doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Potential silk purse or always a sow's ear Marlin?

Around that time, I managed a hi-volume sporting goods dept, and Model 60's were one of plagues of my life. Constant returns on them, after little use. Most were shipped to the factory for service, but it was always on FFL logging; time consuming. So, my opinion of the guns was not good, at that time. The paperwork, labor and shipping costs on one of them pretty much wiped out their initial narrow profit margin.

However, over time I found, as noted above, that each Model 60/99 firearm can be a law unto itsownse'f: from potential tomato stake in the garden, to a decent .22. As well, I read an article in one publication or another, which stated that cleanliness is next to Godliness so far as reliable functioning.

So, for what it's worth, if the gun shoots accurately enuff for you, and functions OK, then have at the beautification attempt. Practice makes for improvement, tho' not always 'perfect', when it comes to wood and finishes. And, creation of a little beauty in this world, has it's own satisfactions

Kerryman:

Cheap walnut definitely can be improved with an oil finish. What you are dealing with is probably open-grained black walnut similar to that used on U.S. military rifles as well as inexpensive sporting rifles and shotguns in the 50s and 60s which would now be stocked in birch. An oil finish often brings out more figure than you would suspect. Consider linseed for the first coat to darken the wood slightly and make it "glow", followed with tru-oil or similar (or a mix of tru and BLO to soften the look), or wet sand as you were thinking. I think these look nice with just a few thin coats of tru-oil, not totally filling the grain. This avoids the "plastic" look that modified oil finishes seem to get when built up too perfectly.

How a Model 60 is cleaned is also very important! There are a couple little nylon parts (like the buffer) and if you use the wrong cleaner it will melt them, and then you really have troubles!

I have Marlin Model 99M1 that I've had for 30 years. Basically the same Marlin auto 22 design as the 60 and others, designed to emulate an M1 Carbine. The only problem I have ever had with it was extractor springs. It stove piped like crazy until I tore it down, carefully cleaned out the extractor and spring recesses and replaced the springs.