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?? Restoration of a Winchester Rifle

stewartstewart Member Posts: 30 ✭✭
edited October 2001 in Ask the Experts
Found a Winchester 1894 that is pretty beat up, but a pre 64.Would like to find out who you recommend to do a restoration? Any comments?
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Comments

  • AntiqueDrAntiqueDr Member Posts: 691 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not all pre-64 rifles are worthy of restoration. In fact, "pretty beat up" would signal that, unless it has some special order features, you probably want to stay away from restoring it.Heavy pitting, etc, is EXPENSIVE to fix.
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  • JABSJABS Member Posts: 20 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you want to do it yourself, have a look at this site. http://members.fortunecity.com/oldvalkyry/winch.html
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  • stewartstewart Member Posts: 30 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sorry, the rifle works and is in great mechanical shape. Manufactured around 1920's. The barrel and receiver are around 40%, and stocks are decent. Not a collector gun I think, but can get a great deal on it, so was thinking of restoring to near new if I could find someone reputable.
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  • JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "Restoration" usually means just refinishing. The cost of refinishing will likely be equal to or less than the REDUCTION in value of the rifle after refinishing. At best, with luck, the rifle would be worth the same before and after refinishing. A true restoration by an expert who can duplicate everything about the original finish and markings will exceed the value several times over of the rifle when restored. There is no way to make an old common M94 worth more than several hunderd dollars, and a true restoration would exceed that cost by hundreds more. An you still would have a non-original rifle.For far less than the cost of a true restoration, you can buy a nice old M94. There are even some new-in-the-box that turn up from time to time. Originality is like virginity. Once it is gone, nothing can bring it back. Either enjoy the old rifle in its present condition and think of the life it led to get it to the condition in which you now find it, or pass on it. A restoration is only for rare guns or family heirlooms, and even then, I have a hard time accepting it. A gun is only factory-original once.
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