doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Restoration

I thought it worthwhile to start a new thread about restorations. Does not have to be all about older custom bolt guns, there are many restoration projects involving single-shot rifles and others going on all the time.

Each person has to decide the why and how of what they want to accomplish. A fine firearm can be ruined by an unknowledgeable person with good intentions as fast as “Bubba” with a file and hammer. You might want to spent more money than normal on a firearm because it’s a family heirloom or it has historical importance. Most of the restorations I get involved with are trying to get a rifle back to how it left the custom maker in the first place. For each project that I am working on there must be a couple dozen others in the works and I’m trying to help with historical information.

Colt, Winchester or Bob Owen you have to know how they made the gun in order to properly restore it. On a Colt you need to know the direction of how each part was polished to even get close to factory. A Bob Owen you would need to know that his early stocks were french polished. In a miscommunication on my part one time I got a damascus barrel back that was brown & white instead of black & white. I spent too much time on the phone telling the smith why it sound not be brown & white ;-).

My most comprehensive restoration to date. Some of the pictures may be gone from this thread but you can get the idea. I hope I can get this one back together in the coming weeks and when I do I'll post some picture of the rifle as well as go over how much work went into this.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/971104608?r=571106608#571106608

Mike,

I'm interested in the story behind how you came by a Wunderhammer stock missing the rifle.

Rob

A man I know in the second largest state wrote me an email and asked my opinion on a sporter stock and wondered if I knew anyone that might want to buy it. He sent me pictures and we made a trade. I could not tell for sure in the pictures but it looked like a great stock. Once I had it in my hands there was no doubt, it was a Wundhammer.

There is a story going round about a man in Michigan who a while back bought a Fred Adolph stock at a gun show for $25. I guess anything is possible.

I am envious; not so much of the rifle, although it's a beauty, but rather of the artistry and craftsmanship of the man who repaired it. I can only strive...
Thank you, Michael

I've kept restoration work to guns that were either very badly neglected, or incomplete. I've always tried to save guns that were in average condition by just doing enough repairs to keep the honest wear, and get them functioning properly.
I've only done complete restorations to three guns, with one more in progress. A Ballard #4 that was so pitiful that nothing but the receiver and buttplate could be saved; a Rem. Hepburn that came as a rusty action with a newly fitted barrel; a 1891 Marlin .22 that came polished out already; and the present project which is a Rem. #1 Rolling Block that came to me as just a complete receiver.
The Rolling Block is presently rebarreled, and wood was carved by Dave Crossno. Once I get the barreled action back from John Taylor I'll finish up stock and metal work, and then have the finish work done.

A sign of a good restoration is there is no indication that anything was done.
Not the best pictures but this was a major restoration?

Michael, as a favor, please identify the rifles and the restorer.
(ITHINK I can identify the first one)
Vall, nice group, but that Hepburn is crying to be checkered.
Thanks,
Steve

The Griffin-Mauser was done by Bob Fulton in WY, I did not let him remove the finish or do any refinishing. I've spent the last couple years slowly building up the finish at the break, it's about impossible to see now.

The Wesson was done by John Wills, Anchorage. When I first saw it there was an action, lock and busted buttstock. That's the original buttstock, the rear sight base(s), rear sight, barrel, front sight and forearm are by John.