Would you restore Dad's old rifle?

Other than cleaning , oiling & repairing a break ,,,,, leave it as it is . Once refinished , you can never go back & it will
not be the gun you remember Dad using. I have seen this refinishing mistake done , too many times.

Just be glad your have it to remember your Dad. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
 
If the barrel was good I would restore the finish. I know my grandfather would want me to keep hunting with it.

The barrel being shot out is a bit of a different story though. In this case I think I'd just clean and oil it, then out it up on display.
 
horseman2 said:
Much like Grandfather's Axe . . . two new heads and 12 handles but it is still Grandfather's Axe.

Returning it to pristine condition will not deteriorate the family tradition.
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So there is nothing left of the original axe? Hard to see how that is still your grandfather's axe.

I'm torn on this one. On the face of it the money spent to rebuild the rifle with a new barrel and stock can not and will never be recouped on sale. Push Feed M70s just aren't worth anything on the used market. That said, if the rifle really needs a rebarrel job you have to decide if you want to save it as a memento to remember your father by or if you want (or need) another functional hunting rifle. In reality, you could buy a very nice and functional hunting rifle new for the money you will spend on a rebarrel and restock job and still have the rifle as a keepsake.

I lost my father this year and I'm somewhat in the same position. Or, at least, I can appreciate the conundrum. My father had many very nice rifles and shotguns. He had a Winchester Model 21 which is choked Full and Full and was his go-to waterfowl gun on the West Coast for years, pass shooting ducks on the Pitt. Now for all intents and purposes a 2-3/4" F/F double gun is a pretty useless piece of equipment in a duck blind these days, but you are an absolute mental case if you think I'm having the chokes reamed out. Like institutional-grade mental case. Likewise his Custom BSA in 7mm Wby which is stocked in high grade walnut in a very "California" style (the old timers on here will know exactly what I'm talking about). Again, I'm surely to #### not breaking out the rasp and sandpaper or pulling it off in favour of a synthetic or a more traditional stock with a shorter forend and lower comb. If anything, I'm more likely to reach for it when it comes time for a bucket list hunt and to hunt it in the same configuration he used while chasing moose and bears around in Northern BC.

But it's not my rifle. I guess, the more I think of it, I wouldn't do a damn thing to it. If you strip away all the honest wear and you strip away everything that made it your dad's rifle.
 
Grouse Man said:
Refinish it, no question. And somehow check to see if the barrel really is 'shot out' or if it just needs a serious cleaning.

Let's say your dad left you a '68 Charger with 383 Magnum. All original, including rusted out quarters, faded paint, torn seats, and an engine that smokes. What would you do - drive it as it is all original, or restore it?
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You'd rebuild the engine, fix the sheet metal and recover the seats. But you wouldn't dump the engine for a new crate motor, throw in catalog seats and buy a new body leaving only the frame. Or maybe you would. But would it still be your dad's car?
 
cdn shooter said:
Thanks for the offer, but I want to keep it 7x57.

I think I'll clean it up and try some new load development. Powder, primers, projectiles have probably all changed since he developed his favorite load for it. All I've been doing is following his recipe. I'm also going to give it a quick refresh on the stock. I've decided against rebarreling unless I can find an original featherweight marked 7 mauser. Never know maybe the load has just fallen out of its node.
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Exactly,,

No one says you have to get it all done RIGHT NOW. Take it a step at a time, don't rush any major changes.

But also accept that life changes and sometimes the tools of life need some changes to remain properly functional.

Not knowing you and your father, I'd suspect the the priorities in this case would be:

#1. never sell it no matter what
#2. pass it on to your son/daughter
#3. make whatever changes NECESSARY to keep it fully functional
#4. USE IT

The rest is up to YOU knowing YOUR father. Would he be bothered that you completely redid it? Some might be, some would be glad you did. Some would respect that it's your rifle now and whatever changes made are your decision. As long as it got used.

I think all that would really matter are #1-#4 above. The rest is you knowing him and only you can answer that.

Just don't rush the decisions.

