love the been there done that look of these old guns) , but if its staying in youre family as a heirloom i dont see why not,
 
I love the brown patina on those old model 94 I think many others who appreciate what you have will also say that.
I didn't appreciate such things until later in life, as a young adult I had no time for anything old but now I wish I had kept my Dad's things.
I will bet that your children will feel the same way one day.
 
Ah .... often the difference between a $4,000 gun and a $250 gun is someone "making it better"...

To be honest, I've been on both sides of that, the 1892 Winchester that was "improved" with steel wool to make it silver like the ones in the movies...meant that I could afford the mechanically mint rifle...

And I took a collectible rifle (sadly several other guns too) and did a bunch of work to it so that it was what I wanted....turning an $800 rifle that I spent $500 on into a rifle that I might be able to sell for $300 to a sucker...

I would recommend that you find a gun in the condition you desire and purchase it, rather than altering what may be from your description a first model receiver worth several thousand dollars...and turning it into a pretty gun you might squeeze a few hundred out of.
 
If I had a hand me down rifle like that I would not mess with it, if I had one with no family history then I would consider restoring it and as it happens I have a '92 in 44-40 but it is badly pitted so rebluing is not in the cards.
If you are worried about it rusting up out in the bush you could smear the metal parts in grease or heavy oil.
 
There are not "a ton of these rattling about". I wouldn't do a thing to it. Condition is not bad anyway. If it were a completely "grey gun" with battered wood I would say , go ahead but this is a fairly decent gun though not worth " thousands" as one poster suggested. My 2 cents.
 
dak47 said:
Just about to serve grub so please excuse the backdrop..... ;) Still kinda torn but I think I shall make it into something I want to take to the field! There is still a ton of these ( I think ) ratting about

Dirk

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Id leave it as is. Oil it, use light steel wool to remove any real rust. If you get it reblued by a bad smith you will regret it, will be polished with a bench grinder and polishing wheel. That one should be done by hand with sanding blocks and care.
 
What a lovely thing.

It looks like it has been used and well appreciated but not abused. The patina and wear appear to match. (I would love to see this closer.) You also have at least 30 years of provenance to go with it. If you have to ask "Will it Really Matter?!?!" then I sense that you may regret doing anything other than shooting and maintaining her as she is.

Easier to find another rifle that isn't so close to the heart and refinish that.
 
dak47 said:
The brown patina has taken over the metal, with minimal pitting so I don't like taking it out as is.......

Dirk
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I'm sorry you don't like the brown patina. To some the brown patina is a sign that this firearm has been appreciated and handled. Sometimes being a good curator means that you actually use the things once in a while. It helps when the firearm happens to be a particularly robust design like this one.

I wouldn't be afraid to shoot it. I would think that it would be something to look forward to... :)
 
Pictures like this make it hard to tell what the metal is like but I can see that the wood is in GREAT shape. It really does not need anything other than some cleaning with a low odor paint thinner or mineral spirits and a feeder coat or two of boiled linseed oil rubbed on then buffed off to remove the excess.

The style of butt plate is not currently in favor. It's the style that is supposed to be shouldered on the actual shoulder with the lower point curling around into the arm pit instead of inwards and more or less on the muscle just under the collar bone like the flat/straight butt plates require. Shooting it that way requires more of a side on stance.

So if that's why you're thinking of a new stock try that modified stance out first. You may find that the old style hooked plate and stock works just fine.

It LOOKS like it's seen some rust pimples at one time. Or if they are there now then clean them away with fine steel wool and oil. Don't leave them for any longer than you can.
 
So, at first glance, this looks like a rifle that you will lose value and history by refinishing. A closer examination would be required to establish a valuation. You have a quite desirable cartridge choice in 38-55.
Restoring is another matter in terms of value, but requires an investment likely larger than the value of the gun. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
I would advise against any cheap local refinishing.
It is your property, to do with as you please. You don't have to answer to any other opinion.
 
If you want a gun that is new then buy one. That gun is a piece of history. It will not hurt it if you use it as it is. Just be careful. In my opinion you will regret altering it.

Just my 2 cents...SJ
 
If it was mine, and going to keep and use forever, I'd do what ever made me feel happy. When the original owner bought it, it looked like new then. If it was all redone I'd still like to buy it. However, it is in great condition as is. You still have time to have a cold one and think about it. Either way is OK I think.
 
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