Winchester Model 12 refinish

[XO3319]

I had taken this refinish very slow

I know some people take a dim view of refinishing but this one was driven by necessity. This gun is a family heirloom and I have been threatened with grievous bodily harm if I ever even thought about selling it.

Most of my other work has been on milsurps but this shotgun is my grandfather's bought custom from the factory in 1949 with a custom slide and stock-- in French Walnut. It has a Cutts Compensator on it with 3 chokes and I can shoot this gun faster in doubles than some can fire with an over and under, the action is that smooth.

I learned how to shoot skeet with this gun, but over the last few years the finish had begun to bubble, and it was no longer the gun I could take to the skeet range and get compliments all day long at my "nice wood" :0

I tried finding a gunsmith who would refinish the wood to no avail, trying here in Northern VA and even through cetmerifles.com. I was finally convinced (through my wife and family) to give it shot myself. I think my skill level has gotten to the point where I can refinish it better than it was, with a lot of coaching from my gunsmith/engraver friend.

It requires quite a bit of work to detail strip the Model 12 Winchester completely. I used the AGI video and plenty of other refences to help me along, and god help me I went slow.

SO here goes

Here is what it looked like in 1997 before the bubbling of the finish (it did last over 50 years)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/PAPMDL12.jpg

I needed to get the finish off without damaging the wood so I brought out my old friend, Citrus-strip and applied 3 coats to each the stock (leaving it sit for 12 hours at a time) and the slide to get the old finish off the wood. It did not come off easily but it did come off.

slide
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/Winmod1221FebCitrisstripHG.jpg

stock
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/WinMod12stock2Mar07Citrustrip.jpg


Then I cleaned the stripper off with mineral spirits and let the pieces dry thoroughly.

Next I got the furniture ready for sanding. The checkering was done by hand and needed only a bit of touching up, and then I used masking tape to cover the checkering while I was sanding.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/slidereadyforsanding5Mar07b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/stockreadyforsanding5Mar07b.jpg

[XO3319]

Then I started sanding the pieces. Since the final finish was my main concern the surface was already very smooth so I started with 300 grit emory cloth backed by a felt pad and worked my way up to 800 grit very carefully and slowly

Then I raised 2 dents in the wood..the first one a deep dent above the pistol grip and the second along the monte carlo stock. The deep dent did not raise as much as I had hoped and will probably have to remain as the character of the gun. I used my new Brownell's stock iron for the task which worked just fine and added to my collection of gunsmithing tools.

Then I raised the grain of the wood with a damp cloth and took down the burrs with 1200 grit emory cloth until I was satisfied.

sanded

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/stocksanded5Mar07.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/slidesanded5Mar07a.jpg

Then it was off to the peanut oil. Both the slide and stock were soaked for 7-8 days in peanut oil.

out of the peanut oil
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/slideoutofPO13Mar07a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/stockoutofPO18Mar07a.jpg

today the slide will get a good coat of Birchwood Casey wood sealer and filler, with the stock following the next day (it is still drying from the peanut oil but is almost there)

Then I will use Tru-Oil in several coats as final finish and reassemble

More pictures to follow

[cimmaronkid]

Nice job so far! You should write Winchester and get a letter on all the information on the gun. This would be the first factory stocked Mdl. 12 that I have ever seen with a roll over cheek piece stock so that is why you need the letter. Wood looks more like a set from Fajen long ago, but I could be wrong. You would pay dearly today for a piece of French crotch(I know that came out wrong) walnut like that today.

[XO3319]

I will do that

The stock has Art King stamped under the recoil pad

My father's side of the family-name was King but Art King is not one of the decendants

I would be interested in knowing the particulars-- the Cutts was installed at the factory as well. The wood is gorgeous and I have never seen another of it's like

[cimmaronkid]

Cutts were a big item for skeet shooters back then and were installed on most guns as a factory option and were fairly expensive in their day. It gave better patterns with the old felt and cork wads of the day and also gave some weight up front on the barrel to help in the swing. As far as a smooth shucking gun goes, nothing yet has surpassed the Mdl. 12. The guns were also built to last several lifetimes and are much prized among trap shooters and skeet shooters to this day. Nothing points or swings better in a pump than the Mdl. 12.