Keep that rifle going no matter what. In time make your children understand its history, how important that history is, what it meant to your father, means to you and to them. They might be too young to fully get it now, but they will if you teach them ..... but the rifle has to be fully functional and in use for them to grasp it.
 
History cant be bought. You cant undo it once done. I too had 2nd thoughts years later and regret changing something that was already special. There are guns you collect and those you shoot. If your father wanted a clean gun it would be that way aready. I would just learn to enjoy it as it is. I have a couple guns that are rusted solid. Frozen in time. I enjoy them just as they are. I think one was even run over by a vehical due to the bent barrel. Thats history
 
cdn shooter said:
Wondering what peoples opinions are on restoring firearms that have been passed down?

My Father passed several years ago and left me his go to everything rifle. It's a push feed Winchester Featherweight M70 in 7x57. I have fond memories of it, I grew up with it always around. He was a very active shooter and used the rifle when he shot rifle rodeo style competition, and it was the only rifle I ever saw him hunt big game with. He handed it to me the day I shot my first deer, and it was on the hunt the day my son took down his first.

These days the rifle is pretty rough. The stock has whats left of a bad refinishing job from back in the 80's, if the barrel loses any more bluing it's going to look like a stainless. And now I think it's shot out. I have no idea how many rounds he put through that thing...many thousands. I still bring the rifle out to local rifle shoots and have fired maybe 100 rounds a year since I've had it and sight in groups are getting pretty bad.

If I rebarrel it, it will mean new bluing. If it gets new blue then I should finish the stock again. But if I do all that it won't even look like the same rifle. But if I restore back it's full glory, it'll be used regularly and won't be condemned to the safe (he would hate that). And I could pass down a fully fuctioning version to future generations.

Well, what would you guys do?
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I don't have to wonder what I would do.....I know because I did it.

My dad had two guns, a Win 1894 SRC in Win .32 bought new by his maternal grandfather in 1903 and a A.H Fox A grade 12 gauge bought new in 1909 by his paternal grandfather. My brother and I had them both restored to as new condition about 12 years ago by one of the best guys in Canada. Wood, bluing, CCH, the whole ball of wax. Neither were ever going to be valuable to a serious collector but have great value to ourselves. It wasn't cheap but being able to do it while my dad is still alive, so he could see them and use them, was totally worth it. He loved them!

About 7 years ago, when he was in his early eighties and suffered a detached retina, on the advice of his eye doctor, he gave up shooting. And gave one of the guns to my brother and the other to me. I got the shotgun and, choked fuller and fuller, it's my go-to turkey gun in good weather. I have a picture of my grandfather from the early 1940's taken in southern Manitoba holding the gun and a dead turkey so doing my best to continue the traditions.
 
BigUglyMan said:
You'd rebuild the engine, fix the sheet metal and recover the seats. But you wouldn't dump the engine for a new crate motor, throw in catalog seats and buy a new body leaving only the frame. Or maybe you would. But would it still be your dad's car?
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Last spring I tore down Dads truck.
I sent it away to the crushers after.
I found a snap on ratchet up inside the dash(I think he lost it there just for me)
I kept the motor trans and diff for a truck I want to rebuild.

His was so far gone it wouldent have been the truck I grew up around .


A rifle like the one I posted up there ^^ would be the same deal.
it would be someone's rifle , but Not the one I have memorys of.

I took plenty of photos while I tore the old truck down (it was also my first truck)
 
madashell said:
#1. never sell it no matter what
#2. pass it on to your son/daughter
#3. make whatever changes NECESSARY to keep it fully functional
#4. USE IT
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This is it exactly. Being able to take it out and shoot it is an important part of it though. When it sits in the safe its kind of like it's out of site out of mind. It's great having it out...I have a picture on my fridge of my son and his first buck and the rifle is just visible in the picture. Makes me smile every time I see it.

Gotta keep making those pictures.
 
BigUglyMan said:
So there is nothing left of the original axe? Hard to see how that is still your grandfather's axe.

I'm torn on this one. On the face of it the money spent to rebuild the rifle with a new barrel and stock can not and will never be recouped on sale. Push Feed M70s just aren't worth anything on the used market. That said, if the rifle really needs a rebarrel job you have to decide if you want to save it as a memento to remember your father by or if you want (or need) another functional hunting rifle. In reality, you could buy a very nice and functional hunting rifle new for the money you will spend on a rebarrel and restock job and still have the rifle as a keepsake.

