Model 8 Refinish

[dvdmclndn]

Wanted to say hey ya'll from south Texas first off, whole lot of folks here with alot of knowledge, and perhaps you could help me out. I purchased a Remington model 8 in .30 Rem. last year for a great price. According to this sites listing of manufacture dates, mine was made in 1910. I have not taken it down yet as I am worried about buggering it up, if anyone knows someone who can strip it down and refinish it that would be great, The rifle is in great condition, but after a houndred years it has maybe 25% of its orig. finish. The stocks are very good also with a few dings (no gouges) but I would like to get them taken care of also. Thanks all for your help Semper Fi

[Roger]

Sir,
I've done some low impact restoration work on rem. Model 8 s but more on Winchester 1894/1892 s. However I'm not sure what your expectations might be. If you email me directly, I'll give you my direct phone # ,and we could visit about your project. My email address is in the signature box below.
Thanks for your time,
Roger

[81police]

dvdmclndn, howdy from a fellow native Texan! Hopefully Jack1653 will comment here because he recently found a great gunsmith that can closely match the original Remington blue.

[dvdmclndn]

Thanks both for the quick response. I tried to send an email to you Roger but for some reason it failed. My email is dvdmclndn@yahoo.com

[dvdmclndn]

Thanks Mr. Woodall for the welcome ! An orig. blue on this rifle is exactly what I'm looking for (or as close as possible anyway) thanks for the info .

[DWalt]

There are differing opinions on the advisability of refinishing, and most believe that a little character gained over the last century is attractive. Even though it may not be a consideration for you, a metal refinish won't do much to increase value. I prefer leaving a gun in original condition as much as possible unless it is in very low condition. My feeling is that if you want a gun in like-new condition, you will always be better off buying a new gun. I do not have a lot of reservations about stripping the wood finish if it is in bad condition and applying a fresh oil finish, but I generally don't do any sanding, or filling of pre-existing dents and gouges. In the end, it's up to you to decide.

[dvdmclndn]

Thanks for posting Dewalt,I have given alot of consideration as to the loss in value of the rifle. I have been collecting firearms for almost 27 years, and in that time all of my focus has been on collecting/ restore of military firearms. This rifle is actualy a first for me in classic civilian/ hunting firearms. Though I understand the rules are basicly the same as far as guage of value, but to me I would like to have this rifle looking like the one on the cover page of this site over worry about value. this rifle will be a future gift to my old man when it is done, and I know he will like it.

[jack1653]

Howdy and welcome to the forum.

I can argue both sides of the refinish issue and it will do nothing but alienate those with differing viewpoints. Each of us have our own means and methods of refinishing. Most of my methods come from watching and listening to the old-timers who had to learn without the benefit of the internet and the new finishing products available to us today.

I have taken bits and pieces of techniques over the years, combined them and developed my own methods. Different conditions encountered result in different methods to deal with the situation at hand. There is no one way for everything and it takes a seasoned veteran to know what to do with each situation. We defend to the end our methods because they work for us. These methods past down from our seniors are not learned overnight. The beginning refinisher is going to experience the frustration of re-dos and question why they started.

There is only one way to get a rifle to look like a factory issue and that is restoration. Restoration is not refinishing and is not attainable by the novice refinisher. I am not going to give a text book explanation of restoration other than to say when done by a professional it will look like a factory issue. I do not do restorations because it requires more skills than I posses. What I can say with certainty is that there is a big difference between refinishing and restoration. There is also a big difference in price. I have had firearms restored if I was wanting a factory appearing result. I can tell you that you can purchase several model 8's for the cost of one restoration.

There are some of these old rifles that should not be refinished or restored in my opinion. There are others that can be dramatically improved by a good refinishing of the wood. Many of us will argue against the re-bluing because most re-bluing is not done properly. The Remington's were blued with a slow-rust technique and is not something to be done by the amateur. Many of us can spot a re-blue a mile away and dramatically reduces the value of the rifle. Collectors will eat your lunch when you try and pass off a re-blue. There are so many tell tale signs of a re-blue that even a beginner will be able to identify one when they become aware of what to look for on the gun.

I think you said you wanted your gun to look like the one on the home page. You indicated you wanted it to look nice because you were going to give it to your Dad. You only have one choice of making an old gun look like the one on the home page and that is RESTORATION. If you have a "beater" and not a "collector" I'll tell you what on of my southern buddies once told me; "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken crap no matter how much mayonnaise you use."

If you would like the name of an excellent restoration gunsmith, send me a PM with a phone number and I will talk further with you.

Good Luck.

Regards,

jack1653

[DWalt]

I didn't mention anything about restoration in my earlier posting, mainly because it is a step that should be taken only by the well-heeled, and involving guns of considerable rarity and desirability regardless of condition. There are several gun restorers who have made their reputations in the handgun area, but would probably work on long guns also. These guys can re-stamp worn markings, make up missing parts that would otherwise be unavailable, and duplicate about any of the several types of metal finishes (plating or bluing) used from the 19th century forward. For this, they charge a handsome fee, and take a long time to perform. Restoration would really not be worthwhile except as it involves a gun of considerable value (think of something like a Walker Colt). Another difference is that a well-done restoration can increase the value of a gun, whereas refinishing has the opposite effect. The idea is much the same as taking a rusted-out 1923 Rolls-Royce, and restoring it to showroom condition. I actually knew a guy once who did just that - restoring junky Rolls-Royces. He scoured the world for R-R and Bentley junkers (yes, they do exist), and sold the finished restorations all over the world at astounding prices. He also had a very sophisticated machine shop to make mechanical parts that were otherwise unavailable, and even made body parts from fiberglass when needed.

[dvdmclndn]

Just wanted to say thank-you all for your knowledge, and help in giving direction on this classic rifle. Very happy I joined this great site. I look forward to speaking with you all in the future !

[gunny5821]

Here is a most excellent smith in firearm restoration, Doug Turnbull. I have had the opportunity to view his work over the years at the SHOTSHOW and we had the opportunity and privilege to set up next to his booth at the 2004 NRA Convention at Orlando. He is known world wide as the premier in firearm restoration.

http://turnbullmfg.com/

Regards,

Richard L. Turner
Turner Saddlery, Inc.
turnersling.com