I would give serious thought into following through on the gun and have some engraving done, especially since you have a friend that is an engraver. The flat sides of the gun lend itself to a beautiful canvas for the engraver. You already have the wood, so why not?

[weasel_master]

Have you worked on a lot of guns before moving up to more valuable ones? After looking at this I'm tempted to try an old deer rifle that needs to be done.

[tump]

that is going to look awsome but what does the 7 day peanut oil bath do for it other than really bring out the color and texture.:spin:

[k98k792]

That wood is freakin awesome!

[XO3319]

The peanut oil permeates the wood with oil and deepens the grain, and sets the stage for the Tru Oil I'm going to use

I've done a lot of work on the wood and mechanisms of my own guns and I just now built up the courage to refinish this one. I will be glas-bedding and refinishing the stock of the Sako Finnbear in 30-06 I bought when I was a Lieutenant at Fort Sill in 1989 for 400 bucks. I started by doing a lot of work on old rifles with little collectable value-- milsurps were prime for this -- like Suomi stocks, AK furniture, and worked my way up from there. Now I am getting into the more expensive stuff now that my skill level is improving.

I did not really want to engrave this one, as this is how it came from the factory and how my Grandfather passed it down, so I wanted to keep it like that. My engraver friend is a WWII vet (B25 flight engineer) and just passed his 85th birthday and is not taking new work, but still has plenty of advice.

The Finnbear is going to get engraved by my friend-- whatever touches he wants to do to it so I can have some of his great work.

[okie shooter]

That is some nice looking wood, glad to see you are takeing the time to make it something that your grandchildren can be as proud of.

[XO3319]

Everything is going real well with the wood after leaving the peanut oil

Both the stock and slide are dry and slide has received 2 coats of Birch-wood Casey Wood Sealer and Filler. The wood looked really black after this (not as black as on the photo though), and I used 0000 steel wool between coats. The grain was still highlighted and looking good so I wasn't too worried.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/21Mar07BCFillerslide.jpg

The stock received it's first coat of the sealer and filler today

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/23Mar07BCSealeronStock.jpg

And the slide received its first coat of Tru Oil today as well, applied by my fingers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/wray71/23Mar071stcoatTruOilSlide.jpg

I'm going to keep on with the coats of Tru-Oil until I'm satisfied

[Optimus Prime]

looking very pretty so far

[jfowl31]

With the way youve refinished that, its quite a piece, and fully restored to its former glory I think.

That wood is developing some nice "tiger's eye" effect to it, and Im sure it will only get deeper and richer with the Tru-oil.

very nicely done... I think you did nothing but enhance the value of that gun, BUBBA was not present for this refinish.

[XO3319]

I will have to have a professional to do the recoil pad once it is complete

[CrossFire]

That wood is fantastic. You do not see grain like that today, except of very high end pieces. Compliments on your care & dedication. I am curious about that peanut oil bath you used. I am redoing an old Savage clone of the Browning A5 and I have to try it to see how it works. The Savage stock is not the character of the pieces you're working.

[XO3319]

Ran into issues after the 3rd coat of Tru-Oil on the slide and the first coat on the stock

it was not setting evenly so I scrubbed it all off

I am working on a new formula Number 2 that I have to mix myself from Howe's Gunsmithing book

[jfowl31]

Any possibility that it was the peanut oil that kept the Tru-Oil from bonding?

[XO3319]

Don't know but it is a possibility, the grain might be too full of the oil finish

Never had that problem before so I'm going to go another route with the finish, but it might take a while to get the formula mixed up and applied

It also needs to set after application for about two weeks

This is why it is fun :musik29:

[nevada]

You've done great work there. I'm hoping it's the pics that aren't doing it justice. The wood looked fantastic in the before pic, but looks much too dark in the afters, like the grain is being covered over with black stain. I'm looking forward to seeing it when completed.

[XO3319]

Don't worry the Tru-Oil did not take

I Citrustripped it again and washed with mineral spirits to get the finish off and I'm starting again with a new formula