I lost my father this year and I'm somewhat in the same position. Or, at least, I can appreciate the conundrum. My father had many very nice rifles and shotguns. He had a Winchester Model 21 which is choked Full and Full and was his go-to waterfowl gun on the West Coast for years, pass shooting ducks on the Pitt. Now for all intents and purposes a 2-3/4" F/F double gun is a pretty useless piece of equipment in a duck blind these days, but you are an absolute mental case if you think I'm having the chokes reamed out. Like institutional-grade mental case. Likewise his Custom BSA in 7mm Wby which is stocked in high grade walnut in a very "California" style (the old timers on here will know exactly what I'm talking about). Again, I'm surely to #### not breaking out the rasp and sandpaper or pulling it off in favour of a synthetic or a more traditional stock with a shorter forend and lower comb. If anything, I'm more likely to reach for it when it comes time for a bucket list hunt and to hunt it in the same configuration he used while chasing moose and bears around in Northern BC.

But it's not my rifle. I guess, the more I think of it, I wouldn't do a damn thing to it. If you strip away all the honest wear and you strip away everything that made it your dad's rifle.
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First, I'm sorry to hear you lost your father this year.

I relate to what you're saying about grabbing the 7 weatherby for a hunt and having it be same rifle he hunted with. That is my goal here is to get a functional piece that still retains as much of what it is now as possible. The rifle has no monetary value to me, so whatever money I spent to retain it's function would also be of no consequence.
 
Alot of good ideas. Personally, I would fully restore it and use it as it was intended. I am sure your father would be happy.
Refinish the stock, colour case harden the action and put a new barrel on it. Keep the same chambering (7x57 is awesone) or pick a new one (6.5x55?). Have your dad's name or initials engraved on the action bottom. Later, pass it down to the next generation. :)
 
Kind of off topic but it's funny that the push feeds are shunned the way they are. The push feed never did develop any problems with feeding or extraction. People got so attached to the pre 64 that they just couldn't accept the new rifle....media didn't help either I guess. The old mans rifle feeds rounds so smooth that it's hard to tell the difference between cycling rounds or cycling air!
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Back on topic, I'd be very surprised if your dad would not want the rifle restored, and used, rather than just shelved and admired. I would if it were my son anyway.
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I fully agree..... My father has not passed on yet, but gave me his old stoeger double barrel for my oldest son as he is starting the Hunter apprentice this year.....

The gun is cheap but when I had nothing but a single Cooey, getting to borrow it meant everything and I cut my teeth upland hunting beside dad when he carried it....

I had the metal cerakoted and refinished the wood and it looks great.... It will survive him and my youngest as well then will be passed down for thei sons to start with.

If the barrel is shot out, replace it.... Refinish the wood and keep it going..... It's a legacy rifle now....
 
rookie wildcat said:
I would do some checking before I re-barrelled. #Is the barrel actually shot out? #Or is it just heavily fouled? #I'd try an electrolysis cleaning first, then check the grooves. #Has it been cleaned a lot? #Has the cleaning rod been dragged on the grooves at the muzzle, thereby "filing" it out of round? #That'll open up your groups. #If it still shoots large groups (and what are "large"?) as long as it shoots hunting groups at the desired ranges you shoot, continue to hunt it. #As for the bluing? #I'd even leave that alone...completely restoring a rifle won't have Dad with you. #Every scratch on my father's rifle has a story and he can tell you where each came from and what stupid thing he was doing when it happened. #If I took those out, it wouldn't be Dad's rifle and I'd have a lever action in my cabinet that I would never use since I don't like levers. #But since it is Dad's, I use it for close hunts.
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I agree, clean the barrel out first and check it out carefully!
 
I have a gun that came down through the family. It received a professional barrel cleaning but now it needs to be bedded. This is the next part of the project to get a tad more accuracy out of it. I'm prepared to re-barrel it if it means achieving a better preforming rifle.
 
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