Bobster
.30-06
"New" Project: 1873 Winchester Rifle in 32-20, 1887 Vintage. Probably hasn't been fired in 50 years!
Went to the beach with the kids the other day and to visit my uncle who lives near the beach. About a 1.25hr drive... We hung out with him for a while before we headed back.
Talk turned to guns and I showed him an AR I had with me and a couple other trunk guns. We determined that a date will be set for a full-day outing at the range, just he and I. We also talked about some "fixers" he's had in a storage unit and that he should let me work on them with a possible purchase option. The guns belonged to his brother, or my uncle, whom I was named after. I've been trying to get them for years, one is a K98 sporter, '43 vintage and the other an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor with a broken stock. There is also the 1873 Winchester that he doesn't want to part with and it would be out of my purchasing range, anyway.
As we were getting ready to go, he shows me the Winchester, which was not in storage and asks me to get it ready so we can shoot it next time we meet. He did not "give" it to me but I suppose it is on "loan" until I see him again.
Pics show it as I received it. Many years of neglect and surface rust but it was mostly there and functional. First thing I did was give it a good rub down with Ace Lub-E and rags to give it some patina.
Cleaned the bore which has good rifling but also minor pitting. The chamber also has minor pitting. Only rounds through it will determine if the barrel is shot but I think it will be a shooter.
Took it apart for cleaning but it was not really necessary. It was enjoyable to see how everything works! Smoothed a couple items like the firing pin while I had it apart and did a detail cleaning.
Did a punch list of needed parts, mainly mag tube spring, follower, cap and screw. Also needs a mainspring tension screw and I'm getting another mag band pin because the original is F'ed and I don't think I'll ever get it back in once I pull the band off for repairs. Parts will be a little over $50 which is well within my "budget" (ie: PayPal balance). UPDATE: parts are on order from Homestead Firearms and were under $50 and I will re-use the mag band pin since it came right out...
One considerable issue remains and that is that the barrel was loose. Hand-tight it is about 5-10 degrees past 12-o-clock. Does anyone know of a source for a small round shim that would work? I might put some metal-displacing divots on the shoulder of the barrel where it contacts the receiver to see if that will work, then once it is "right", I'll loctite (blue) the barrel into the receiver. I'm open to suggestions...
Another issue is that the magazine band has come away from the barrel. Hence the new pin then probably some work on the band where it goes into the dovetail. Although externally rusted, the mag tube is like new inside. UPDATE: pin is out, band is off and the tube cleaned up well with 0000 steel wool. I'm going to have to do a little metal displacement to the barrel and/or band to get the band to stay on. It is supposed to "twist in" then the tube is slid inside until it is in the receiver. Then the pin is inserted, holding it in place. The follower, spring and cap are installed with a screw holding the cap to the tube. The tube will need some "brown" on it as it has lost its original finish but the barrel cleaned up very nicely with only mild pitting in a couple areas.
Does anyone know a good, cheap source of 32-20? Preferably "low-power" rounds but inexpensive is the main concern...
Went to the beach with the kids the other day and to visit my uncle who lives near the beach. About a 1.25hr drive... We hung out with him for a while before we headed back.
Talk turned to guns and I showed him an AR I had with me and a couple other trunk guns. We determined that a date will be set for a full-day outing at the range, just he and I. We also talked about some "fixers" he's had in a storage unit and that he should let me work on them with a possible purchase option. The guns belonged to his brother, or my uncle, whom I was named after. I've been trying to get them for years, one is a K98 sporter, '43 vintage and the other an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor with a broken stock. There is also the 1873 Winchester that he doesn't want to part with and it would be out of my purchasing range, anyway.
As we were getting ready to go, he shows me the Winchester, which was not in storage and asks me to get it ready so we can shoot it next time we meet. He did not "give" it to me but I suppose it is on "loan" until I see him again.
Pics show it as I received it. Many years of neglect and surface rust but it was mostly there and functional. First thing I did was give it a good rub down with Ace Lub-E and rags to give it some patina.
Cleaned the bore which has good rifling but also minor pitting. The chamber also has minor pitting. Only rounds through it will determine if the barrel is shot but I think it will be a shooter.
Took it apart for cleaning but it was not really necessary. It was enjoyable to see how everything works! Smoothed a couple items like the firing pin while I had it apart and did a detail cleaning.
Did a punch list of needed parts, mainly mag tube spring, follower, cap and screw. Also needs a mainspring tension screw and I'm getting another mag band pin because the original is F'ed and I don't think I'll ever get it back in once I pull the band off for repairs. Parts will be a little over $50 which is well within my "budget" (ie: PayPal balance). UPDATE: parts are on order from Homestead Firearms and were under $50 and I will re-use the mag band pin since it came right out...
One considerable issue remains and that is that the barrel was loose. Hand-tight it is about 5-10 degrees past 12-o-clock. Does anyone know of a source for a small round shim that would work? I might put some metal-displacing divots on the shoulder of the barrel where it contacts the receiver to see if that will work, then once it is "right", I'll loctite (blue) the barrel into the receiver. I'm open to suggestions...
Another issue is that the magazine band has come away from the barrel. Hence the new pin then probably some work on the band where it goes into the dovetail. Although externally rusted, the mag tube is like new inside. UPDATE: pin is out, band is off and the tube cleaned up well with 0000 steel wool. I'm going to have to do a little metal displacement to the barrel and/or band to get the band to stay on. It is supposed to "twist in" then the tube is slid inside until it is in the receiver. Then the pin is inserted, holding it in place. The follower, spring and cap are installed with a screw holding the cap to the tube. The tube will need some "brown" on it as it has lost its original finish but the barrel cleaned up very nicely with only mild pitting in a couple areas.
Does anyone know a good, cheap source of 32-20? Preferably "low-power" rounds but inexpensive is the main concern...
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